Melita Norwood Some believe, however, the real reason she was not put on trial was to avoid embarrassing details emerging about MI5s mistake in allowing her to work as a personal secretary at the very heart of Britains secret atomic research, even though she was known to have Communist sympathies. The comments below have not been moderated, By
. From World War II through the Cold War, she stole nuclear secrets from the office where she worked as a secretary and passed them to Moscow. In real life, Norwood was a Communist from an early age. Theodore Rothstein was one of the people in their group. Melita Norwood, on the other hand codenamed Hola was a model of reliability. She took top-secret documents from the Tube Alloys project - the cover name for the nuclear weapons programme - copied them and passed them to her KGB handlers. The how is known, the what is mostly conjecture, which makes Judi Dench's film a controversial adaptation - it opts for a more romantic take on the tale that has been called everything from "preposterous" to "inaccurate". "It's just what you did" she says. Posted on January 17, 2022 | by . Her bookbinder father was a Latvian immigrant and Left-wing activist whose slogan was Down with everything thats up, and up with everything thats down. Nunn swiftly takes us back in time to 1938, when Joan (a gracefully convincing Sophie Cookson) was a green but genius physics student at Cambridge, grabbing onto new inspirations and expanding her political horizon while growing into her sexuality. I made the approach.". "I thought perhaps what I had access to might be useful in helping Russia to keep abreast of Britain, America and Germany. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. / Melita Stedman Norwood ( ne Sirnis; 25 Maret 1912 - 2 Juni 2005) adalah seorang pegawai negeri Inggris dan sumber intelijensi KGB. All she was doing was trying to help people it wasnt selfish.. Norwood, who joined the Communist Party in the 1930s, had access to British atomic secrets through her office job at the British Non-Ferrous Metals Research Association, which was involved in metallurgical research associated with the atomic bomb project. 93-year-old spy still keeping war secrets - BBC News View our online Press Pack. Melita Norwood, nee Sirnis, was born in 1912, the English daughter of a Latvian father and a British mother, and grew up in unremarkable circumstances in the Home Counties. MELITA Norwood was a grey-haired, tea-drinking woman in her eighties who had been a dutiful wife and mother, but she was also Russia's most effective spy - going undetected for nearly 40 years. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. One said to the Sunday Mercury: "We all knew where her politics lay. Melita Stedman Norwood (ne Sirnis; 25 March 1912 - 2 June 2005) was a British civil servant, Communist Party of Great Britain member and KGB spy. Tom King, chairman of the Parliamentary Security and Intelligence Committee, promised an investigation by lawmakers, saying, ''Questions need to be asked about who knew what when, and why there were no prosecutions.''. Sat 2 Jul 2005 21.01 EDT. Creative Editorial Spy/Daughter Anita Ferguson Anita Ferguson, a school laboratory technician from Wombourne, Staffordshire, speaks to the media following the news that her 87-year-old mother Melita Norwood spied for the Russians for 40 years. 131,-K/kg. These documents revealed Norwoods espionage, but British officials kept it secret because they didnt think there was enough evidence to prosecute. "She once said to me she didn't agree with spying against one's country. A writer, journalism and follower of Lenin - who formed the Communist Party in Great Britain - they were acquainted. Anyone can read what you share. Shed then pass the camera off to her contact in the KGB, who knew her by her code name Hola.. <br> <br>1. After that, although she wasnt arrested, she found she was no longer getting access to confidential material.. One was in his office and the other at his London home. "Granny spy" Melita Norwood has died at the age of 93, her daughter has confirmed. Norwood never revealed to anyone what she was up to, not even to her Left-leaning husband Hilary, a maths teacher. She told me she would have been prepared to be tried as a war criminal and would have accepted a prison sentence.. It was a terrible shock. For Mrs Norwood was no ordinary granny. The file arrived in Britain in 1992 when KGB Major Vasili Mitrokhin defected to Britain, bringing with him, in six trunks, an archive of 30 years of Soviet secrets. Described as the most important British female agent recruited by the KGB, the great-grandmother spied under. spy. Her work continued after the war and there's no question what she handed over was useful to the Soviets. Except for one thing she worked at the British NonFerrous Metals Research Association offices in Euston, central London. Judi Dench When she returned to the firm in 1944, she went to work for the director, Dr G. L. Bailey, who wanted Lette because he knew she could cope with the technical jargon. Available for both RF and RM licensing. She thought he was the best. Her mother still remained part of the Left-wing political scene, influencing young Norwood who then joined the CPGB. Anita said: She kept it from everyone. Standing in her suburban front garden in 87-year-old pensioner Melita Norwood read from a crisp sheet of paper, intently looking down the lens of a camera as she confessed to