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<font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">Exciting new information has come to light regarding Gibraltar's infamous Stay Behind Cave or Operation Tracer to give it its proper name.</font>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">This was one of the best kept secrets of WW2. In the event of Gibraltar being captured by German forces, six men would have been sealed into a secret chamber in which they would have been expected to survive and observe the activities of the Germans for a period of one year or more. In 1997 Stay Behind Cave was discovered in Gibraltar but unfortunately no account was ever obtained from anyone associated with the mission. These individuals have remained as elusive as the chamber itself. Thankfully this situation has now changed.</font></p>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">In November 2006 Jim Crone from discovergibraltar.com and Sergeant Major Pete Jackson MBE, senior tunnel guide with the Royal Gibraltar Regiment, had the immense privilege of meeting possibly the only member of Operation Tracer still alive today. Jim and Pete travelled to meet Dr. W. A. Bruce Cooper at his home in England.</font></p>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">Dr Cooper (92 years) provided a fabulous opportunity to shed light on Tracer with his direct involvement in the mission as a Surgeon-Lieutenant in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (RNVR). Despite fading memories, both Pete, Jim and others present at the meeting helped Dr Cooper recall stories about his colleagues, his training, and his feelings about such an incredible task. His exceptional career in the RNVR was discussed including his voluntary service on board hospital ship SS Uganda during the Falklands War at the age of 67.</font></p>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">Rumours about a secret chamber in Gibraltar have persisted since the war and many people devoted considerable amounts of their time to exploring Gibraltar's existing tunnels, caves and sheer cliffs in the hope of finding it. On the 26th December 1996 the Gibraltar Caving Group discovered a sophisticated secret complex hidden close to Lord Airey's Battery at the top of the southern end of the Rock. The discovery happened when the group encountered a strong gust of wind in a tunnel. Further searching led them to carefully break through a wall into chambers which had never been used and had remained sealed for over fifty years. The rooms were without doubt intended for use in Operation Tracer, and became affectionately known as Stay Behind Cave. In September 1998, a Mr Dennis Woods returned to Gibraltar for the first time in over fifty years and made himself known as having been involved in the construction of this facility (known in his day as Braithwaite's Cave on account of the Commanding Officer's name). Confirmed was thus given as to the authenticity of this unique site. During Mr Dennis Woods 1998 visit he is reputed to have said "there where two other teams working in Gibraltar but this one was the main one". This stirred up interest in the possibility a second secret chamber yet to be discovered.</font></p>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">Interestingly, Dr Coopers description of the secret chamber that he was taken to in 1942 is somewhat different to the layout of Stay Behind Cave. This has yet again fuelled existing rumours that a second secret chamber exists. There is a sketch of such a chamber in our research files, it originated from an MI6 source. Further information has come from a former GCHQ telegraphist which suggests that tandem Operation Tracer units operated during the Suez crisis, so this may also have been the case in Gibraltar. Although it is very possible that Dr Coopers memory is playing tricks with him, it has nevertheless been prudent to conduct a series of searches of the Upper Rock during January 2007. A number of key areas have been identified within MOD property. As yet nothing has been discovered.</font></p>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">When Dr Cooper was shown photographs and diagrams of the OP (Observation Post) found in 1996, he felt very strongly that it was not what he experienced in 1942. Further questioning with the aid of aerial photographs and views of Gibraltar only reinforced his opinion that he was not involved with anything at the southern area of the Rock which is the location of the OP discovered in 1996. He also described his OP as having no stairways leading to the lookout holes. His firm opinion, despite faded memories was of lookout holes being at opposite ends of the same room. This is not the case with the 1996 discovery.</font></p>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">Meeting with Dr. W. A. Bruce Cooper Surgeon-Lieutenant RNVR (retired) age 92.