Portland Spy Ring - Tracking The Spy Ring

Tracking The Spy Ring

In 1959 the CIA received letters from a mole, codenamed Sniper (who later turned out to be Michael Goleniewski). Sniper said information was reaching the Russians from the Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment at Portland, England, where the Royal Navy tested equipment for undersea warfare. The letters were passed on to MI5, the British security service.

Suspicion fell on Harry Houghton, a former sailor who was a civil service clerk at the base. He had just bought his fourth car and a house and was also a heavy drinker who would buy rounds at the local pubs. Houghton's expenses were far beyond his meagre salary.

MI5 put Houghton under surveillance. They also watched his mistress, Ethel Gee. She was a filing clerk who handled documents Houghton himself did not have access to. They often went to London, where they would meet a man identified as Gordon Lonsdale, a Canadian businessman. During these meetings Lonsdale and Houghton exchanged packages.

Lonsdale allegedly dealt in jukeboxes and bubble gum machines. He often travelled abroad and was a ladies' man. MI5 promptly put him under surveillance. It was found that Lonsdale often went to 45 Cranley Drive, Ruislip in North-West London to visit an antiquarian bookseller at home, Peter Kroger and his wife Helen. The Krogers were also put under close but discreet watch.