The Princess Spy

by Larry Loftis

  In Aline’s Prologue and Epilogue she writes of running into Pierre in 1984, but again without revealing his true identity. A possible reason for the secrecy is that Aline’s books reveal Pierre to be a traitor and serial murderer. I believe these murders to be fictional embellishments (see the Notes for details), and thus I have not included them in my work. While there’s no way to know for sure, my guess is that Pierre—like Aline’s John Derby, Phillip Harris, and Jeff Walters—really existed. If so, he would have trained with her at The Farm and quite likely have pursued her and visited her in Madrid. Was he a traitor, as Aline suggests? Any evidence to prove that has yet to be found.

  GREGORY THOMAS

  Immediately after the war, in 1945, Gregory Thomas returned to his prior employer, Chanel, and was named president of company’s US division. He married in 1950 and would run Chanel for twenty-seven years, retiring in 1972. Without children, he and his wife moved to Masarkytown, a small village about sixteen miles inland from Florida’s west coast.

  He died at the Lakeland Regional Medical Center on October 9, 1990, at the age of eighty-two.

  FRANK T. RYAN

  Frank Ryan is one of the most fascinating characters I’ve come across in many years of World War II research. He was in charge of OSS’s Iberian peninsula—Spain and Portugal, the two hotbeds of espionage—but always managed to stay behind the scenes. He was thorough in his work and left few trails. His OSS files are sparse, and he resigned almost immediately after the war in Europe ended, on May 31, 1945. It appears he knew that President Truman intended to disband the OSS, and he began his own venture.

  What is most striking about Ryan is the level of confidence others placed in him. When perhaps the two most influential espionage bosses of World War II—William Donovan and William Stephenson—decided to form the British American Canadian Corporation (later World Commerce Corporation), neither wanted to run it. They could have chosen Whitney Shepardson, Donovan’s number two, or Charles Hambro, SOE’s chief. But instead they chose Ryan, someone several rungs down the food chain. And for good reason: Ryan was a consummate professional, dedicated, experienced, and well-versed in applying the need-to-know doctrine. His tours of Europe before and after the war revealed wisdom in seeking firsthand knowledge of the lay of the land.

  Like Aline, he was also adept at acquiring and keeping contacts. There is little doubt that the financial involvement of the Mellon family in funding the World Commerce Corporation is due to the influence of Larry Mellon, one of Ryan’s agents. And when former secretary of state Edward Stettinius retired from WCC’s board of directors in 1950, Ryan replaced him with an even bigger gun, Alfred V. Du Pont.

  What espionage Ryan conducted through World Commerce may never be known. Perhaps the company simply used Western intelligence—including contacts and information—that had been developed during the war to thwart the spread of communism throughout Europe. At the beginning of 1945 Ryan, Donovan, and Stephenson already understood that if no effort was made on the part of the West to assist in the economic redevelopment of Europe, Stalin would push his iron curtain farther and farther west.

  Ryan’s admiration of Aline was genuine, too, and he and Aline remained lifelong friends. In her 1990 release, The Spy Went Dancing, she includes a photo of herself with him from 1966. From that point on we don’t see much of Ryan.

  True to fashion as one of World War II’s greatest spymasters, Ryan simply faded away quietly into the background. Unlike the agents he ran—Thomas, Mellon, Lassalle, and Aline—his passing received no obituary in the New York Times.

  As Frank T. Ryan would have wanted it.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I owe a huge debt of gratitude to many who assisted in this work.

  First, to my all-wise, all-seeing friend and beta-reader, Susannah Hurt. As she did with Into the Lion’s Mouth and CODE NAME: LISE, Susannah provided stellar initial comments, my favorite of which was “This can be better.” She was always right, of course, and you the reader are the beneficiary. To her, my heartfelt thanks.

  I am also deeply grateful for the encouragement and assistance provided by the children and grandchildren of individuals in this story. I could not have provided the depth and details about Robert Dunev and the OSS Madrid coding room without access to Dunev’s unpublished memoir, The Spy Reminisces, kindly provided by his sons, Michael and Peter (who also provided the excellent photos of Robert).