</font></p>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">Dr Cooper graduated from Medical School at the University of Durham in 1937 aged 23. His first job was a medical attendant at a coal mine in County Durham where he had experience of attending to miners underground. He also joined the RNVR prior to the outbreak of WW2. He was called into service when the war started and had his first experience of war as a medical officer onboard HMS Versatile when it was bombed by the Luftwaffe in 1940. HMS Versatile was escorting HMS Hereward which was carrying the evacuated Queen Wilhelmina from Holland on May 13th 1940. That evening, at 8.45pm, HMS Versatile was attacked by enemy aircraft. A bomb hit the upper deck over the engine room, causing minor structural damage and flooding to the engine room. Splinters from this bomb and other near misses caused damage from ‘A’ gun to quarterdeck and the auxiliary machinery suffered minor damage. The steam pipe was damaged to the extent that it was unable to steam and the ship was immobilised. Nine seamen were killed, with one dying later of his wounds. Thirteen wounded men were transferred to HMS Janus but the total wounded in the attack amounted to a third of the crew. HMS Janus towed HMS Versatile to Sheerness on May 14th where she underwent repairs over the following few weeks. Dr Cooper remembered tending to the wounded on that fateful night.</font></p>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">During a period of shore leave Dr Cooper was called to meet Surgeon Commander George Murray Levick RN who had served as medical officer on the Northern Party of Scott's last Antarctic expedition. Dr Cooper had no recollection of how he came to be chosen, he had never met Murray Levick before. Murray Levick had been called out of retirement at the age of 64 to provide training and survival expertise for Operation Tracer. At the meeting Murray Levick explained he was looking for “a doctor to do something special”. Murray Levick also said “I cannot tell you what it's all about yet but you will need an accomplice.” Dr Cooper explained to Levick that he had a friend, Arthur Milner, who was still a civilian, but also a Doctor of medicine. Dr Cooper suggested to Levick that he ask Arthur Milner and gave him Dr Milner’s telephone number at Lancaster Infirmary. Dr Cooper had spoken to his friend Arthur Milner and Arthur had replied that he was not interested because he suffered badly from seasickness and would join the army if he joined anything. Dr Cooper told Murray Levick this and Levick’s response was “If I can guarantee that throughout his military service he will not be required to go to sea, will he come?”. Arthur Milner eventually said yes, and found himself joining the Navy.</font></p>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">Murray Levick told them that they were to be hidden away and that they might have to stay there for as long as a year but he did not disclose the location. With their great taste for adventure they both agreed and Levick gave them the details of the operation. Levick explained that the plan involved one executive officer, two medical officers and three ratings as radio operators to send messages. Dr Cooper and Dr. Milner were both quite excited about the prospect. The executive officer was a gentleman by the name of “Windy” Gale, originally from Kent. Dr Cooper explained that previously another man had been appointed as the executive but he objected to having his meals alongside the ratings, so Levick “sacked him”! Eventually they would be taken out to Gibraltar and given cover jobs. Dr Cooper was appointed as Dockyard Medical Officer and Arthur Milner was given the job of Assistant Doctor at HMS Cormorant. Dr Cooper remembered a story in which Arthur's boss, Turnbull, took a dislike to Arthur and did his best to get rid of him. A ship came in to Gibraltar for a refit, and the ship's doctor was sent off sick. So Turnbull assigned Arthur to go out with the ship. The man in charge of Operation Tracer put a stop to this. Turnbull tried again and was himself shipped out of Gibraltar.</font></p>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">Dr Cooper met the three ratings when they had a trial run watching shipping on the Thames estuary. This was to practice the routine of reporting and to get themselves accustomed to living under such conditions but the trial surprisingly only lasted one week. Dr Cooper did not remember an Operation Manual which some historians believe existed.</font></p>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">Shortly after arriving in Gibraltar he was taken to the secret OP (Observation Post) with the other two officers. The ratings were not with them. Dr Cooper remembered that on the way from the Naval Dockyard, he changed into the uniform of an army sergeant. He did this in the Rock Hotel, where he was staying at the time. It amused him to think that he was technically a spy when wearing a uniform that he was not entitled to.</font></p>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">They travelled up on the outside of the Rock in daylight and arrived at a small entrance where they had to bow their heads to get in. Inside was a relatively small room with a small slit in one wall from which he remembers looking down over the town and across towards to the Detached Mole. On the opposite side of the room there was quite a reasonable size opening overlooking the Mediterranean with a sheer drop beneath. He is certain that there was no ledge that he could have crawled out onto. It was definitely a sheer drop. They would have a cable that they could lower down the sheer side to act as an aerial to be used for sending the radio messages. Dr Cooper was quite sure the room had no other tunnels or passages attached to it. He also felt sure that the location of the OP was not below or close to a gun battery. He insisted that the OP was right at the top of the Rock.