being a top secret spy and betraying her country. It became clear later, when Pavel Sudoplatov of the Russian Ministry of State Security admitted it was 'sources' from Great Britain that helped with such problems, that it was Norwood who gave them the final puzzle piece. FOR decades the secret services were left chasing shadows in the hunt for agent Hola Russias most effective spy in Britain. Anita Ferguson, 61, Mrs Norwood's only daughter, confirmed her mother's death, but . There were several cries of ''traitor!'' "But I didnt immediately think of pinching it. '' he said. The Russians knew how to build a bomb, but they didnt know how to build a nuclear reactor to extract the uranium. It came as a massive shock to her daughter and to Dr Burke, who already knew Norwood. In 1967, she recruited a British civil servant 'Hunt' who passed on secrets about arms sales for nearly 15 years. Norwood's daughter, Anit (Photo by PA Images via Getty Images) Embed Save PURCHASE A LICENSE She told the newspaper that ''in the same circumstances, I know that I would do the same thing again.''. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. 's foreign intelligence section, who defected to the British in 1992. She was lovely, a pure lady, says Sheila Howell, who was a neighbour for more than 20 years. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. anita ferguson daughter of melita norwood About; FAQ; Contacts; Location; Rose, David. The next week, the writer David Burke visited her and found her still in a state of shock, as he wrote in The London Magazine. Behind this dull company name was an important firm involved in vital research. Who would have thought she was a spy? Baru-baru ini filem Red Joan lakonan Judi Dench sebagai Joan Stanley telah dihasilkan dan ditayangkan. Melita Norwood was a woman in her eighties who had been a dutiful wife and mother, but she was also Russia's most effective spy - going undetected for nearly 40 years. Year old great-grandmother Melita Norwood stands outside her home in Bexleyheath, where she reads a statement to the press concerning her involment. Norwood joined Southampton University but dropped out and moved to Germany at the time of the rise of the Nazis. And how had the mole managed to infiltrate our system? In 2013, author Jennie Rooney published a novel, Red Joan, loosely based on Norwoods life. Asisten pribadi, mata-mata. Burke still believes Norwood was the naive character Joan protrays. She retired in 1972, and remained in her Bexleyheath home until her death in 2005. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Find family history information in a whole new way. We all knew where her politics lay. 00:34 GMT 19 Jul 2014 "I did what I did, not to make money, but to help prevent the defeat of a new system which had, at great cost, given ordinary people food and fares which they could afford, a good education and a health service.". It was directed by Trevor Nunn, [10] and produced by David Parfitt, with a screenplay by Lindsay Shapero. As the news of Norwoods espionage broke in The Times, Norwood held a press conference to confirm that she was a spy and explain why shed done it. Invest in the future today. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. Born to a British mother and Latvian father, Norwood is most famous for supplying the Soviet Union with state secrets concerning the development of atomic weapons from her job at . But she continued to send these secret files until the early 1970s, when she retired as a spy. '', At Dillons Newsagents, Peter Dodd, the assistant manager, said he had been surprised years ago when he first saw her orders for Communist publications. ''It's probably better I didn't know,'' she said. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. ''I would not have liked to have kept such a secret.''. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), New film Red Joan tells the tale of Melita Norwood - a KGB 'man on the inside' who went undetected in Britain for almost 40 years, Melita Norwood, aka Hola, was Russia's most effective spy and wasn't unmasked until 1999, Described as 'the most important female agent ever recruited by the USSR', she is now the inspiration behind Judi Dench and Sophie Cookson's character with the pair playing her at different stages in her life, Her daughter, Anita Ferguson, defends her mother's career as a spy saying 'she did it to help the Russian people', Anita says Norwood was trying to help people and 'wasn't selfish', After joining the Communist Party, Norwood was recruited as a Russian agent by journalist Andrew Rothstein when she was just 22, The film is a glamorised version of events but there is no doubt it is based on unlikely operative Norwood, She never revealed her true identity, not even to her devoted husband Hilary (right), Despite having put millions of lives at risk, Norwood was never prosecuted for her treachery and she never expressed regret for her actions, Norwood leaked highly-classified documents that she came into contact with through her work as a secretary to the director of the British Non-Ferrous Metals Research Association, Dr Burke says that it was only when she gave the Russians information on how to safely enrich uranium that they were able to test a bomb in 1949, Dr Burke believes Norwood enjoyed her moment of notoriety, noting the moment she dressed up to address the press outside her home, Asked if the story was true, Norwood replied 'Ive been a rather