SIGNED UP CIVILIANS IN "SECRET SERVICE"

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5292, 3 January 1947, Page 2

SIGNED UP CIVILIANS IN "SECRET SERVICE"

AIRCRAFTMAN CHARGED WITH FALSfEl PRETEN1CES LONDON A 35-year-old R.A.F. man was alleged at Bow Street to have told four civilians that *they had been appointed "members of the 'Secret Service." The prosecution also alleged that he had told one of them that he had married her by proxy. The man was Leading Aircraftman Fdererick Clynes, accused of obtaining £100 hy false pretences from Albert 'Charles Murphy, Ellen Ashby, Mrs. Gwendoline Murphy, and Harry Mason. He was committed for trial. Mr. M. J. Jardine, prosecuting, said Clynes and 'Miss Ashby became > engaged last year. He. told her he was in the R.A.F. j secret service under Lord Portal, and persuaded her to sign an fagree- | ment" to become a member of the | same service. j At Christmas he told her they had been married by proxy, and they j moved, with her father, to a house in Tachbrook Street, Pimlico, S.W., ! at which Mrs. Mason is housekeeper. j "In due -course," said Mr. Jardine, "they all became members of the 1 secret service, and received considerable correspondence, purporting to , be from Lord Portal. "Mrs. Mason (who was then Mrs. j Reece) was offered a post as man- • ageress of a chain of hotels, which Clynes said Lord Portal was about to j start. "On the stnength of this, M-r. j Mason gave up a job at Birmingham and married her." : The charges, said Mr. ■ Jardine, were repreSentative of mnch larger sums which Clynes borrowed. Miss Ashby said many letters pur- j porting to be signed by Lord Portal j were received telling them not to , ask too many questions. Mr. Albert Charles Murphy, an ! electrican's mate, said he was of- i fered a job as special messenger in ' the Atomic Commission at £15 a . week and £5 a week expenses. j Clynes afterward borrowed £6 from . him.