</font></p>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">Dr Coopers description of the OP differs considerably from the facility discovered in 1997 and it does seem to suggest that rumours of a second facility are indeed well-founded. However, he did say his memory of the room was "considerably faded". It is plausible that two operations would run simultaneously and in the event of one being discovered by the Germans, the remaining OP could continue undetected. It would be necessary for each team to have absolutely no knowledge of the other. Other rumours suggest that one operation was called Tracer (which is confirmed by Dr Cooper) and the other was called Monkey, which may have been a two man operation. Dr Cooper declared he had no knowledge of Monkey or any parallel operation.</font></p>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">When Dr Cooper was shown photographs and diagrams of the secret OP found in 1997, he felt very strongly that it was not what he experienced in 1942. Further questioning with the aid of aereal photographs and views of Gibraltar only reinforced his opinion that he was not involved with anything in the area of Lord Airey's Battery which was the location of the 1997 discovery.</font></p>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">Dr Cooper had faded memories of a pedal bicycle on a concrete platform in the middle of the room. He recalls getting onto a bicycle and pedalling very hard to generate energy for charging batteries and to power everything else. Only the ratings would use the radio. However, he felt that officers would have taken turns in the observation aspect of the operation. He was aware that there was a very large water tank but could not recall its location or how they were to access it. He was also unsure of the precise details of the toilet facilities. Murray Levick had taken care of the type and quantity of provisions which were always kept in a state of readiness. For two and a half years they lived with the prospect that at any time they could be sent up and sealed into the OP. Dr Cooper was aware that the length of time which they could have been sealed up could have been longer than one year. Even as long as ten years was mentioned, but he felt that this was very unlikely and chose to ignore this possibility.</font></p>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">Dr Cooper confirmed that, contrary to rumours, they were not required to have their tonsils and appendices removed in advance. He explained that both Arthur Milner and himself were perfectly capable of carrying out these procedures if necessary. Should any of the six men die they were to be embalmed and buried or bricked up. He agreed that looking back on it now, it would probably been a pretty terrible experience had the Operation gone ahead but at the time he was not concerned. He felt very excited about it.</font></p>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">During off-duty hours they were given passes to go into Spain, they frequented La Linea and San Roque, and sometimes sat at the same tables as Germans. Dr Cooper remembered the Italian ship Altera in Algeciras. He remembered meeting the famous Buster Crab as well as his colleague Ted Halbrook.</font></p>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">When he first arrived in Gibraltar he lived at the Rock Hotel and then he moved into a flat which he shared with the Chief of Police, Ernest Smith. When the operation was eventually called off Dr Cooper returned to the OP to “snatch some goodies”. His flatmate Ernest Smith could not understand where all the biscuits were coming from as he was completely unaware of the operation.</font></p>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">When the members of Operation Tracer were eventually stood down, he was shipped back to England shortly after and resumed normal life. He never heard anything about the OP or the operation ever again.</font></p>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">He left the Navy in 1946 and worked for a while as a house doctor and in 1947 set up his own practice as a GP at his home in England. He had occasionally taken time off from his practice to go to sea on SS Uganda during its educational crusises for school children. He took on the role of "Baby Doc". The Uganda used to carry two doctors, one, the "Baby Doc" was on a two week basis and was filled by doctors looking for a fortnight's holiday. They looked after the scoolchildren and were not paid. There was a waiting list for these vacancies which were very popular in the medical profession for free holidays.</font></p>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">There was also the role of "Papa Doc", a paid crew member looking after the crew and passengers other than the schoolchildren. (The names came from the father and son dictators of Haiti at the time, Papa Doc Duvalier and his son.) "Papa Docs" were on a two month rotation between two doctors, i.e. two months on and two months off.</font></p>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">After retirement aged 62, Dr Cooper took on the role of "Papa Doc" after several years of occasional trips as "Baby Doc". He had just relieved the other doctor one week earlier when the Uganda was requisitioned for the Falklands, so was already on board. He was asked if he wished to stay for the trip to the Falklands and jumped at the chance.</font></p>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">They were in Alexandria when the news broke. They then sailed to Naples where they dropped off the schoolchildren and between Naples and Gibraltar they prepared the ship for conversion. The refit to a hospital ship took place in Gibraltar. Dr Cooper then travelled with the ship to the war zone in the Falklands and remained with the ship for several journeys bringing troops back to England.</font></p>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">Dr Cooper and Dr Milner remained good friends until Arthur passed away. He corresponded with “Windy” Gale by post and they exchanged Christmas cards for many years. Eventually the Christmas cards stopped coming and Dr Cooper assumed the worst.</font></p>