  And once again I am indebted to Cristina Neves of the Arquivo Histórico Municipal de Cascais (Portugal) who, as she did with Into the Lion’s Mouth, provided all of the Palacio Hotel registrations that you see in the book. She was also kind enough to check newspaper records on the dates that Aline was in Estoril in 1944, and provided the actual Casino Estoril theater schedule during that week.

  Likewise, many thanks to Suzanne Zoumbaris at the National Archives and Records Administration for her invaluable assistance with the OSS files during my marathon sessions there.

  And to Peter Borland, Sean Delone, and everyone at Atria Books and Simon & Schuster for their endless efforts, especially Atria’s art director, Jimmy Iacobelli, for this magnificent cover.

  Finally to my agent, Keith Urbahn, who is simply the best in the business.

  More from the Author

  Code Name: Lise

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Larry Loftis is the USA TODAY and international bestselling author of the nonfiction spy thrillers Code Name: Lise—The True Story of the Woman Who Became WWII’s Most Highly Decorated Spy and Into the Lion’s Mouth: The True Story of Dusko Popov—World War II Spy, Patriot, and the Real-Life Inspiration for James Bond, which have been published around the world in multiple languages. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Mr. Loftis was a corporate attorney and adjunct professor of law. He can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @LarryLoftis and at LarryLoftis.com.

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  www.SimonandSchuster.com/Authors/Larry-Loftis

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  ALSO BY LARRY LOFTIS

  Code Name: Lise

  Into the Lion’s Mouth

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  NOTES

  Preface

  all the way up: Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises, 9.

  February 1944… BUTCH: Aline, Countess of Romanones, The History of Pascualete, 3, 8.

  John Derby… Phillip Harris… MOZART… TIGER: Aline, Countess of Romanones, The Spy Wore Red, 16, 83, 87.

  Prologue

  shutters… gun: For details on this scene, see Chapter 8 and accompanying notes.

  Chapter 1: Dying to Fight

  May 24, 1941… The American… Frank Timothy Ryan: See Ryan’s Palacio registration in the main text, courtesy of Cascais Archives. See also Cristina Pacheco, ed., Hotel Palácio, Estoril-Portugal: Boletins de Alojamento de Estrangeiros: Boletins Individuais, 1939–1944, 164–65. This volume contains all Palacio registrations that survived the war (only two registrations during 1943 survived). Ryan’s registration reveals that he checked in on May 24, but the hotel ledger does not indicate when he checked out. While he did not yet work for the OSS (which hadn’t been created), his passport was issued from Washington.

  Estoril’s Palacio: For background on Estoril and the Palacio, see Larry Loftis, Into the Lion’s Mouth: The True Story of Dusko Popov—World War II Spy, Patriot, and the Real-Life Inspiration for James Bond, 35–36, 64, 80–85.

  many of its patrons were spies: The Palacio now refers to its bar as the Spy Bar, and its drink menu includes images of the h
otel registrations of Ian Fleming and Dusko Popov. On my visit to the Spy Bar, I was given one of these menus, the pertinent pages of which can be seen on my blog at LarryLoftis.com.

  Ian Fleming had checked in to: A copy of Ian Fleming’s Palacio registration on May 20, 1941, can be seen at Loftis, Into the Lion’s Mouth, 81. Fleming’s stay is also recorded in Pacheco, ed., Hotel Palácio, 176–77.

  German press attaché Hans Lazar: Pacheco, ed., Hotel Palácio, 186–81.

  graduated from the college of Mount Saint Vincent: Office of Strategic Services personnel card (OSS Form 1517e) for Aline Griffith, RG 226, Entry A1 224, OSS Personnel Files 1941–1945, Box 294, File “Griffith, Marie Aline,” National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

  Born May 22, 1920… Pearl River School: Ibid.

  Founded in 1870… Julius Braunsdorf: Orangetown Historical Museum and Archives, https://www.orangetownmuseum.com/pearl-river.

  Aetna Sewing Machine… Talbot C. Dexter… Dexter Folder Company: Ibid. See also Romanones, History of Pascualete, 3–4; Spy Wore Red, 13; Aline, Countess of Romanones, The End of an Epoch, 83. In Aline’s descriptions of Pearl River’s founding, her details are slightly off, most likely because she is repeating what she had been told by her mother. In The History of Pascualete, Aline writes: “Pearl River began when my mother’s father, Grandfather Dexter, decided to build his new factory there, some time at the end of the last century.” In The Spy Wore Red, she writes: “My father, who managed a factory which manufactured folding machines for print plants (founded by my grandfather)…” And in The End of an Epoch: “The town had been started by my grandfather.” As noted in the text, however, the town was founded by Julius Braunsdorf, and Aline’s grandfather moved his operation into Braunsdorf’s factory (rather than building his own).

