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THE SUNDAY TIMES OCTOBER 21 1962 traitorous Vichy crew who mained faithful to his principlc There wa someone els however. who did have aecess Ic the code room. This was L. a young, man with a wife and growing family. and there was ne wa short of moncy. Cyrthia did not have to be work." said Bestrand. "He once began to cultivatc hin. no necds. no ambition and. Iei 3estrand know what she Chancery. says good morning doing. I..'s wife was having no one and gocs straight to child at the time. and he himselt. code and cipher room." being a little bored. was glad to Hie fnd such'a sympathique com- ed that "no arrangcment Id be made with Benoit.' panion as Cynthia. Sir William Stephenson tright reecives the Presidential Ievertheless. although Benoit Soon she was expressing astonishment that any loyal Medal of Merit. the only non-American ever to receive utterly loyal to Marshal Frenchman should associate him- ain. he became confused and this highest civilian honour. appy when Laval returned self with such treachcrous polt- power in Vichy. as he did at cies as those of Laval. Gradually she worked round to the subjeet time. and began to pursue of the naval cipher. stressing the olicy of opcn _collaboration h the Nazis. This was too inmense assistance that its pos- ch for old Benoit. and he session could render the encmies gned his job. of Germany As further inducement she offered him a Jump sum of money immediatclv Loyalty wins if he would procure it for her. and a monthly retainer thereafter hereupon Cynthia went io if hc would keep her advised of and iold him ihat here was any changes in it thai mighi be hance to serve France. "Our made. ires and aims are the same yours." she said. help France because we know in" fact. his" apparen!. doubis. I by doing so we will also be were- pretended. Hewent ping the Allied war ctfort. Straight.. !o the Ambassador 'I,am very confused." said and told him the whole story.. old man. Stephenson in his first-world-war lighter plane: his ne to think. ..Everything has sum Cynthia had offered him. ppened so quickly. and added that she was in ihe exploits won him the M.C., D.F.C. and Croix de Guerre The ciphers could provide employ of thc United States with Palm. This sensational weie alonc she prepared herseif itors in the French Govern- ni are helping the Germans." for a surprisc cntrance on the d' Cynthia. FAssegan whyn hnn' ot. Naturally Bestrand Then, one night in June, 1942. part of ihe, watchman. Sure cr to us would be the greatesi heard of it. bui he refused to a cab drove up'to the Embassy enough about vice you could perform for belicve in her association with and deposited Bestrand pup iweniy minutes later--to find ur unhappy country. He Cynthia. They appeared to be Cynthia complete!y undressed. wentto Henry- He hastily , withdrew. perfectly Benoit thought hard. He told him that I.. I reassured that the visiiors had was unreliable. Had he not been brought several botles of cham. no other purpose for spending d painful for him as it was sprcading a false rumour about pagne with them. They invited the night in the Embassy than Sappointing to Cynthia. nnot," he said" finally. "i the Ambassador? Obviously tne the watchman to join them in a the mutually agrecable one which glass. and he gladly accepicd. Bestrand had originally .inti- chiefs. mated. The watchman's embar- Fitten me letters. The,codes sprcading equally, untrue stories. been doctored with' a powerful rassment made it clear that he sleeping draught, and soon he wey'd not trouhle ihem again pnsibility. my personal responsi- was fast aslcep.. Cvnthia then with presence. lity. To guard them has been admitted the cab driver. who Reprimand had been waiting for their signa! Photo-copies duty. Regretfully Cynthia. had to Henry-Haye heartily agreed. was an expert locksmith. 'and he The locksmith wasnow bld hcr employers that here at his admiticd through a window, and soundly reprimanded him. cnd. appointed task. ast among the ing up by telling him that th three hours to work out the con!- was ac to rcach the safe and code room nould in future bc bination of the safe in the code Open ::. T : naval cipher books closed to him. rcom. a task which had to were instantyremovedand Cynthia had been extremely be donc silently and without hande:i through the open window Jucky. leaving any trace of his prescnce. to nother of Stephenson's Shc had also bcen most astule in concealing her associa- This meant that there was in- agent who was waiting outside. suflicient time in which to deal ton with I.. from Bestrand. They were then rushed by car Now she devised a new plan with the cipher books. But the to' a convenient house near by for obtaining possession most difficult part of the under- :he naval cipher. 'This involved taking had been accomplished. . each page. By co-operation. and it only remained to put the within the time-limit---the book, Pestrand's but knowledge thus obtained to the were back in the Embassy safe. simple as well as thoroughlv required use on the next and there was no sign that they congenial. When he heard the occasion. had ever been abstracted. details. he agrced to co-operaie Two nights later Bestrand and Tuenty-four hours later the without demur. In the cvent he Cynthia paid another nocturna! photostatic reproduction of the did so most willingiy. First of visit to the Embassy. ! all. he supplied a' Hoor plan of not consider it advisable io drug Admiralty in London. Those who participated in.the this the final dispositions were might rcalise that the fact of his successfullandings in North made. falling aslcep for a second time Africa a few months afterwards One evening Bestrand arrived was somcthing more than a co- would havc bcen surprised to with Cynthia at the entrance to incidencc and so report the know how much the preparations the Embassy. The watchman matter to his superiors next for the climination of Vichy was on duty, and Bestrand iook morning. Also Cynthia scnsed naval resistance on that occasion him asidc. speaking in.con- oued to thc dctermination of a fidential undcrtones. picious and was probably intent Heex- upon`fnding out whether she and quict Canadian allied with thc plained that he had nowhere clse . Auuny... un ol nn oan panniang. courage of a clever wonan. who Io go. Washington was crowded. business.' therefore ook her clothes in the he said, and anyway it would not French Embassy in Washington essential that some etfective do for a member of the Embassy in circumstances which to be seen in an hotel. The waich- method should be used for kcep hadly likely to be repeated. man's assistance was facilitated ing him well out of the way. Incidentally. Cynthia Thc cxpedient to which she and by a generous tip. He told Bestrand now happily Bestrand that he and his amie. now resorted was very simple m.rried. couid cnend the night on the H.MontgomeryHyde 1962.