<p><font color="white" face="Geneva,Arial" size="2">On occasions when the Uganda stopped in Gibraltar, he did not feel the need to seek out his secret OP. He felt very strongly that the operation and its facilities were still very much a secret which he was honour bound to maintain. He was totally appalled when in 1966 someone leaked information to the London press. However he now feels that it is appropriate to provide an account of this important part of Gibraltar's WW2 history.</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial">Operation Tracer had been one of the best kept secrets of WW2. However, a single document amongst the files of British Naval Intelligence held at the National Archives, Kew Gardens in England provides an overview of the operation. The document, still carrying its Top Secret stamp, has now fallen within the scope of the Freedom of Information Act. Subsequent accounts by various researchers contain additional information.</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial">The section below entitled <b>General Information</b> has been derived from these various accounts, however further down the page you will come to an exact transcription of the original document from the <b>National Archives</b>.</font></p>
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<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial"><b>General Information</b></font></p>
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<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial">The plan was for six men to be sealed into a hidden chamber in Gibraltar. There would be no way out and anyone who died within the chamber would have to be embalmed and cemented into the walls. The volunteers, two doctors, three signalmen and an executive officer, would run an observation post which had two vantage points, one looking due east over the Mediterranean and the other over the Straits and harbour. All shipping movements would be radioed to the Admiralty.</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial">In the summer of 1940 after the defeat of France by Germany, General Franco, impressed by the recent triumphs of the Wehrmacht, decided to form an alliance with Hitler. Germany did not have an interest in the control of the Mediterranean until all attempts to get a British surrender had failed. The German state opted for what they called the Peripheral Strategy which hit routes which joined Great Britain with its Empire. It was then, in late 1940, that Gibraltar became a major objective.</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial">As a consequence, an operation to capture Gibraltar was prepared by German High Command, code-named Operation Felix. British intelligence and analysts at the time sensed a very real threat and by the end of the summer of 1941 ideas for Operation Tracer were being discussed.</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial">The plan was so secret that no discussions took place in Whitehall. They were conducted at 36 Curzon Street, Mayfair at the home of Rear Admiral John Henry Godfrey then Director of Naval Intelligence. Work in Gibraltar began immediately under Commander Geoffrey Birley and his Chief Engineer, Colonel Fordham. A site was chosen at Lord Airey's Battery high up on the southern ridge of the Rock.</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial">By the end of 1941, construction work was under way on the chamber where the men would live. This would be 45ft x 16ft x 8ft with a water tank containing 10,000 gallons of water and a passage section for the radio, toilets and observation points. Construction work was conducted in secret and the men involved in the tunnelling were unsure of its exact location. All of the workers involved were immediately posted back to England after completion of the project and not deployed overseas again for fear they might reveal the existence of the plan. Rumours have suggested that Irish labourers may have been involved.</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial">As the whole plan depended on the communications system, much thought was given to the radio installation. The equipment would be run from batteries which in turn would be powered by a generator propelled by a bicycle. An aerial eighteen feet long was to be pushed out of an opening when required.</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial">Trials began in January 1942 under the eye of Colonel Gambier-Parry, an MI6 radio expert. Much thought was also given to the type of men needed for such a strange and demanding task. Murray Levick, a member of Scott's ill-fated Antarctic expedition was called up as a Surgeon Commander to advise on survival techniques. There were practical matters such as diet, exercise, sanitation and clothing to consider as well as the psychology of the personnel.