Double Cross in Cairo

by Nigel West

  Levi told Alessi that he had always done his duty up to that time and even assuming, for the purpose of argument, that he might not be 100 per cent friendly towards the Nazis or the Fascists, this would not make any difference to his work. He would look upon it as a question of doing his duty for an employer he disliked. All this did not mean, of course, that Levi did actually dislike the Nazis or the Fascists – he was merely looking at it from Alessi’s angle.

  Some time after this interview, Levi spoke to Annabella on the telephone and told her of Alessi’s visit. She knew about him and asked Levi to arrange an appointment for her to meet Alessi somewhere in Rome. Levi gave her Alessi’s address in that city. Annabella told Levi that she thought Alessi might be very useful and that it might be profitable if Levi and Alessi teamed up. Levi replied that he preferred to work alone as far as possible.

  Before Alessi left Genoa on about 25 July 1941, Levi asked him not to betray him to the British should he (Alessi) throw in his lot with the other side once he got abroad. Alessi assured him that he would respect his attitude exactly as Levi respected his, and would continue to do so if he succeeded in getting away from ‘this blasted country’. He would certainly not betray Levi.

  Levi describes Alessi as follows: about 6 feet tall, fair hair, English looking, possibly blueish eyes, good looking, pleasing personality, good manners and well educated, considerable savoir faire, obviously a man of the world, always smartly dressed. Spoke fluent French, English and Italian, Anglo-Saxon drinking habits (fond of whisky, gin, cocktails, etc.)

  10. In the late evening of 1 August 1941, the day before his arrest, Levi received a telephone call from Annabella in Rome, who wished to know on behalf of Rossetti when he was going to leave for the Middle East. Apparently Rossetti wanted him to leave as soon as possible. Levi explained to Annabella that there had been a slight delay owing to passport formalities.

  II LEVI’S ARREST, IMPRISONMENT AND FINAL RELEASE BY BRITISH FORCES

  11. On the night of 2 August 1941, Levi was arrested in his hotel in Genoa by officials of the Italian CS. He was removed the same night from Genoa to Rome, and on 3 August was imprisoned in the gaol of Coeli in Rome.

  He was interrogated for the first time on 5 August 1941. No formal charge was made against him.

  The first question the CS official who conducted this and subsequent interrogations asked him was ‘che cosa sapete dell aparecchio che avete ire piantato cheimplantato a Cairo eora trasmette sotto il controllo Inglese?’ (‘What do you know about the wireless set you placed in Cairo and which now transmits under British control?’)

  Levi feigned complete amazement and said he knew absolutely nothing about the matter. Leaving this point, the official asked why he had been in touch with the British Embassy in Belgrade. Levi replied that this was no secret, since he had been obliged to visit the British Embassy in connection with passport formalities.

  He had reported these visits in writing to the German authorities at the time. The official jokingly urged Levi not to be foolish, as they knew all about him and it would be best for him if he told the whole truth. He promised to save Levi and send him home if he made a clean breast of it. Levi was not deceived by this clumsy approach and insisted that he knew absolutely nothing about the whole affair, and that he was extremely surprised at the accusation as, apart from passport formalities, he had never had any truck with the British authorities or been approached by them with any suggestion that he should undertake intelligence work on their behalf. The official said that, if this were true, how then did Levi account for the fact that the wireless set was now in British hands? (‘Ebbene ditemi ome lo pensate vol sia la ragione che l’apparreochio si trova ora in mani Inglese?’)

  Levi replied that he could not understand how this could have happened. The only reasons he could suggest were that the agents he had engaged had not taken sufficient security precautions and had been caught by the British authorities, who had assumed control of the wireless set, or, alternatively, his agents may have come forward with their story in the hope of a liberal regard. The official closed the interview without putting any further questions to Levi. Before leaving he told Levi in reply to the latter’s query as to when he would be released, that he need not worry, as it would merely be a question of a few days.

  12. The same official returned to see Levi about two days later (approximately 7 August 1941), and asked under how many passports he had been travelling. Levi replied that as far as he could remember he had only used an English passport outside Italy and a German one in Italy itself.

  The official then asked Levi about the Dutch passport in his possession. Levi did not understand what was meant and replied that he had never had in his possession or travelled under a Dutch passport. The official told him to wait as he was going away and would be back again within a few minutes with proof. He returned fifteen minutes later and told him that the girl who was going to travel with him confirmed that on one occasion she had seen three passports among Levi’s possessions, one a greenish colour (Dutch), another blue (British), and a third brown (German). Levi then recalled that he had at one time had a Dutch passport in his possession but that it did not belong to him and he had held it merely because he had had it specially made for an agent who was supposed to be going to France on behalf of the Germans. It so happened that the Christian name on this passport was the same as Levi (Renato).

  Levi told the official that he could confirm this statement by referring to Rossetti. (This matter dated back to the time when Levi was working for the Deuxième Bureau and as far as Levi could remember the passport was never actually used.)

