LIVED IN HOUSE OCCUPIED BY A GERMAN SPY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 8, 10 March 1950, Page 5

LIVED IN HOUSE OCCUPIED BY A GERMAN SPY

The experience of living in a house that dated back to the time of Henry VIII, a building that had been the haunt of smugglers, contained secret panels and cupboards and had been the home of a German spy in England prior to 1939, was recounted to the Waimana Women’s Institute by a new member, Mrs Stobbs, of Eastbourne, England, at the recently held annual meeting. «

Like several other houses in England this Lewes building had been constructed of stone from monastfies destroyed by Henry VIII, Mrs Stobbs said. Originally the stone had been brought from Caen, in France, for the monastries but later when it was used for the house it had a very interesting history. . Secret panels and cupboards could be found throughout the building, continued Mrs Stobbs. History had it that these were the secret rooms and hiding places used by smugglers. In the bathroom she had found a cupboard literally crammed full with different bottles of wine.

Following inquiries Mrs Stobbs found that prior to the outbreak of War in 1939 the house had been occupied by a German spy. He had owned an Italian button factory at fllircombe nearby, employing foreign labour. However, on the eve of the war he hafi, been deported but the ship on which he was travelling back to Europe was blown up by the Germans, the first in the war. i \ The spy was killed.

Several secret hiding places had been found tucked away in the brick chimneys but, one of the best finds, Mrs Stobbs concluded, was an old iron fireplace and fire back, which were thought to date back to 1700. , , Mrs Stobbs was accorded a vote of thanks. v l