</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial">In March a coded message was sent to Commander Gibraltar announcing the arrival of a Lieutenant White asking for full co-operation and reminding everyone that the ultimate success of Operation Tracer depends on absolute security. The rest of the team arrived on the Rock with jobs to cover their presence and signals on the Operation Tracer file announced the appointment of Surgeon-Lieutenants Cooper and Milner, both of the RNVR, who arrived on HMS Cormorant that summer on an operation "on the instructions of the First Sea Lord." The full team were in place by the end of the summer of 1942 and their secret observation post was fully equipped and ready for occupation. A comprehensive manual was prepared on all aspects of the operation and it was considered that similar secret lookout posts should be prepared throughout the world in the event of future wars.</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial">It was not until August 1943, with the pressure on the new Eastern Front and the redeployment of the German Forces that it was decided to put Operation Tracer on ice. The six volunteers were stood down, the stores and equipment removed and the chamber blocked up. However further records show that very similar Tracer-type operations were planned for Malta, Colombo, Trincomalee and Aden. It is almost certain that one was in operation during the Suez crisis. Rumours suggest that six men and two men operations were to take place simultaneously, each not knowing the existence of the other. "Tracer" was for six men and "Monkey" was for two men.</font></p>
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<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial"><b>Transcription from Naval Intelligence document.<br>
</b>Please note; all wording, punctuation, abbreviations and paragraphs are exactly as appears in the original. The original has a red Top Secret stamp mark at the top right hand corner.</font></p>
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<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial"><b>TRACER</b>. By C. L. M.</font></p>
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<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial">It is probably at this point in the narrative that some account, retrospective as well as forward looking, should be given of the scheme known as Operation TRACER. This was a design by D.N.I. to establish first at Gibraltar and, if possible, in other places such as Malta and Aden, secret observation posts which could be maintained even if the places in which they were situated should fall into the hands of the enemy. Their purpose was to report shipping movements to the Admiralty by clandestine wireless.</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial">The idea originated in the late summer of 1941. Much preliminary spade-work was done, and, on 1st March 1942, D.N.I. reported progress (N.I.D. 001107/42). What had happened up to this time was, in brief outline, as follows:</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial">The S.O.(I) Gibraltar, Cdr. Geoffrey Birley had, in company with the Chief Engineer (Col. H.M. Fordham) and his deputy (Lt. Col. R.A. Hay) made a reconnaissance of the Rock, chosen a site and put the necessary work of construction in hand. His first full report to D.N.I. was dated 4th November, 1941. An existing tunnelling scheme for a shelter at Lord Airey's Battery was to be adopted to provide accommodation for a group of five (later changed to six) men with their wireless installation and all stores and water necessary to maintain them for a year. Birley's report was an elaborate one with appendices on the details of construction, camouflage, sanitary arrangements, wireless requirements, stores and crew. Upon this basis work went on at Gibraltar and D.N.I. entered into consultation with Lord Horder and others on the problems of diet and supply. Col. Cordeaux went out from N.I.D. to inform Birley of the views of the Admiralty signal experts on the feasibility of the scheme and to obtain answers to certain questions that Lord Horder had raised. His report on his visit was dated 27th December 1941. He found excavation in progress but the selected chamber and adjoining compartments many months from completion. The cubic capacity of the chamber in which the proposed party would live was to be 57600 cubic feet; its dimensions 45' x 16' x 8'. It was 1350 feet above sea-level. Ventilation would be provided through two look-out apertures, one looking due E over the Mediterranean and the other W over the straits and harbour, each measuring 12 inches by 6 inches. There would be a 10,000 gallon water-tank available. Priority of construction was being given to the passage-section designed to contain the wireless installation. It was hoped to complete this by 15th February and to undertake experiment on communications without delay.</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial">On 11th January 1942, Capt. Sandwith, D.D.S.D.(Y), having consulted with Col. Gambier-Parry, reported on the subject of communications. A standard Mark 3 transmitter and an H.R.O. Receiver would be supplied from stock. They would view a space "4 ft. wide, 2 ft. high and 18 inches deep". Three small 12 volt 120 ampere hour batteries were recommended together with one bicycle-propelled and one hand-propelled generator. No results could be guaranteed without the use of an outside aerial. A rod aerial 18 ft. long could be thrust out through the aperture when required. The frequency to be used would be about 12 megacycles by day and 7 megacycles by night. Gambier-Parry suggested training a W/T technician at once and meanwhile sending out one of his own men to carry out trials on the site with the apparatus Gambier-Parry already had at Gibraltar.