Great Escapes
Page 19
APPENDIX 5
[Series 43]
Like many other escape and evasion series produced by MI9, this series carried no title or individual sheet names. While based on the existing maps of the International Map of the World (IMW) of the European area, the ten basic sheets were all produced by panelling together sections of existing IMW sheets to produce irregular size sheets, all of which were printed on man-made fibre. The sheets are all at 1:1,000,000 scale, with three of them carrying larger scale insets of border areas. The sheets are all prefixed 43, followed by an alphabet letter. This Appendix provides details of the sheets, scale, geographical coverage, dimensions, the combinations produced, the size of the print runs, the print dates and the production suspension dates. Six sheets in this series were printed in substantial numbers, probably for operational use as well as for escape and evasion purposes. The final column indicates the location of the extant copies of the sheets which have been found.
Total number of sheets produced = 10
Total number of copies printed = 1,159,500
APPENDIX 6
[Series 44]
Identical in specification to [Series 43] were the eighteen sheets, produced in nine set combinations, of the Far East area. Again they were based on the existing IMW sheets, were small-scale and were all produced on man-made fibre. They appear also to have been produced for both escape and evasion and operational purposes. The sheets are all prefixed 44, followed by an alphabet letter. This Appendix provides details of the sheets, scale, geographical coverage, dimensions, the nine set combinations, the size of the print runs, print dates and production suspension dates. The final column indicates the location of the extant copies of the sheets which have been found. While a detailed investigation into the actual use of this particular group of maps lies beyond the scope of this study, future research on the practical uses made of them by the South East Asian Command in its campaigns against Japan might prove to be a worthwhile undertaking.
Total number of sheets produced = 18 (in 9 set combinations)
Total number of copies produced = 185,000+
APPENDIX 7
[Series FGS]
This series comprises five sheets, produced singly and in various combinations, and again based on the existing IMW series at small-scale, either 1:1,000,000 or 1:1,250,000. All were produced on man-made fibre. The sheets are all prefixed FGS, followed by an alphabet letter. The significance of FGS is not known. This Appendix provides details of the sheets, scale, geographical coverage, the nine combinations produced, the size of the print runs, which vary considerably from as small as 250 copies to as many as 15,400, and the print dates. The final column indicates the location of the extant copies of the sheets which have been found.
* refer to Appendix 8 for details of sheet 9CA
Total number of sheets produced = 5
Total number of combinations identified = 9
Total number of copies produced = 105,150
APPENDIX 8
Miscellaneous maps
This Appendix comprises a group of sixteen miscellaneous maps which have been identified, either through mention in the records or by discovering extant copies. In some cases, it is clear that these were produced, initially at least, for inclusion in MI9’s Bulletin as well as for further operational purposes. The following Appendix lists the sheets and shows, at Part 1, the sometimes limited details which are known of them in terms of sheet number or title, scale, geographical coverage, dates, dimensions and other identifying detail. Part 2 shows production details, specifically whether they were produced singly or in combination, the print runs and print dates. The final column indicates the location of the extant copies of the sheets which have been found.
Part 1: geographical description of the maps
Part 2: production details and location of extant copies
Total number of sheets identified = 16
Total number of copies produced = 20,050
APPENDIX 9
Maps produced for the Bulletin
This Appendix comprises a group of eight maps which were initially produced for inclusion in the Bulletin and, as such, were printed on standard printing paper. It is believed that the maps were subsequently reproduced on silk or tissue for use in escape and evasion. However, there are known to be some key differences, not least in the sheet numbering. At least one of the maps in the Bulletin carries the same number as a very different map produced for escape and evasion. Additionally, there are maps in the Bulletin for which extant copies of the escape and evasion versions have not been identified, although there is ample evidence to confirm that they were produced. It is, therefore useful to cross compare entries in this Appendix with the same sheet numbers in Appendix 1 or the same sheet titles in Appendix 8.
Total number of maps = 8
Location of extant copies of all eight maps = 2
APPENDIX 10
Decoding a hidden message
The text of the letter dated 22/12/42 (see page 140), which John Pryor wrote home, is reproduced below and the exercise to decode the letter is marked up at page 243 where significant words and letters are highlighted in red. An explanation of how the letter was decoded then follows.