  13. The girl whom the official had referred to as having seen these passports was a certain Azeglia Socci, a cabaret artiste who had been Levi’s girlfriend for some time. Levi had made arrangements to take her back with him to Turkey on his intended return to the Middle East. The reason for this was that he had told the Germans in Istanbul that the excuse he had given to the British authorities in Istanbul for returning to Italy was that he wished to get his wife out of Italy. Therefore Levi argued that he would have to bring some female back to Istanbul as tangible evidence to produce to the British authorities to show that he had in fact returned to Italy for the purpose he had stated.

  The official asked whether Socci knew of his secret activities. Levi replied that he did not think she did, as the only thing he had told her was that he was going abroad on a buying mission for the Italian government. The official said that he thought Socci knew pretty well what Levi was actually doing and pressed Levi to tell him whether or not he had confided in her. Levi denied this emphatically. He had realised by now from the questions the official had put to him that Azeglia was also locked up in the same gaol. She had been arrested at the same time as Levi but he was under the impression at the time that she had been released immediately. He had been told this by his guard when he was removed from Genoa to Rome. Levi told the official that he could not understand why Socci had been arrested and was still detained. He begged the official to release her immediately, swore that she was not implicated in any way whatsoever in his affairs, and further, that she was not the type of girl who could be used for secret service work, being pleasant but stupid. The official promised Levi that he would release her the same day and would see to it personally that she arrived safely in Genoa. The interview then ended.

  Ten days later Levi received a letter from Socci in which she stated that she had been released on the date of Levi’s last interrogation. She had been very well treated by the official, who instructed the CS department to give her 100 lire for the journey and arranged to have her accompanied to Genoa by a CS official.

  14. During the next week Levi made at least two written appeals to the CS department protesting against his arrest and requesting his immediate release. He received no reply. About mid-August 1941, and one week after his second interrogation, the official came to see Levi for the third time. On this occasion he brought with him a numbe
r of documents and a collection of photographs (mostly negatives); these had been taken from Levi’s private flat in Genoa which had been searched some time after his arrest. The documents were merely private letters with no bearing on intelligence activities and were immediately dismissed by the official as irrelevant. The photographs were all miniatures, arranged and numbered in an album. The official questioned Levi closely concerning these photographs, which were merely innocent amateur efforts and in no way incriminating. The individuals appearing in these photographs were nearly all girlfriends of the cabaret artiste type whom Levi had met in the course of his travels, and whose names he could not remember. After two hours’ interrogation, with the official writing down answers, the interview ended. (The official took the opportunity of purloining the gem of Levi’s collection – an enlargement of a magnificent nude.)

  15. The official’s fourth visit took place about five days later (approximately 20 August 1941). Before the official put any questions, [Levi] protested strongly against his continued detention, and asked how long it would be before he could be released. He begged the official to make urgent enquiries through Travaglio and Rossetti. The official stated that he had already done this and that both Travaglio and Rossetti had given the most excellent references. They were even prepared to re-employ Levi as soon as the matter at issue had been settled. Levi asked for some explanation, at least, for his continued detention in view of the fact that his own employers had nothing against him and even wished to re-employ him. The official replied that he could not give a complete answer to this question but he could assure Levi that the enquiries which had been conducted up to that time had been entirely in Levi’s favour. It was merely a question of a slight suspicion (leggero sospetto). Owing to the important position which [Levi] had held, this suspicion had to be cleared up before he could be released. The official urged Levi not to worry, and to keep his spirits high, as it was only a question of a few days before he obtained his freedom. Levi stresses the fact that throughout these interviews the official concerned was extremely courteous and genuinely friendly. For example, on this occasion he noticed that Levi was suffering from an outbreak of spots on his body and showed concern over them, explained that these were probably due to the filthiness of the cells in which he had been confined. The official turned round to his clerk and said that they must finish the affair as soon as possible (implying that Levi was having an undeservedly rough time).

  16. During this interrogation Levi was asked the circumstances in which he first came to work for Travaglio. Levi explained that he was introduced to Travaglio by one of the latter’s agents in Milan. This agent had struck up an acquaintanceship with Levi in Genoa and after a couple of weeks had proposed to Levi that Levi should do a job of work for a friend of his (the agent’s), without indicating the exact nature of the work in question.

  At this point the official suddenly asked Levi whether he had been better paid by the German or British authorities – which were the more generous? Levi did not fall into this obvious trap, replying that as far as the Germans were concerned he could not complain, as they had always given him everything he had asked for; as for the British, he had no idea how they paid their agents as he had never had any dealings with them. The official retorted – ‘You really do not want to tell us the truth about your relations with these people?’ Levi replied earnestly that it was absurd to insist upon this point; he had repeatedly stated the truth. If he ‘were not believed he suggested that they had better hasten the enquiry, put him up against a wall, and have done with the whole business as soon as possible’. The official laughed at this and told Levi that it was not as bad as all that and he should not take it all so seriously. Levi told the official that he was very worried because he had received no news from his family in Genoa; and so he had no money to pay for his personal requirements, although some money should have arrived. He begged the official to authorise the delivery of mail and money. The official promised that he would look into the matter immediately, and should there be any mail or money, Levi would have it the next day. He told Levi to write a letter to his family and that he would personally arrange for this to be posted. He gave the chief warder instructions to supply Levi with paper and ink and authorised him to write one extra letter over and above the regulation two per week. The official gave Levi some cigarettes and matches and left. The following day his clerk posted the letter. Levi questioned him as to how the enquiry was proceeding. This clerk replied that he could assure Levi in all sincerity that his case was progressing very favourably.