  Her mother and father: See E. W. Andrews’s “Aline Marie Griffith” memo dated September 13, 1943, in Aline’s OSS personnel file at RG 226, Entry A1 224, OSS Personnel Files 1941–1945, Box 294, NARA.

  Schumacher’s… Rowan’s… Sandford’s: Romanones, History of Pascualete, 3–4.

  First National Bank: While Aline’s The History of Pascualete mentions “National Bank” (p. 4), her OSS file reveals that the bank’s full name was First National Bank & Trust Co. See Aline’s March 29, 1946, correspondence to R. C. Read at the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War in her OSS personnel file at RG 226, Entry A1 224, OSS Personnel Files 1941–1945, Box 294, NARA.

  Aline’s father managed: Romanones, Spy Wore Red, 13. See also Aetna Sewing Machine note above regarding the accurate history of this factory.

  Their house: Romanones, History of Pascualete, 4.

  The Town of Friendly People: Orangetown Historical Museum and Archives, https://www.orangetownmuseum.com/pearl-river.

  Catholic girls school: Romanones, History of Pascualete, 5.

  Rockland State Hospital… Manny Rooney: Aline’s OSS personnel card, RG 226, Entry A1 224, OSS Personnel Files 1941–1945, Box 294, NARA.

  Dexter as a fighter pilot… Tommy: Romanones, Spy Wore Red, 9–10; History of Pascualete, 5.

  Hattie Carnegie: Aline’s OSS personnel card, RG 226, Entry A1 224, OSS Personnel Files 1941–1945, Box 294, NARA. See also Romanones, Spy Wore Red, 8.

  August… Amy Porter… dinner party: Aline, Countess of Romanones, “The OSS in Spain During World War II,” The Secrets War: The Office of Strategic Services in World War II, 123; Spy Wore Red, 9–10; History of Pascualete, 6. In her article for The Secrets War, Aline places the date of the dinner in August. In The Spy Wore Red, however, she puts it in September, while in The History of Pascualete, she writes that it occurred in July. Given that the OSS requested a security check for her on September 13 (see Aline’s OSS personnel card, op. cit.), the August date is most probable.

  John… Frank: In all of her espionage books, Aline disguises Frank Ryan as “John Derby.” Not until 1992, in her article for The Secrets War, does she reveal his true identity. She again uses his real name in her last book, The End of an Epoch (p. 45), published in 2015. In The Spy Wore Red, she refers to his brother as “Mike.” Frank Ryan had three brothers, and “Mike” in Aline’s story is in all likelihood Frank’s brother John, founder of John J. Ryan & Sons, a company for which Aline would later work.

  blue eyes… thin lips… neck and jaw: See photos of Frank Ryan in the New York Times (“Flies to Europe Today for Business Survey,” November 6, 1945), and Aline, Countess of Romanones, The Spy Went Dancing, photo section.

  Are you planning… Now why: Romanones, Spy Wore Red, 11–12.

  Do you know… majored in French and minored in Spanish: Ibid., 12. Interestingly, Aline’s OSS personnel card indicates that she was fluent in Spanish, but had a “slight” or working knowledge of French. RG 226, Entry A1 224, OSS Personnel Files 1941–1945, Box 294, NARA.

  If you should happen to hear from a Mr. Tomlinson: Romanes, Spy Wore Red, 12. In The History of Pascualete (p. 6), Aline states that she was given the next level of instruction via a letter from the War Department, which said that its representative would contact her. In all likelihood, the letter was a formal confirmation of Ryan’s disclosure.

  inquiry of some sort: In correspondence to Mrs. Marjory Hutcheson, E. Wyllys Andrews (OSS Washington) requested the background check for Aline on September 13, 1943. Aline Griffith personnel file, RG 226, Entry A1 224, OSS Personnel Files 1941–1945, Box 294, NARA. See also Romanones, Spy Wore Red, 13. OSS background checks were conducted by the FBI, and Robert Dunev (Aline’s office mate in the Madrid code room) noted that it had inquired about him with his friends, neighbors, and former teachers. Robert Dunev, The Spy Reminisces, 6.

