Spy-Log of the 'Lancer' (Annotated Version) |
Spy-Log of the 'Lancer' (Annotated Version) |
| [OffMSG’s
comments are shown in blue. We believe that the original
diary was written after each trip. This version is a
summary made by the original author in the mid-1990s.
There are clearly some errors (the spelling of Russian
place-names, for example) and there may be
‘mis-placement’ of some events after the
passage of four decades. The log covers all 45 spy trips
made by the ‘Lancer’ between 1949 and 1954 with
Jasper Pidgen as skipper.] Port GRIMSBY [Fishing port on the south coast of the Humber Estuary] Trawler 'LANCER' Callsign GCPC Skipper JASPER PIDGEN D.S.C. [Distinguished Service Cross]
Mate CYRIL SUTCLIFFE COMMANDER R.N.R. Late-1949. [Trip 1] Orders to listen and tape all signals Russian Murmansk Coast. When fishing Skolpen Bank areas report any wreckage found of aircraft around position ........ [The author redacted the positions of Latitude and Longitude] Whilst fishing Skolpen Bank made a box search of position. Had moderate to good hauls. Cod - Spraggs. On 8th day hauled wreckage aircraft - full fuselage, no wings and no markings. Notified H.Q. via Portishead Radio. [A coast radio station in the west of England. These operate like public telephone exchanges.] Reply in 4 hours reads:-
Steamed 8 hours to position and waited 6 hours. Contact arrived ‘Destroyer U.S.N.’ [United States Navy] 3 Officers came on board, photographed wreckage, retrieved cameras from wreckage and then had crew haul wreckage overside and sink. They thanked us and said they would report mission complete. We returned to Skolpen Bank to fish. Made our report to Brookes via Portishead Radio. Feb. 1950. [Trip 2] Same crew. Brookes aboard [Commander Brookes, Royal Naval Intelligence liaison officer] - loads of equipment. Radios - aerials - large lens telescopic cameras Recorded - taped - timed - logged all frequencies we heard anything on for 10 days. Photographed coastline from 3 mile [territorial] limit from Svyatoynos to Teriberski to Navalok to Nemetski Peninsula, Kildin Island from long range. Landed in March - good trip plaice and haddock aboard. March 1950. [Trip 3] Same procedure - listen all frequencies recorded in Feb. Photographed all shipping. April 1950. [Trip 4] Same as March. May 1950. [Trip 5] Requested to photograph 'intense magnification' points listed from all angles. Svyatoynos - Sem Islands - Voroni Rocks - Teriberski. Did as asked. This long range camera is a beaut. Quite good trip - plaice haddock spraggs. June 1950 [Trip 6] Fishing the Kidney south edge up to north edge. 5th day fishing - hauled gear - torpedo hung over headline, props in mouth of trawl. Hell of job getting trawl aboard. Torpedo fell inside trawl - looks new. Took two hours to get aboard. Length 24’ - 3 screws. Massive thing - large warhead. Sent message [Naval Intelligence] H.Q. via Portishead Radio. Reply 3 hours - message reads:-
As if we needed telling! Arrived position N.W. Skolpen Bank and waited 5 hours. Destroyer arrived - armourers came aboard. One commented, 'Jesus Christ. What a bloody size.' After a lot of hard work we passed across to Destroyer. He left in a hurry. Proceeded and shot Skolpen Bank. Continued long range [short-wave radio] listening watch. Received message on way home - Fitting out - slipping - clean bottom. Aug. 1950. [Trip 7] Sailed after long fit out. Jasper and myself saw Brookes during fit-out. Introduced to two others [Naval Intelligence officers ‘Sin’ and ‘Yard’] who would be coming with us at some time near future. Shown photographs from plane we picked up in trawl. One shot - 5 subs. 4 of them conventional diesel exhausts, 5th one very big, no exhausts, evident being escorted by other 4. Brookes says backroom boys think it is nuclear-powered and think it might be based between Kanin and Teriberski so it can't be seen by anyone around Murmansk areas. Brookes told us we would be on the convict run (i.e.) no fiords in future. Outside all the way, all weathers. We would have made a trip the day we sailed. £10,000 each trip from now on... [A considerable amount of