Lee, Julian

b. Aylesbury, 4 March 1909

English parents

Graduate of London University. Studied classics and archaeology. Worked in Greece and Italy. 2nd Lt. in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Reduced to private in October ’39 for impregnating his CO’s daughter. Son born in March ’40. Refused leave. Captured May ’40 near Dunkirk. Interned in Stalag XXb. Enlisted in Legion April ’43, transferred to Genshagen in June.

A bitter man, thought Strasser, but who wouldn’t be? This was someone who hated his system for perhaps the strongest reason of all: love. Promising, but he couldn’t make him an officer over men like Butcher and Catchpole. That would cause too much resentment, promoting a private over two NCOs. Lee would need some special attention.

Maclaren, Charles

b. Liverpool, 18 June 1915

English parents

Pharmacist. District secretary of Liverpool BUF. Royal Army Medical Corps, March ’40. Promoted straight to sergeant. Captured at Wormhoudt, Belgium, on 31 May ’40. Stalag XXId at Schildberg—pharmacist at camp hospital until September ’43. Volunteers to join SS—sent to Genshagen on 1 October.

Maclaren looked a good mixture—he was both a fascist and had a useful qualification. As a sergeant, he would almost certainly want to be the senior NCO, but Strasser felt that Butcher, of an equivalent rank and with his fighting experience and SS training, would be far better suited. He could already see the potential squabbles. He would have to stamp them out before they got out of hand.

Marston, Albert Vincent

b. Weston-Super-Mare, 17 January 1920

English parents

Merchant seaman. Served on ship SS Empire Ranger sunk off Norway by the Luftwaffe on 28 March ’42. Taken prisoner and interned at Marlag/Milag at Westertimke near Bremen. Persuaded to go to Genshagen by Frederick LEWIS (where now?) and brought into unit by Butcher in October.

Pugh, Thomas Mervyn Edward

b. London, 24 April 1910

English father, American mother

Graduated in English literature and history, Birkbeck College, London. Married Eileen Bates April 1930. Joined London BUF in ’34 as a speaker and administrative officer. Arrested September ’37 for instigating riot—charge dropped for lack of evidence. Germany August ’39. Broadcasts for Concordia Bureau. Associate of John Amery. Approached by Hillen-Ziegfeld in May ’43 and transferred to Genshagen to work as recruiter and interpreter in June.

Here was the ideologue. He was bound to have ideas above his station, especially as he had been recruited directly by the Foreign Office. But he would be good for indoctrinating any new recruits into National Socialism. As for Marston, he appeared young and malleable, a good foot soldier perhaps. With his contacts among the deckhands at the Merchant Navy camp, he might be able to go back there and recruit.