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Dusko POPOV, codenamed TRICYCLE: alias Duchan, Dusan, Hans, SKOOT: Yugoslav/British....

Catalogue reference: KV 2/852

What’s it about?

This record is about the Dusko POPOV, codenamed TRICYCLE: alias Duchan, Dusan, Hans, SKOOT: Yugoslav/British.... dating from 1943 Mar 01-1943 May 13 in the series The Security Service: Personal (PF Series) Files. It is held at The National Archives, Kew.

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Full description and record details

Reference
KV 2/852
Date
1943 Mar 01-1943 May 13
Description

Dusko POPOV, codenamed TRICYCLE: alias Duchan, Dusan, Hans, SKOOT: Yugoslav/British. TRICYCLE, a Yugoslav by birth, was recruited by the Abwehr in 1940. He reported this to the British Embassy in Belgrade and was duly recruited by SIS. He was run by MI5 in London and the Abwehr in Lisbon, which he visited seven times between 1941 and 1944. Communication, other than meetings, was by wireless, secret writing and microdots. He reported to both sides on military and political matters. His product included warnings of German rocketry development and attacks; information to deceive the Germans about the Normandy landings; and early intimations from German sources of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. He was posted to the USA in 1941 with a view to establishing an Abwehr network there. Facilitated by MI5, MI6 and the FBI, the project proved a failure. He was the key figure in a close-knit group of associateddouble agents, DREADNOUGHT [his brother], FREAK, METEOR, BALLOON and GELATINE, all of whom are referred to throughout these files, which also contain the Security Service's record of ARTIST [Johnny JEBSEN], an Abwehr officer of Danish origin, who was TRICYCLE's chief source of intelligence on German military and political matters and on the Abwehr itself. At the end of the war TRICYCLE acquired British nationality, was awarded the OBE and settled in France. In 1974 he published an account of his wartime experiences in a book: 'Spy, Counter-Spy'

Note
With an account of TRICYCLE's stay in America
Held by
The National Archives, Kew
Former department reference
PF55032 VOL 8
Legal status
Public Record(s)
Language
English
Physical description
file(s)
Access conditions
Retained Until 2002
Closure status
Open Document, Open Description
Subjects
Topics
Art, architecture and design
Radio and television
Europe and Russia
Conflict
Intelligence
Americas
Communications
Operations, battles and campaigns
Record URL
https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C11050078/

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Series information

KV 2

The Security Service: Personal (PF Series) Files

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Catalogue hierarchy

Over 27 million records

This record is held at The National Archives, Kew

6,152 records

Within the department: KV

Records of the Security Service

4,773 records

Within the series: KV 2

The Security Service: Personal (PF Series) Files

You are currently looking at the piece: KV 2/852

Dusko POPOV, codenamed TRICYCLE: alias Duchan, Dusan, Hans, SKOOT: Yugoslav/British....

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