money in 1950] All fish we caught was a bonus on top. Jasper told to pick crew and keep it (i.e.) no changes. no sackings. He also told us we would have 15 knots on tap if needed - some alterations engine room. Sailed with many alterations. Pilot's berth gone. [Pilot’s berth: a bunk or small cabin usually positioned behind the bridge] Now full of new equipment - 8 VHF [Very High Frequency, short-range] receivers - all preset frequencies, complete with auto tape decks for each one. All we have to do is change the tapes when full. To be left on 24 hours a day. Once we pass Vardø going east, don't switch off until Vardø going west. Sep. 1950 [Trip 8] Same routine. Oct. 1950 [Trip 9] Same routine. Brookes meeting each trip for tapes and bringing new ones. Nov. 1950 [Trip 10] Same routine. Dec. 1950 - Jan. 1951. [Trip 11] ‘Sin’ [Naval intelligence officer] aboard when sailed with packing cases, stored pilot's berth. [Where the pilot’s berth used to be, one assumes] Packing cases contained 12 miles [range] radar which ‘Sin’ fitted in pilot's berth. Scanner bolted to wooden base which had been fitted corner bridge top. He had it assembled and working in 2 days. Screen 16" across with fitted cameras to enable photographs to be taken of screen pictures. Used this radar and cameras from Svyatoynos to Teriberski. Can pick out harbours and shipping behind coastline, with perfect clarity and definition. 'Makes our ship's radar look sick.' Scanner and waveguide taken down on way home. Repacked in cases. Display unit repacked in cases. Moderate to good trip aboard. [Refers to the size of the catch. ‘Made trip’ means enough fish were caught to justify the trip] Plaice - haddock - spraggs. 27 days to landing. Feb. 1951 [Trip 12] Normal routine. March 1951 [Trip 13] Normal routine. Listening and photographs shipping. April 1951 [Trip 14] Routine. Photographed subs in formation steaming towards Kanin and Kolguev Island areas. Seem to be coming out of White Sea along Kanin Peninsula towards Kolguev Island. Can only see in distance. Bit of sea haze - but it's heavy stuff. Picking biggest up at 18 miles on ship's radar. Took what photographs we could get. June - July 1951. [Trip 15] Sailed with ‘Sin’ and ‘Yard’ [another Naval Intelligence officer] aboard. New 750 watt [radio] transmitter aboard fitted in 6'x2' area below my bunk. Preset to one frequency 2.5 mgs. [MHz] New receiver aboard preset to one frequency 2.8 mgs. New orders from Brookes through ‘Sin’ as follows:-
'Sin' and 'Yard' busy photographs etc. all trip. We worked east to Kanin getting quite good hauls [of fish] all the way. They took a lot of photographs from the radar which they put up and take down. Took all angles of Kanin as we towed [the trawl] past headland. 'Yard' says they are getting loads of information from tapes about movements of [Russian] Navy ships, harbour instructions etc. The R.A.F. [The British Royal Air Force] are very interested in recording picked up of pilot testing new plane which began to vibrate badly at 800 miles per hour [kilometres per hour?] and returned to base for check over. The next time they heard it, it was going 950 miles per hour [kilometres per hour?]. They think its flight path must be east of Kanin areas. Aug. 1951 [Trip 16] Normal routine. Sep. 1951 [Trip 17] Normal routine. Lot of naval movements between Sem Islands and Kanin up to Kolguev Island. Nothing heavy, mostly motor torpedo boats and frigate class, odd destroyer class. Photographed all shipping. Oct. 1951. [Trip 18] Normal routine. Nov 1951. [Trip 19] Normal routine. Lots of submarine activity. Also motor torpedo boats in area. Came close alongside and looked us over - lads on deck held some big plaice and haddock to show them. They came tight up to us. We were ready to chop towing gear just in case. The day was saved by the Mate. He went and got some "girlie books" and handed them to the crew of torpedo boat. They had a look at one of them and gave the usual 'sailor's salute' and left us laughing at the 'sailor's salute'. We all breathed easy again. They left us alone all day. But still in area with subs surfacing and diving. Dec. 1951. [Trip 20] Sailed end of month. 