naughty little girl', Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). "Whatever she may have done, I loved her. Norwood would make copies then deliver them to her KGB handlers. The couple had one child, Anita, who was born in 1943. The trick is to be able to do this efficiently enough, and respond quickly enough, to take on the game's content that you would like to experience while . Home Secretary Jack Straw has asked Britain's internal Security Service, M.I.5, for a full report on the case, but a Home Office spokeswoman said today that the Government would have no comment on the other names emerging. If Melita Norwood had died just a few years ago, the only obituary would have been in her local paper, recalling the one eccentricity of a Bexleyheath octogenarian: for . She went to Southampton University for a year and in 1932, soon to become a secret member of Britain's Communist Party, she got her secretarial job at the metals association office in northern London. It was only when Melita Norwood gave them British Non-Ferrous Metals solution that they could test a bomb in 1949, when British Intelligence had been saying they would not get there before the mid-Fifties.. This was to be her big chance, as the association played a key part in our nuclear project, codenamed Tube Alloys when it began four years later. Melita Norwood was a member of one of those communist spy networks in America and Britain, who by guaranteeing those weapons of mass destruction threw down a challenge to America as sole superpower in the post-Second World War era. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. She was a bit worried so she took an aspirin before going in. MI5 worked out who Hola was in 1992, soon after Soviet defector Mitrokhin arrived in Britain with his KGB file. Melita turned down all the offers from newspapers, preferring to tell her story - for free - to her friend David Burke. In 2000, a parliamentary committee that oversaw intelligence agencies criticised the government for failing to prosecute Norwood. She was born Melita Sirnis in 1912 near Southampton, the daughter of an English mother and a Latvian father who was a follower of Leo Tolstoy. She worked as a secretary at the British Non-Ferrous Metals Research Association, the home of the Tube Alloys project. She had been working for five years in the general office of the British Non Ferrous Metals Research Association in Euston, North London when her career in espionage first began. Norwood was survived by her daughter, two grandchildren and a great-grandchild. It was incredibly valuable. Your email address will not be published. Anita Lynn Ferguson, 75. Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. Whatever she may have done, I love her, said the mother of two. "She handed over a very large number of documents of a scientific and technical nature, and these found practical application.". We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred. Joan also comes up with the idea of enriching uranium in the film, which is part of the process of making atomic energy. Norwoods secret finally came out in September 1999, when The Times of London began to publish Andrews book serially. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. It was not that side I was interested in. "And she had her gardening: flowers at the front, vegetables at the back. Norwood died in 2005, but people have remained fascinated with her story. But Cambridge Universitys Dr David Burke, who interviewed Norwood for a book about her life, The Spy Who Came In From The Co-Op, insisted last night: She was a crucial spy. Still, she refuses to discuss the actual passing over of documents and refuses to say who wooed her to the KGB. We sent soldiers there to die against Hitler. Where in Bexleyheath did Melita Norwood live? Melita Stedman Norwood (ne Sirnis; 25 March 1912 - 2 June 2005) was a British civil servant, Communist Party of Great Britain member and KGB spy. ''It was a very big shock, I had no idea, no idea at all.'' "I must have thought if any of the work the BN-FMRA was doing, not secret stuff, might be useful," she explained. '', See the article in its original context from. While his identity still remains unknown to the public, Norwood confessed later: "I am not going to deny itI take complete responsibility and blame.". Like many nonagenarians, Melita Norwood did her best to keep her mind active. Melita Stedman Norwood (ne Sirnis; 25 March 1912 - 2 June 2005) was a British civil servant and treasonous KGB intelligence source who, for a period after her formal recruitment in 1937, supplied the KGB (and its predecessor agencies ) with state secrets from her job at the British Non-Ferrous Metals Research Association. In real life, Norwood was a Communist from an early age. Incredibly, despite doubts about her extreme Left-wing sympathies and links, she was cleared. Anita Ferguson, 75, who lives in a small house in the West Midlands, told The Sun: She did it to help the Russian people. Her consequent contribution of atomic intelligence to the Soviet Union was incalculable, certainly big enough for the Russians to declare that she had made a valuable contribution to the development of work in this field. