Australia. Royal Commission on Espionage. Owen, W. F. L. Philp, R. F. B. Ligertwood, G. C.

Report of the Royal Commission on Espionage : 22nd August 1955 / W.F.L. Owen, R.F.B. Philp, G.C. Ligertwood, Commissioners

Sydney : A. H. Pettifer. Govt. Printer for New South Wales 1955. First Edition. Near fine copy in the original stiff-card wrappers; edges very slightly dust-dulled and toned. Remains particularly and surprisingly well-preserved; tight. bright. clean and especially sharp-cornered.; 8vo 8' - 9' tall; 483 pages; Description: v. 483 p. ; 23 cm. Subjects: Petrov. Vladimir Mikhailovich (1907-) -- Petrov. Evdokia -- Espionage. Soviet -- Australia.

MW BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 215072

OWEN, W.F.L., PHILIP, R.F.B. & LIGERTWOOD, G.C.

Report of the Royal Commission on Espionage, 22 April 1955.

Government of the Commonwealth of Australia, 1955. Hardcover. No dj. Provides the transcript from The Royal Commission on Espionage, 1954-55. Defection of the Petrovs: On 3 April 1954, Vladimir Mikhailovich Petrov, who had been Third Secretary of the Soviet Embassy in Canberra since February 1951, defected in Sydney. Some two weeks later, on 20 April, his wife Evdokia, who worked at the embassy, also defected, after having been freed from Soviet couriers by Australian police at Darwin airport. These defections led to an extensive inquiry into Soviet espionage in Australia and resulted in the withdrawal of the Soviet Embassy from Australia and the expulsion of the Australian Embassy from Moscow. Menzies announced the establishment of the Royal Commission on Espionage (RCE) to inquire into and report on Soviet espionage in Australia. Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) revealed that Vladimir Petrov was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Soviet intelligence service and had been responsible for Soviet espionage in Australia. Mrs Petrov was also an intelligence officer.The principal findings of the Commission included that:- the 'Petrov Papers' were authentic documents; - from its establishment in 1943 to its departure in 1954, the Soviet Embassy in Canberra had been used for espionage in Australia; and the only Australians who knowingly assisted Soviet espionage were Communists. A little fraying to corners, ends of spine, internal front hinge cracked (binding holding), a few small marks to covers, otherwise good. 483pp.

The Book FirmProfessional seller

Book number: 74021

Keywords: Royal Commission Espionage 1955 Vladimir Mikhailovich Petrov intelligence officer Soviet spy defection Australian Security Intelligence Organisation ASIO Supreme Courts Parliament communist politics political russia russian spy