Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Revealed: Brit spy hero Agent Mullet
Second World War diary held secret identity key
A WARTIME diary has revealed the identity of a British spy previously known only as Agent Mullet.
Debra Britton, 64, was given the journal by her grandmother Florence Gearing, a housekeeper during the Second World War. Florence’s employer Irene Thornton gave her the diary once peace was restored in 1945.
Written in a mix of English and French, the diary records Irene’s wartime life in Coombe Dingle near Bristol.
Irene, from Belgium, moved to Britain with her English-born husband Eric early in the war to escape the Nazis.
Researchers compared entries in the diary to information from MI5 war files.
As a result they believe that Eric’s nephew Ronald Thornton was actually the British double agent Mullet.
Mullet helped fellow agents Puppet and Hamlet pass disinformation about British invasion plans back to the Nazis.
The MI5 files are heavily redacted, so finding the real people behind the code names has always been a challenge.
Independent researcher Andrew Drake traced Ronald’s grandson Alan Thornton, living in London, who confirmed Ronald’s wartime movements matched Mullet’s.
Alan says the research by Andrew helped him fill gaps in his family history and confirm his grandfather’s role as a spy.
Alan added: “Ronald told my dad about his wartime capers, but that was all just word of mouth. I’ve scanned over some of the extensive files related to Mullet and many details tie in exactly with what my dad told me, as well as my dad’s accounts of escaping Belgium and a journey to Lisbon, so we’re 100% sure.
“It was nice to see that this European background helped him to play his role in the liberation of Europe.’’
He added that Ronald may have known James Bond author Ian Fleming, also a spy.
He said they stayed at the Hotel Palacio Estoril in Portuguese capital Lisbon at the same time.
Alan added of Fleming: “He based a lot of his Bond characters through the people he observed in there!”
Eric ran a shipping
This European background helped him to play his role in the liberation of Europe ALAN THORNTON GRANDSON OF THE WARTIME SPY ‘MULLET’
business in Bristol and died in 1945.
FAMILY Irene went back to Belgium after the war but left her diary with the Thorntons’ housekeeper Florence. She died in 1981.
Ronald died in 1969, his heroics still unknown. Care adviser Debra, of Bristol, said: “I remember my dad showing the diary to me when he was reminiscing about the war. He told me to look after it as it was local and family history.
“It has always been in this house – just placed on his bookshelf with hundreds of others and it remained in the family home until my parents passed away.’’