John Pryor’s coded letter
22/12/42
My dear Mummy and Daddy, The camps appearance is looking quite smart
now as the main road and paths inside the wire have been lined
with small trees. Also our keen gardeners have dug flowerbeds
in front of each occupied barrack. We were however forced
to bring better soil in as most of our camp ground boasts
only of sand in which nothing much will grow. Next spring
when the new plants are on the way it should look quite
respectable. We have just been working hard opening up
our Xmas food parcels for this festive week, inside they
contain several Xmas luxuries. Some have probably been on
view to next-of-kin at the Red cross centres. The parcels are
certainly up to standard. Two or three days back a letter
came from the Odell’s; Alasdair apparently, has joined up
and possesses Robert’s great liking for high speed travel on
the roads. I have not played bridge recently, but hope
of a rubber soon. The new five-suit game sounds the
most complicated affair. My small model is really well
underway and shows quite definite signs by now of
resembling a real whaler. The contents of rubbish dumps
etc. are really just the thing for getting the odd little bits
of wood and tin for it! As regards the clothing parcel
suggestions. There is nothing I need really. But you ˆalreadyˆ understand
the few odd consumable things that one needs. I shall really be
quite content even if they are underweight. Recently we had a
large number of books, but mine have not arrived yet.
Heaps & heaps of love
your loving son
John.
John Pryor’s coded letter with hidden message highlighted
22/12/42
My dear Mummy and Daddy, The camps (3 x 5 grid) appearance is looking quite smart
now as the main road (5) and paths inside the (4 – start alphabetical code) wire have been lined
with small trees. Also our keen gardeners have dug flowerbeds
in front of each occupied barrack. We were however forced to bring better soil in as most of our camp ground boasts
only of sand in which nothing much will grow. Next spring
when the new (5) plants are on the (4 – start alphabet code) way it should look quite
respectable. We have just been working hard opening up
our Xmas food parcels for this festive week, inside they
contain several Xmas luxuries. Some have probably been on (5)
view to next-of-kin at (4) the Re
d cross centres. The (5 – start alphabet code) parcels are
certainly up to standard. Two or three days back a letter
came from the Odell’s; Alasdair apparently has joined up
and possesses Robert’s great liking for high speed travel on
the roads. I have not played bridge (5) recently, but hope
of (4) a rubber soon. The new (5) five-suit game sounds the (4 – start alphabet code)
most complicated affair. My small model is really well
underway and shows quite definite signs by now of
resembling a real whaler. The contents of rubbish dumps (5)
etc. are really just (4) the thing for getting the (5 – start alphabet code) odd little bits
of wood and tin for it! As regards the clothing parcel
suggestions. There is nothing I need really. But you ^already^ understand
the few odd consumable things that one needs. I shall really be
quite content even if they are underweight. Recently we had a
large (5) number of books, but (4 – indicates end of message) mine have not arrived yet.
Heaps & heaps of love
your loving son
John.
The first two words after the salutation are ‘The camps’: a 3 x 5 grid is, therefore, constructed. Moving to the second line of the letter and using Pryor’s numerical code of 5 and 4, the fifth word is ‘road’, so this goes into the top left box of the grid and will, therefore, be the final word of the message.
road
The fourth word after this is ‘the’, which indicates that the alphabet code starts at this point. This means that, starting with the next sentence, the first letter of each consecutive word is written down in groups of three. Each letter is identified on the alphabet listing shown above right and the number of the column (1, 2 or 3) in which it occurs is noted.
The decoder, therefore, moves to the next sentence which starts ‘Also our keen’ and proceeds to list the first letter of every word in groups of three. Each group of three letters signifies a letter in Pryor’s alphabet table, S, as shown above right.
S 111 T 211 U 311
V 112 W 212 X 312
Y 113 Z 213 . 313
A 121 B 221 C 321
D 122 E 222 F 322
G 123 H 223 I 323
J 131 K 231 L 331
M 132 N 232 O 332
P 133 Q 233 R 333
Transposing each group of three letters into the alphabet letter from this table, the following word emerges:
A O K = 132 = M
G H D = 121 = A
F I F = 333 = R
O E O = 323 = I
B W W = 222 = E
H F T = 232 = N
B B S = 221 = B
I A M = 311 = U
O O C = 333 = R
G B O = 123 = G
O S I = 313 = .
The word spells ‘marienburg’ and becomes the second word on the grid.
At the point where the full stop occurs, the decoder reverts to the 5 4 sequence at the start of the next sentence in the letter but maintaining the correct rhythm. Having finished on the fourth word at the previous stage, this time the fifth word is counted. Starting counting at the beginning of the next sentence, this gives the word ‘new’, which becomes the third word on the grid.
The following fourth word is ‘the’ signalling that the alphabet code starts again at the beginning of the next sentence. Taking the first letter of each word and setting them out in groups of three produces the following:
W H J = 221 = B
B W H = 222 = E
O U O = 333 = R
X F P = 331 = L
F T F = 323 = I
W I T = 232 = N
C S X = 313 = .