  17. A few days later (probably towards the end of August 1941), Levi was interrogated by three Italian CS officials whom he had not seen previously. This interrogation was very brief. Levi was merely asked to give the names of the hotels in which he had stayed during his recent visit to the Middle East, with the appropriate dates. The officials then left.

  18. Roughly three weeks elapsed before Levi was again interrogated (about mid-September 1941). This long interval worried Levi to such an extent that he wrote several letters, one to Travaglio at his Munich address (10 Maria Kirchnerstrasse), and one to Rossetti, begging them to look into his case, as he was held on completely unproven charges. He also wrote a letter to the CS official who had conducted this first series of interrogations, requesting an urgent interview as he had important information to convey. (Levi used this device to make sure that the official would come.)

  Two or three days after the dispatch of this last letter the official came to see Levi, apparently eager to hear what he had to say. Levi told him that it was very important that he should know when his case was finished; he could not understand what possible reason there was for his continued detention. Levi pointed out that he had written to the official to make sure he would come as he had not seen him for a few weeks. The official explained that he had been away on leave and Levi should be grateful to him for not having passed the case on to another official who might not have proved so sympathetic. Levi need not worry, however, as the official was going to bring the case to a conclusion within the next few days. He told Levi to write a complete and detailed account of his activities from the first day he entered the employ of the Germans up to the date of his arrest. Once this statement was written the official would try to finish the case.

  The official left. Levi returned to his cell and wrote a 45-page statement which was collected two days later by the official’s clerk.

  A week passed, when Levi was interrogated by an Italian CS official whom he had not seen before.

  19. This new official’s manner was offensive and aggressive, in marked contrast to the kindly attitude of his colleague. He told Levi that he had come to take down a written and signed statement, then showed a type-written letter with a newspaper clipping attached to it, and asked him whether he recognised these documents. Levi stated that he had never seen them before and asked whether he might read them to see to what they referred. The official did not allow him to read them but stated that they concerned the Minister Plenipotentiary of Thailand in Rome. The official asked whether he had ever been instructed by his German employers to make enquiries regarding this diplomat and, if not, how did he account for the fact that these documents had been found in his letter box in Genoa. Levi replied that he had never received any such instructions nor made such enquiries, and, furthermore, he could not understand how these papers could have been found in his letterbox; he knew of no one who had been given any such instructions.

  The official cautioned Levi to tell the truth in his own interests. If he had in fact been instructed to make such enquiries, no harm had been done because the information was of benefit to the Axis. Levi insisted that he had no knowledge whatsoever about the matter and had never seen the papers before. He wrote and signed a statement to this effect.

  20. The official then asked Levi to make a general statement, but to be as brief as possible as he did not have much time to spare. Levi told him that he would keep his statement to the poi
nt but was not prepared to make any statement at all unless he was allowed to say everything he wanted to. The official started to write down his statement, which began with the period when Levi started to work for the Germans, but cut him short and said that he was being too verbose and must shorten his lying testimony. The official stated that, if it depended on him, he would finish the whole matter by putting twelve bullets into Levi’s back. Levi replied with some heat that as he was as innocent as the official himself they should share the gift the official had offered him (i.e. six bullets apiece). The official, visibly annoyed, rebuked Levi for impudence and told him that, anyhow, he would not get away with it. Levi proceeded with his statement until 1 p.m. when the official left, returning at 5 p.m. Before he left, Levi had occasion to be left alone for a moment with the clerk who, on his own accord and without prompting, told Levi not to take any notice of what the official had said, to carry on as he had done up to then, and that everything was going smoothly. Levi’s statement was completed in the evening, the official punctuating the proceedings with heavy sarcasm.

  21. A few days later (probably early October 1941), Levi was again interrogated by the same official, who asked for particulars about the strong-box he owned and which was in the keeping of his bankers in Genoa. Levi explained that the only contents of this strong-box were purely private papers and family documents.

  22. The day after this interview the official who had conducted the first series of interrogations came back to the gaol to see Levi and asked him whether he would be prepared to re-enter the service of the Germans if he were released. Levi replied that he would not mind doing so provided he were not sent back to Egypt or to British-occupied territory, because it was quite probable that in view of what had happened he was already brulé in those parts. He suggested that it might be a good idea to work again in France, as the Germans could give him the necessary protection there.