The Secret British House Where Captured Spies Were Interrogated

In the summer of 1940, as Britain prepared for the possibility of a German invasion, MI5 took over a large house near Ham Common in south-west London. Known as Latchmere House, the building had previously been used to care for officers suffering from nervous disorders following the First World War.

Now it had a very different purpose. The house became a secret interrogation centre known as Camp 020. Initially, it held various suspects, including suspected fascists, but by late 1940 its main work involved questioning captured enemy spies.

The man in charge was Robin Stephens, a former army officer nicknamed 'Tin Eye' because of the thick monocle he wore. He had a reputation for being a particularly intimidating interrogator. Stephens used isolation, threats and psychological pressure to obtain information, but he strictly forbade his officers from physically assaulting prisoners.

The house had also been fitted with hidden microphones. Post Office engineers installed listening equipment in July 1940, allowing intelligence officers to overhear conversations without prisoners knowing. Even when they were alone in their rooms, their words might still be recorded.

Among those brought to Camp 020 was Wulf Schmidt, a German agent who parachuted into Britain in September 1940. He was quickly captured and interrogated before eventually becoming a British double agent under the codename TATE. His wireless messages continued to reach German intelligence, but the information was now controlled by MI5.

Another prisoner was Karel Richter, who parachuted into Hertfordshire in May 1941. After two days without food, he sought help and attracted the attention of a policeman. At Camp 020, Richter stubbornly denied being a spy until officers confronted him with another captured German agent, Josef Jakobs.

After seventeen hours of interrogation, Richter finally admitted where he had hidden his parachute and wireless equipment.

Information gathered at Camp 020 helped British intelligence identify German espionage activities and recruit double agents. Some became part of the Double-Cross System, sending false information to Germany while appearing to remain loyal to their original employers.

The centre remained in operation until 1945. What had once been a house used for the care of wounded officers had become one of Britain's most important wartime interrogation centres.

Image info:

British Second World War propaganda poster, There’s Often a Listener – Silence Is Safety. Ministry of Information, The National Archives, reference INF 3/247. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.