From the Mailbox

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Some of the communications I've received this past week.

Harm Knol Bruins - Dutch Spy
I received an email this week from Ivar B. whose great aunt-in-law was the second wife of Harm Knol Bruins, Dutch engineer and German spy.

I've updated my blog post (link above) with the info that Ivar shared.

The most startling thing is that while both Bruins and Anna Lilian von Vaupel-Klein, his second wife, were arrested on 12 May 1940, Bruins escaped with his life after being shipped to England for interrogation, while von Vaupel-Klein was executed two weeks later by the French.

Ivar is trying to get some judicial documents unlocked and hopefully they will shed some light on the case and answer a few questions. Why was Bruins sent to England for interrogation while von Vaupel-Klein was left to the not-so-tender mercies of the French? Given the brouhaha that surrounded the execution of female spies by Germany in both world wars, and England's reluctance to do the same, one wonders why this story isn't more widely known.

The Spy in the Tower

I received a lovely email from Stewart McLaughlin, prison officer and archivist at Wandsworth Prison.

"Your book on Josef is brilliant. It should have got you another another PHD! I like history books with lots of well researched facts but the very human story of your Grandfather really makes the book compulsive reading... Great work!"

Thanks so much! It's these sorts of comments that encourage me in pursuing the next book...

Comments

Unknown said…
I am fascinated by your research on Eric White. My Grandfather Stanley John Bates married Marjorie (Bunty) White after divorcing my grandmother on trumped up charges. His two children never saw or spoke to him again. I am researching my mother's life (she is still alive) and would love to know about the White family's take on the matter.
Ann Mayers
December 11, 2020 at 3:16 AM
Giselle Jakobs said…
Hi Ann,
As far as I know, Eric Vincent Ewart White only had the one child, David Ewart White, born in 1943 I believe. I don't think that there were any other children. If you send me your email address, I can put you in touch with one of Eric's grandchildren and you can compare notes. You can enter your email address in the comment field and I will just make sure I don't publish the comment.
December 12, 2020 at 7:05 AM
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