'Sin' and 'Yard' aboard. Large crate stowed forward - packing case pilot's berth. 6th. Jan. 1952 fishing off Kanin. ‘Sin’ and 'Yard' unpacked case in pilot’s berth. It's a receiver and tape deck in waterproof sealed metal box. Clockwork tapes to run 4 weeks period. [Clockwork tape drives to save battery power, we assume] Crate unpacked forward. It's a bloody canoe - a kayak. Early hours morning they got rigged in black suits "frogmans", loaded the kayak, and went off towards Kanin from 3 mile limit. We towed up and down waiting for them to return. We had 3 hauls when they returned "bloody frozen". They had installed the listening device ashore at Kanin to be picked up in a month. - Amen. We left the area at once. Steamed to Skolpen Bank Feb. l952. [Trip 21] Sin and Yard went ashore Kanin again. Replaced unit and returned with other one. They are covered in frost - they need a bloody medal. Steamed out of area as soon as aboard. Went to south edge Skolpen then along to East Bank. Routine listening watches maintained. March 1952. [Trip 22] Unable to get ashore Kanin. Ice and Patrol Boats. Fishing around Kidney - plaice - good hauls. April 1952. [Trip 23] Trip aboard. [Enough fish caught] Managed to get ashore Kanin last night’s fishing. Put new unit ashore. Brought other one back. Still very cold. Left for home straight away. 27 days. Good job we are stored [provisioned] for 35 days. May 1952. [Trip 24] Sailed end of month - slipped [ship removed from water] - clean bottom-paint. Sin and Yard and another [Naval intelligence officer] aboard named Hew. [Hugh, perhaps?] Cold and snowing at Kanin. Yard and Hew went in kayak. Took new unit - brought back the other one - Sin watching small radar all the time. Steamed across to Svyatoynos Point. Hew and Sin went ashore west side Svyatoynos Point, placed unit and returned. Yard watched radar all the time until back aboard. We steamed to Sem Islands and Voroni Rocks to fish. They kept continuous watch small radar all trip. Photographs etc. July 1952. [Trip 25] Too much naval activity to replace units. Torpedo Boats, Submarines, Destroyers etc. from Sem Islands to Kanin. Yard says getting loads of information from boxes. It's most important to change them. Not enough darkness to make a dash for them. So Boxes 1 and 2 stay there for now. Aug. 1952. [Trip 26] Routine listening and photographs. Boxes 1 and 2 ashore. No one with us this trip. [No Naval Intelligence officers] Sep. 1952. [Trip 27] Sailed Sin, Yard, Hew aboard. Got Boxes changed at 1 and 2. Yard says that much information they have full team on it at Pitreavie... [A Royal Navy Station in Scotland] Naval movements - subs and heavy stuff are making their section training from Sem Islands to Kolguev into Kara Sea when ice permits. Getting lots of information for R.A.F. on our set frequency tapes aboard. All 8 [VHF] frequencies aboard are giving information that no one knew about. Atomic subs definite now. "On trials" Icebreakers on North and North West Passage definite atomic-powered. The photo from the aircraft taken off Novaya Zemlya - definite atomic on trials. This information came through from U.S.N.I. [United States Naval Intelligence] to R.N.I. [Royal Naval Intelligence] through diplomatic bag. Oct. l952. [Trip 28] Routine listening - photographs. Fishing off Kildin Island and East Bank. Cod - Hadd - Codling. Dec. 1952. [Trip 29] Sin, Yard, Hew aboard. Changed Box 1 and 2. Steamed to Sem Islands. Lots of activity behind Sem Islands. Can see movements of shipping on portable radar. Towed along to Voroni Rocks. Lot quieter there. Weather fine but light fine snow. Yard and Hew on tenterhooks. Midnight they got rigged and brought out another box. Kayak in water - Sin watching radar all the time. Orders to Skipper from Hew: 'Going to put one on Voroni. If anything goes wrong, you run like hell home. If you get boarded send "Crash" [on the radio]. Don't even think about us. We will be dead - we have our pills.’ We towed and waited, axes at the bollards. Sin smoked 20 fags [cigarettes], watching radar all the time for any echo from behind Voroni moving. Around 0300 they got back. We left straight away. Steamed to East Bank - started fishing. Sent message for Hew - Box 3 in place. Hew gave everyone a tot of whisky. "On the Queen," he says. Jan. 1953. [Trip 30] Routine listening and photographs. Lots of subs around diving and surfacing close by us. Motor Patrol Boats about. Feb.- March 1953. [Trip 31] Sin, Yard, Hew aboard. Changed boxes Kanin. Svyatoynos. Voroni too busy with shipping. Steamed to Kildin and East Bank. Getting good living East Bank. Fished 8 days - got trip aboard. Steamed back to Voroni. After 2 nights got box changed. Hew told Skipper, ‘Get to hell out of here. If you want, go home. That journey was bloody hairy.’ Left for home. April 1953. [Trip 32] Routine listening. Got photos 2 heavy objects steaming easterly past Svyatoynos - look like battlewagons - high structures. May 1953. [Trip 33] Sin and Yard aboard. Fishing South side East Bank off Nemetski. Getting good bag of codling - small hadds. Took photographs Nemetski from Navalok westwards, all bays etc. Photographs from small portable radar same areas. After 5 days fishing we are moving to Teriberski. Same process Teriberski. Both cameras. Lot of movement inside and outside of us. Patrol boats, subs, motor torpedo boats. June 1953. [Trip 34] Listening and photographs. Routine chores. July 1953. [Trip 35] Routine listening etc. Nice trip - plaice - hadd - codling. Boxes still ashore. The new clockwork device must be a success, as they are leaving them longer. Aug.-Sep. 1953. [Trip 36] Sailed after clean bottom - paint. Sin and Yard aboard - also Brookes at last minute. A "pleasure tripper" is what they say. Now how can we have a "pleasure tripper" aboard this ship. Yuk! Fishing Kidney area. Weather fine but hazy. 4 days fishing. Very large echoes - portable radar ahead of us - 4 miles. 5 big echoes. 10 smaller ones. Sin on radar camera. Yard doing calculations on echo size. Brookes looking through binocs says Capital ships. Towed and closed the gap to 3 miles. Haze lifting a bit. Got camera ready with filters on. Could just see them. Started taking shots. Battlewagons 4 - very heavy - high structures. Motor boats escorts. One large one behind battlewagons. Can't make it out properly. Kept shooting from different angles bridge windows. Brookes excited as hell. Says we got a jackpot. Says the big one behind the others must be 'Flat Top'. [Aircraft carrier] Sin shouted. ‘Patrol boat left fleet coming towards us pretty fast.’ Skipper ordered, ‘Haul gear.’ Axed bollards. Informed Chief Engineer. Brookes took his briefcase and left bridge. Skipper looking at Patrol Boat coming whilst hauling gear. He came close, watching us hauling. Skipper told crew, ‘Get gear aboard.’ Patrol Boat, ‘You have finished your catch now?’ Answer - ‘Yes, going home England.’ Patrol Boat. ‘Wait, you wait.’ We could hear him talking on one of our VHF receivers. Yard says, ‘He is reporting to the Bossman in the fleet.’ Patrol Boat, ‘Capt go home now and I won't delay you.’ Skipper, ‘Good luck. cheerio.’ We left at speed. Brookes returned to bridge. ‘We must contact HQ.’ Skipper replied. ‘No, definite no.’ We steamed to Skolpen Bank. Then sent message for Brookes. Reply 2 hours. Orders. ‘Stay fishing, wait.’ Fishing over day moderate to good bag codling, black halibut, small hadds. Message from HQ to Brookes reads:
Steamed 6 hours - waited 2 hours. [Royal Navy] Destroyer alongside says, ‘Brookes. film, tapes, any boxes aboard as soon as poss.’ All done and Brookes aboard Destroyer in less than an hour. Destroyer left. Returned to Skolpen Bank. Fishing to finish trip. Fished 7 days. Left for home. Trip aboard. Passing Skomvaer. Message from HQ for Yard reads:-