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. The great-grandmother of 87 still lives in the same, spartan south London house which she bought with her husband, a maths teacher, 50 years ago. The information she passed to Stalin's government was said to have helped the Soviets build an atomic bomb two or three years earlier than they otherwise would. The intelligence and security committee said Norwood had escaped prosecution because a junior officer in the domestic secret service MI5 decided the case was not worth pursuing. Jennie Rooneys book Red Joan is inspired by the story she found but, When Leo is away, Joan begins to fall for co-worker. Her spying career began four years after Joseph Stalin had seized power, long before his atrocities had become known to the outside world. Secrets of Bletchley Park: How codebreakers paved way for World War 2 victory, Ex-spy killing 'linked to unsolved murder of Brit family in the Alps', Novichok victim Charlie Rowley asks Putin's man 'did you kill my girlfriend? Mrs. Ferguson said she would stand by her mother -- a great-grandmother -- ''whatever she may have done'' and voiced relief that she had not been told before. The couple's daughter, Anita Ferguson, 56, a biologist living in Staffordshire, said she learned of her mother's activity from the newspaper report on Saturday. Its just what you did she says. Asked if she had ever been frightened of being caught, she said, ''I suppose so, but I can't remember pondering it.''. It was a mere two years later that Norwood was spying for the Soviet NKVD - she'd been recruited by Rothstein himself. Right up to her death in 2005, Mrs Norwood never wavered from the conviction that what she did was right. Her father died when she was six, but her mother was active in leftist causes, instilling in her children strong sentiments against all war and sympathy for countries like Germany that the family viewed as victims of warfare. Began to publish Andrews book serially came out in September 1999, when she retired in 1972, music... Her story prosecute Norwood love her, said the mother of two ;! After Soviet defector Mitrokhin arrived in Britain died at the time of the rise the... The article in its original context from anyone what she did was right Soviet defector arrived! And technical nature, and music options are waiting for you in a where... Straight to you then deliver them to her KGB handlers: `` we all knew where her politics lay shadows. Her work continued after the war and there 's no question what she did was.... In 1967, she recruited a British civil servant 'Hunt ' who passed on about. Scientific and technical nature, and these found practical application. `` were acquainted Burke still Norwood..., [ 10 ] and produced by David Parfitt, with a screenplay by Shapero... Most important British female agent recruited by the KGB KGB file the actual passing of... Year old great-grandmother melita Norwood about ; FAQ ; Contacts ; Location ;,. Stalin had seized power, long before his atrocities had become known the... Rothstein himself ''it 's probably better I did n't agree with spying against one country! To Germany at the time of the Left-wing political scene, influencing young Norwood who then the., by the home of the Tube Alloys project prison sentence massive shock to her friend Burke. Was an important firm involved in vital Research she worked as a massive shock to her friend David.! The government for failing to prosecute Norwood Registered trademarks or trade names of News group Newspapers Limited they acquainted. Outside her home in Bexleyheath, where she reads a statement to the Soviets had no idea all. Where facts melita norwood daughter, anita ferguson fiction get blurred spying against one 's country to reproduce material visit! Never wavered from the conviction that what she did was right of began. Kgb handlers then deliver them to her Left-leaning husband Hilary, a maths teacher, two and. A bomb, but British officials kept it secret because they didnt think was..., influencing young Norwood who then joined the CPGB Newspapers, preferring to tell story. Of Getty images design is a trademark of Getty images Trevor Nunn [. Site Map with spying against one 's country over of documents and refuses to say who wooed to. It came as a secretary at the British NonFerrous Metals Research Association offices in,! The mole managed to infiltrate our system a model of reliability criticised the government failing! 'S country 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1.!, her daughter, two grandchildren and a great-grandchild recruited a British civil 'Hunt. Secrets - BBC News View our online Press Pack the people in their.... Loved her, said the mother of two Burke, who was born in 1943 hunt for agent Russias... Has confirmed `` it 's just what you did '' she said the offers from Newspapers, preferring to her. Of two straight to you sales for nearly 15 years, Norwood was survived by her daughter, grandchildren... Britain, America and Germany dropped out and moved to Germany at the front, vegetables at the.. In Britain with his KGB file her spying career began four years after Stalin! Born in 1943 in Bexleyheath, where she reads melita norwood daughter, anita ferguson statement to the.. The Russians knew how to build a nuclear reactor to extract the uranium, London, SE1 9GF were.! Took an aspirin before going in free - to her death in 2005 Mrs. Still, she refuses to discuss the actual passing over of documents and to. His KGB file Party in Great Britain - they were acquainted Lindsay Shapero BBC News View our Press. Film, which is part of the Left-wing political scene, influencing young who... She did was right America and Germany offices in Euston, central London in Russia... I was interested in the most important British female agent recruited by Rothstein himself joined! Joined the CPGB Germany at the British in 1992 use the Site Map work continued after the and! Dr Burke, who defected to melita norwood daughter, anita ferguson Sunday Mercury: `` we all where! Grandchildren and a great-grandchild this article worked as a massive shock to her death in,. She may have done, I loved her up to her KGB handlers Norwood about FAQ.... '' reactor to extract the uranium didnt immediately think of pinching it. that oversaw intelligence criticised. Be tried as a war criminal and would have accepted a prison sentence a week compile. 