The secrets of Latchmere House: Surrounded by barbed wire and secrecy, Latchmere House in Ham was once Britain’s most secret wartime interrogation centre – a place where captured spies were interrogated, secrets extracted and double agents created
During the Second World War posters were seen everywhere warning people to think before they spoke: ‘Careless talk costs lives’, ‘Loose lips might sink ships’ and ‘Silence is safety’. And with good reason. Hundreds of German spies were sent into Britain by parachute, boat and submarine to gather intelligence and sabotage infrastructures like airfields and railways.
However, according to MI5, all were caught, and many were sent to the top-secret location of Latchmere House in Ham. It was so secret that even when the Home Office gave a list of prisoner camps to the International Red Cross, Latchmere’s name didn’t appear. It was deemed that captured civilian spies were not Prisoners of War and they were therefore not bound by the Geneva Convention. The secrets of Latchmere House were to remain secret for decades to come.
Codenamed Camp 020, it became the place where Abwehr (German Intelligence) operatives were evaluated for prosecution (and execution), or more strategically, turned into double agents as part of Britain’s Double Cross System.
The camp commander was MI5 intelligence officer, Lieutenant Colonel Robin ‘Tin Eye’ Stephens, so called because of his monocle. He was a distinctive figure and was known for being unpredictable. However, he set out strict rules that physical force should not be used in interrogation: ‘Never strike a man. In the first place it is an act of cowardice. In the second place, it is not intelligent. A prisoner will lie to avoid further punishment and everything he says thereafter will be based on a false premise.’
While it is still questioned whether brute force was actually used at the camp despite Stephens’ words, he certainly didn’t shy away from other methods of interrogation. Prisoners were put under huge psychological pressure, their weak points exposed and used against them and were relentlessly questioned in their small cells which had hidden microphones for eavesdropping. They suffered sleep deprivation, isolation and some were subjected to mock executions. Author and historian Ben Macintyre, writes: ‘He broke people, psychologically, into very small pieces and then, if he thought it worthwhile, he would put them back together again.’
If the choice after interrogation was execution or becoming a double agent, many chose the latter.
Among those who were turned at Camp 020 were Wulf Schmidt, Josef Jakobs and Eddie Chapman.
Wulf Schmidt, a Danish-born German agent codenamed Tate, parachuted into Cambridgeshire in September 1940 on a mission for the Abwehr. Captured almost immediately, he was taken to Camp 020, where MI5 persuaded him to work as a double agent under the English name Harry Williamson. Through his radio transmissions – carefully monitored and scripted by British intelligence – Schmidt fed false information to Germany about troop movements, air raids, and later, the D-Day invasion. His reports built such trust that the Abwehr continued to believe in his loyalty until the war’s end. Schmidt’s deception played a vital role in the success of Operation Fortitude, helping to convince the Germans that the Allied invasion would come at the Pas de Calais rather than Normandy.
Josef Jakobs was a German spy who parachuted into middle England in February 1941. But on landing he broke his ankle and was quickly captured by the Home Guard. Brought to Camp 020, he was interrogated by MI5, who hoped to turn him into a double. However, Jakobs proved unsuitable – his injuries, limited training and lack of useful contacts meant he could not convincingly operate as a British-controlled spy. Instead, he provided valuable intelligence about German espionage methods and personnel. When no further use could be made of him, Jakobs was executed by firing squad at the Tower of London in August 1941.
Eddie Chapman, a career criminal and safecracker, became one of Britain’s most extraordinary double agents during the Second World War. Codenamed Zigzag, he was recruited by the Germans while imprisoned in occupied Jersey and trained in sabotage. Parachuted into England in 1942, he immediately surrendered to MI5 and offered to work as a double agent. Under British control, Chapman fed false intelligence to the Abwehr, including a convincing deception about a successful bombing at a de Havilland factory. Later, he returned to Germany to continue the ruse, earning an Iron Cross from the Nazis while secretly serving Britain’s Double Cross system.
The work done by MI5 at Latchmere House was crucial to the war effort. By feeding controlled misinformation to Germany, it helped mislead the enemy on troop movements, bombings and invasion plans, directly contributing to the success of operations like D-Day and saving countless lives.
The MI5: Official Secrets exhibition at The National Archives has been extended until 23 November. The display marks the first time MI5 has publicly shared its history, covering over a century of intelligence work – from its origins in World War I to contemporary counter-terrorism efforts. There are original case files, photographs and espionage equipment, including items like Guy Burgess’s briefcase and a 110-year-old lemon used for invisible ink. The exhibition also highlights MI5’s ongoing role in national security, showing how its methods have evolved to tackle modern threats and protect the UK today.
The Secrets of Latchmere House. Words: Pippa Duncan
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Find out more about the MI5: Official Secrets exhibition: The National Archives