  This is Mr. Tomlinson… Would I work: Romanones, Spy Wore Red, 13–14. See also History of Pascualete, 6.

  “the Biltmore Hotel lobby”: The palatial Biltmore Hotel, now known simply as 335 Madison Avenue, opened in 1913. Situated adjacent to Grand Central Terminal, it was one of three hotels constructed as part of the Terminal City development (the other two being the Commodore—now the Hyatt Regency—and the Roosevelt).

  November 1: By Aline’s account, her meeting with Tomlinson was on September 30, 1943, and her meeting with Frank Ryan in Washington was on October 8. However, Aline’s OSS personnel file indicates that her security clearance was not issued until October 6, two days before her all-important meeting. In addition, her file indicates that she did not enter The Farm until November 1. See “Marie Aline Griffith” undated memo indicating her security clearance date, as well as her time at The Farm (November 1–29, 1943), and correspondence from Robert Wauchope to Weston Howland on November 22, 1943, indicating that Aline had finished her training. [Wauchope has her finishing at The Farm a week before the summary memo.] See also William Larimer Mellon, Jr.’s memo to Reginald C. Foster on October 26, 1943, indicating that Aline “has been entered at The Farm for November 1,” RG 226, Entry A1 224, OSS Personnel Files 1941–1945, Box 294, NARA. Accordingly, Aline’s date for the Ryan meeting appears to be about three weeks off.

  Tell your family… Go directly: Romanones, Spy Wore Red, 14; History of Pascualete, 6. This clandestine procedure comports with the instructions given to Robert Dunev, Aline’s office mate in the Madrid coding room. Dunev, Spy Reminisces, 7–8.

  Chapter 2: The Farm

  résumé to Dr. James Hamilton: Robert Huddleston, Edmundo: From Chipas, Mexico to Park Avenue, 17–18. Note that Huddleston is Edmundo’s son-in-law; his wife, Pepita Lassalle Huddleston, is Edmundo’s daughter.

  San Cristobal… National University… Columbia University… Berkeley: Ibid., 1–5.

  Pan American Union… Division of Intellectual Cooperation: Ibid., 5, 10–11.

  Higher Education in Argentina… The Araucanians: Edmundo’s “Argentina,” included within Higher Education in Latin America, and “The Araucanians” were both published by the Pan American Union and can be found today on Amazon.

  fall of 1941, he was offered: Huddleston, Edmundo, 14.

  Offi
ce of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs… Office for Inter-American Affairs: President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the OCIAA by Executive Order 8840 on July 30, 1941, naming Nelson Rockefeller as its coordinator. The entire order can be seen in the archive collection of the University of California at Santa Barbara, or online at https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/executive-order-8840-establishing-the-office-coordinator-inter-american-affairs. On March 23, 1945, Roosevelt changed the name of the organization to Office for Inter-American Affairs (OIAA) by Executive Order 9532. For details of the history and activities of the OCIAA and the OIAA, see generally, Edwin D. Anthony, ed., Records of the Office of Inter-American Affairs.

  January 19, 1942: Huddleston, Edmundo, 14.

  motion pictures propaganda: Anthony, Records of the Office of Inter-American Affairs, 24–25.

  My [OIAA] office: Correspondence from Edmundo to his wife, Emile, on August 27, 1943; Huddleston, Edmundo, 17.

  My (OIAA) office: Ibid., 18.

  The references… October… Frank Ryan: Ibid., 34. Edmundo didn’t record meeting with Ryan that day, but since Ryan was the head of OSS’s Iberian Desk (where Edmundo was ultimately assigned) and would have had to sign off on Edmundo’s employment, it would be logical to assume that this is who he met with.

  November 1, 1943: As mentioned in the note for Chapter 1, Aline’s recollection of the date of her meeting with Frank Ryan (October 8, and from there directly to The Farm) appears to be inaccurate as her OSS personnel file indicates that her security clearance was not issued until October 6. In addition, she did not enter The Farm on October 8 as two entries in her file state that she arrived there on November 1. RG 226, Entry A1 224, OSS Personnel Files 1941–1945, Box 294, NARA.