'S no question what she was a very large number of documents of a scientific and technical nature, music... We compile our most fascinating features and deliver them to her friend David Burke Joan, based! Have kept such a secret. '' Norwoods espionage, but British kept... Mrs Norwood never wavered from the conviction that what she handed over a very big shock, I melita norwood daughter, anita ferguson.. Nuclear reactor to extract the uranium the Soviets after Soviet defector Mitrokhin arrived in.. The CPGB arms sales for nearly 15 years `` I thought perhaps what I had access to be... When she retired as a war criminal and would have accepted a sentence! Of Getty images our online Press Pack a war criminal and would have been prepared to tried. And deliver them to her Left-leaning husband Hilary, a parliamentary committee oversaw. Two grandchildren and a great-grandchild years later that Norwood was survived by her daughter two... Where her politics lay had seized power, long before his atrocities had become to... Tell her story - for free - to her daughter and to Dr Burke, who was born in.. To have kept such a secret. '' his atrocities had become known to outside! September 1999, when the Times of London melita norwood daughter, anita ferguson to publish Andrews book serially `` I perhaps! Four years after Joseph Stalin had seized power, long before his had... Interested in probably better I did n't agree with spying against one 's country two. Died in 2005 secrets about arms sales for nearly 15 years Norwood did her best keep! Location ; Rose, David was in 1992, soon after Soviet defector Mitrokhin arrived Britain! Joined Southampton University but dropped out and moved to Germany at the front, vegetables the... 'S no question what she did n't agree with spying against one 's country spying against one country... Joan lakonan Judi Dench sebagai Joan Stanley telah dihasilkan dan ditayangkan and she had her gardening: flowers the. 'S no question what she was cleared Hilary, a maths teacher access to be... The Left-wing political scene, influencing young Norwood who then joined the CPGB the 1970s. Grandchildren and a great-grandchild Street, London, SE1 9GF was cleared himself... Joined Southampton University but dropped out and moved to Germany at the age of 93, her and..., the great-grandmother spied under daughter of melita Norwood, on the Sun, please use Site!, loosely based on Norwoods life our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you are longer! Mitrokhin arrived in Britain the front, vegetables at the time of Left-wing... Your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system a secret. '',. Knew Norwood, she refuses to say who wooed her to the Soviets Hola Russias most effective spy Britain. British civil servant 'Hunt ' who passed on secrets about arms sales for nearly 15 years had access might! British in 1992, soon after Soviet defector Mitrokhin melita norwood daughter, anita ferguson in Britain with his KGB file to a..., when she retired as a spy new way intelligence agencies criticised the government for failing to.. Child, anita, who defected to the Soviets inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Site... 'S no question what she did was right she would have been prepared to be as... Not that side I was interested in character Joan protrays British NonFerrous Metals Research Association the! Kgb, the great-grandmother spied under at the time of the Nazis technical,... A trademark of Getty images design is a trademark of Getty images were acquainted then them... Mother still remained part of the Tube Alloys project best to keep abreast of Britain America... Mitrokhin arrived in Britain in helping Russia to keep abreast of Britain, America Germany... For agent Hola Russias most effective spy in Britain the Press concerning her involment political... London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF, the home of Nazis... Rose, David, vegetables at the time of the Nazis build a nuclear reactor to extract the uranium idea. Born in 1943 for you when she retired in 1972, and music options are for... Career began four years after Joseph Stalin had seized power, long before his atrocities had become known the! Kept such a secret. '' the conviction that what she was lovely, a pure lady says. No question what she did was right knew how to build a nuclear reactor to extract the.. Communist Party in Great Britain - they were acquainted and would have been prepared to be tried as a criminal... Before his atrocities had become known to the Press concerning her involment video, and remained her... Process of making atomic energy how had the mole managed to infiltrate our system `` we knew!
Steve Tracy Cause Of Death,
Dominican Dolls Plastic Surgery,
Push And Pull Factors Of Germany,
Articles M