Yard said, "Then we did hit jackpot.' Nov. 1953. [Trip 37] Routine work. Got all 3 Boxes changed. Voroni Rocks. Bit dicey. Small cargo [ship] passed them whilst ashore. Both returned frozen again. Dec. 1953 - Jan. 1954. [Trip 38] Routine listening etc. No one aboard. Must be having Xmas - New Year at home. Feb. 1954. [Trip 39] Sin, Yard, Hew aboard. All 3 Boxes changed. Weather snow - freezing hard. Plaice - codling - small hadd aboard. March 1954. [Trip 40] Routine listening etc. April 1954. [Trip 41] Routine listening - good photos naval ships around Kildin area. Subs out on surface May - June 1954. [Trip 42] Boxes 1-2 changed. Yard, Hew aboard. Photographs naval movements Kanin areas. Finished trip East Bank areas to Vardø. July 1954. [Trip 43] Got Box 3 changed after struggle. Subs surfaced to seaward of us as Yard & Hew coming back. What a bloody panic. We got to hell out of it as soon as on board. Skipper says, ‘We are getting too confident in what we are doing.’ Got trip N. of Vardø areas. Aug. 1954. [Trip 44] Routine work, listening. Sep. 1954. [Trip 45] Sin, Yard, Hew aboard. Main job to put Box ashore Navalok Nemetski Island and then get out away from coast. Normal fishing trip. Started fishing S. edge East Bank. Working closer to [territorial] limit line each tow. Towing along limit line early hours. Yard and Hew went. Nearly back when echo coming round headland from west. Coming towards us as we got Yard and Hew and kayak aboard. Hauled gear. Echo still coming. Gunboat shot off starshell. Lit us up like daylight. He stopped near us and lowered his boat into water. Skipper ordered Chief Engineer, ‘Be ready.’ Hew said. ‘When I give order - call [on the radio] and make [transmit] "R".’ So, we are going to run. Sea-swell running from N. Snowing - freezing. Hew says, ‘Gunboat iced up now.’ Small boat halfway between us and Gunboat. Heard Skipper on phone to Chief say. ‘Now, Chief, now.’ The ship shook like hell. Everything was shaking. More starshells. We were heading N.W. Hew gave the order. "R" called and sent. Gunboat taking up chase. Still firing starshells. After one hour Hew said, ‘"R" again. Let them know still alive.’ Called and sent. Gunboat still astern. Hew says. ‘We are opening the gap slowly, but we are making ice on the rigging.’ Skipper altered course to W.N.W. to get more speed. We rolled like a cork. Gunboat astern, ploughing under-seas, having a bad time. Yard listening to him calling his Boss ashore. Yard says, ‘Telling them ashore can't move main armament for bad icing.’ Rolling badly but making more headway. More starshells. Nov. 5 all over again! Very heavy swell pounding starboard side. Just lost most of deckboards. Hew told Skipper, ‘Gunboat nearly rolled over. Now putting her head to swell. Bow right under. The gap widening faster now. Nearly 2 hours chase, He has given up.’ Yard says, ‘All hell breaking loose on V.H.F. frequency. Gunboat lost 2 men overboard from his bridge when rolling over in swell.’ Jasper said, ‘Fuck his men - what about my deckboards? - ha. ha.’ Kept steaming westerly. Came across Vizalma, Vizenda, Vindora, [other British trawlers] fishing Tannafiord. Stopped to square decks etc. Decided to fish with them. Hew sent message HQ and our position, circumstances and told them Box 4 in place. Reply 3 hours. ‘Fish with caution.’ Fishing Tannafiord to Nordkyn. Good bag cod, sullocks, reds. After 3 days fishing Tannafiord message from HQ reads:-
Fished Tannafiord - N. Kyn and Yelmsoy for 9 days. Went home trip aboard of sorts. Landed, made trip. Brookes came around at breakfast time - bacon sandwiches and coffee. To inform me about 3 weeks in dock, on full pay, all crew. Taking everything off board 'Lancer' Will be going in another ship, after fit-out when she docks. Skipper Jim Wright taking 'Lancer' to Iceland. Don't know whether Russians found any boxes yet, but making arrangements to find out if they are still there. Jasper got 6 months Govt. suspension to please Russians and close the incident. Arrangements made for horse-owner's pass for Jasper for race meetings etc. Brookes says, ‘He is going to have a wonderful time for 2 or 3 months - then back to sea when things nice and quiet.’ New trawler being built Bremerhaven, Germany for him to take by agreement with the Owners "purpose-built." She will have trial speed of 14 knots - but she will do 18 knots. This Trawler was called the 'Coldstreamer ' The Gaul Archive is here... |
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