The fourth word on the grid is ‘berlin’.
road marienburg new
berlin
Moving to the start of the next complete sentence in the letter and picking up the 5 4 rhythm, the fifth word is ‘on’ which becomes the fifth word on the grid.
The following fourth word is ‘at’, which becomes the sixth word on the grid, noting that the hyphenated ‘next-of-kin’ counts only as one word.
The following fifth word in the letter is ‘the’, which indicates that the alphabet code starts again at the beginning of the next sentence.
Taking the first letter of each word and setting them out in groups of three produces the following:
T O T = 232 = N
D B A = 121 = A
L C F = 333 = R
T O A = 231 = K
A H J = 121 = A
U A P = 311 = U
R G L = 313 = .
The seventh word on the grid is ‘narkau’.
Starting with the next sentence, the fifth word is ‘bridge’ which becomes the eighth word. It should be noted that Pryor had lost the 5 4 rhythm count as it should arguably have been the fourth and not the fifth word. These occasional lapses were entirely understandable and the decoders simply tried alternatives (as indeed did the author) when the message appeared to make no sense or started to lose sense.
The following fourth word is ‘of’, which becomes the ninth word.
The following fifth word is ‘new’, which becomes the tenth word.
Noting the hyphenated word (five-suit) which counts as one word, the next fourth word is ‘the’ which again signals the start of the alphabet code at the beginning of the next sentence.
Taking the first letter of each word and setting them out in groups of three produces the following:
M S M = 111 = S
I R W = 332 = O
U A S = 311 = U
Q D S = 211 = T
B N O = 223 = H
R A R = 313 = .
The eleventh word on the grid is ‘south’.
road marienburg new
berlin on at
narkau bridge of
new south
Moving to the start of the next complete sentence in the letter and keeping the 5 4 rhythm, the fifth word is ‘dumps’ which becomes the twelfth word on the grid.
The following fourth word is ‘just’ (noting the inclusion of the otherwise unnecessary ‘etc.’ to ensure the count identified the correct word), which becomes the thirteenth word on the grid.
The following fifth word is ‘the’, which indicates the start of the alphabet code at the beginning of the next sentence. Taking the first letter of each word (noting the insertion of ‘already’ to ensure the correct sequence of letters) and setting them out in groups of three produces the following:
A R T = 132 = M
C P S = 311 = U
T I N = 232 = N
I N R = 323 = I
B Y A = 211 = T
U T F = 323 = I
O C T = 332 = O
T O N = 232 = N
I S R = 313 = .
The fourteenth word on the grid is ‘munition’.
Moving to the start of the next complete sentence in the letter, the fifth word is ‘large’ which becomes the fifteenth and final word on the grid. Arguably it should have been the fourth word ‘a’ at this point to ensure retention of the 5 4 rhythm: either ‘a’ or ‘large’ would make sense: ‘large’ makes more sense since he used the plural form ‘dumps’ and the letter writers did not usually include unnecessary words in their hidden messages such as an article before a noun. To reinforce the fact that this was the end of the message, the fourth word after this is ‘but’. Placing the words in the correct numerical order 1 to 15 on the grid gives the result shown:
road marienburg new
berlin on at
narkau bridge of
new south dumps
just munition large
Starting in the bottom right corner and reading across and diagonally in sequence, the message reads:
LARGE MUNITION DUMPS JUST SOUTH OF NEW BRIDGE AT NARKAU ON NEW BERLIN MARIENBURG ROAD
BIBLIOGRAPHY
PRIMARY SOURCES
A recurring aspect of the re
search which underpins this study is the continuing search for files in The National Archives. Foot and Langley were afforded special access in the late 1970s to produce their seminal work, MI9: Escape and Evasion, 1939–1945. Foot anticipated, in the author’s discussion with him in 2012, that many of the previously closed files would by now be open. Certainly many more than he was able to access are now available. However, identifying the files can often be testing since they are not all amongst the War Office files, which was where Foot anticipated they would be, and some carry titles and descriptions which do not readily indicate that they relate to the work of MI9. Such shortcomings in cataloguing may well have resulted from the dispersal of files at the time MI9 was being wound up at the end of the war.
Even now, the researcher is still faced with closed files. This author’s experience of just one request under the Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation for the opening of a file led to a wait of over three months because the request reportedly raised ‘complex public interest considerations’. Government departments generally respond to FOI requests within four weeks (twenty working days). This particular FOI request was made on 8 May 2013 and the file was only finally opened on 15 August 2013, a period of over three months. Moreover, significant segments of the released file had been redacted and the closure dates of some of the redactions had been further extended to 2030. The imagination can run amok, thinking about what possible secrets need to be withheld for eighty-five years after the end of World War II.