Agent Tate

This is the Second World War career of the longest serving double agent in the Double Cross system who operated from September 1940 to the end of war. He was dropped by parachute in England in September 1940, but was quickly caught after being betrayed by a fellow agent who had arrived some weeks earlier. He was taken to Camp 020 for interrogation by the team led by the famous Colonel ‘Tin-Eye’ Stephens, and eventually agreed to work as a double agent with the cover name TATE. He sent more than a thousand messages during the war for the Double Cross organisation, who’s aim was deception and supplying disinformation to the Nazi regime.

To finance his activities several schemes were used by the Germans, including a secret meeting with a Japanese on a number 16 London bus. After reporting about various areas of interest for the Germans he took part in the D-Day deception. Finally, after the war he settled in Watford with the name Harry Williamson and worked as a photographer. He was almost completely anonymous (although still protected by MI5), partly through fear of revenge, until his name was revealed in the 1990s.