Report Of The Royal Commission On Espionage (1955) By A. H. Pettifer
Report of the Royal Commission on Espionage : 22nd August 1955 / W.F.L. Owen, R.F.B. Philp, G.C. Ligertwood, Commissioners
The Report of the Royal Commission on Espionage was published in 1955 after the Commission investigated Soviet espionage in Australia. Key findings included the authenticity of the "Petrov Papers," the truthfulness of the Petrovs, the use of the Soviet Embassy for espionage, and that only Communists knowingly assisted Soviet intelligence.
In 1954, the head of the Soviet spy network in Australia, Volodya Petrov, defected and sought asylum.
The Soviets intervened and attempted to repatriate Petrov's wife, Evdokia, to the USSR. She was wrestled off the plane at Darwin by Australian security agents. In the Cold War era, this became the sensation of the year, initiating the Royal Commission on Espionage.
The Left in Australia largely viewed this as a Menzies-led attempt to crush local Communists.
The Petrovs were eventually settled in suburban Melbourne under the names Sven and Anna Allyson, and given a pension.
Volodya/Vladimir died in 1991, and Evdokia in 2002.
This is the Final Report from the proceedings.
- Hard Cover
- 483 pages
- In Fair to Good Condition- small tear on front page.