</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial">On 25th January a meeting was held to consider a report drawn up by Lord Horder and Surgeon Commander Levick. D.N.I. presided. Cordeaux & Fleming, as well as Horder & Levick, were present. The report, which owed much to Levick's experience of wintering in an igloo in the Antarctic made recommendations on the choice and psychology of the personnel, on exercise and recreation, clothing, ventilation, sanitation, food, alcohol, tobacco, and the disposal - by embalment and cementing - up - of anyone who died. The meeting having considered the report, decided that the right team was six: one officer as Leader, two doctors and three telegraphist ratings. Horder would look for the right doctors. D.N.I. would go to the 2nd Sea Lord for the rest of the personnel. Levick would draw up a detailed list of stores and D.N.I. would consult D. of V. about sending these to Gibraltar for storage. Levick suggested that there should be a rehearsal, probably in Scotland, to test the temperamental suitability of the personnel.</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial">Another meeting was held at D.N.I.'s flat, 36 Curzon Street, 17th February 1942. Lieut. White, R.N.V.R. was suggested for interview. Levick was to live with the party during the whole period of rehearsal. It was soon after this (1st March) that D.N.I. reported the whole position to the 1st Sea Lord. He hoped to have the whole expedition ready by the end of May, the period of rehearsal of training occupying two months. When the first Tracer party was complete for Gibraltar, he proposed to organise a duplicate and provide all Cs. in C. with the data which would enable them to prepare Tracers in their area - e.g. at Aden.</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial">By 30th April two Surgeon-Lieutenants and three Leading Signalmen had been chosen, but not yet a leader. A site for the period of training had been prepared at Shotley, and training would begin on 16th May. W/T tests had been carried out and stores assembled at the Admiralty. The D.N.I. hoped to have the entire party and its stores established in Gibraltar by mid-July. He drew attention to the value that a Tracer organisation would now have had for us if it had been established at Singapore. "In future," he wrote, "an operation on this pattern should have a permanent place in the defences of all major harbours abroad." The 1st Sea Lord minuted: "I agree. What about Colombo and Trincomalee and Malta." The training took place. During it communications were maintained by special W/T which the Radio Security service failed to detect. C. in C. Eastern Fleet and C. in C. East Indies began to make arrangements for Tracers in Colombo and Trincomalee. Malta was too hard pressed to undertake the necessary new constructional work. At Alexandria, said D.N.I., "events have overtaken us." Here and at Port Said and Aden it would be necessary to rely on the existing S.I.S. reinsurance arrangements.</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial">On August 1st, the Tracer team was in fact established at Gibraltar under the supervision of the S.O.(I) now Commander Pyke-Nott. They were all given jobs to "cover" their presence there. By the end of August the constructional work was almost finished, the W/T had been fully tested and all stores were assembled. A manual for Cs. in C. on the establishment of Tracers was printed in the form of Notes on Hygiene and Fitness - presumably for some Arctic expedition - and D.N.I. began to prepare a second shadow Tracer team.</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial">In fact, even the Gibraltar Tracer was not called upon to go into commission and the story ended a year later when D.N.I., in a Most Secret O.T.P. Message (241521 A/August 24, 1943) ordered a final W/T exercise, the blocking up of the cave and the distribution of the stores. Two things remain of enduring interest. First, the conclusion reached by Admiral Godfrey and the 1st sea Lord that the principle of Tracers should be permanently recognised and that, in future wars, Tracer teams should be organised and Tracer locations prepared throughout the world. Secondly, the manual on the subject, a copy of which is to be found with N.I.D. 1001107/42.</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial">N.I.D. 001107/42, is a valuable study of the whole question. All the problems the construction of the chamber, the choice of personnel, lighting, heating, sanitation etc. - are discussed in elaborate detail, and there are twelve even more detailed appendices on: Food, Equipment, Clothing, Stationary, Library, Games, Sundries, Furniture and Cooking, Utensils, Tools, Medical Stores and Surgical Instruments. The choice of Library is full of entertainment and variety. It ingeniously attributes to Dostoevsky the authors XXXX of "Anna Karenina."</font></p>
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<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial">Discovergibraltar.com notes;</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial">The XXXX in the last sentence represents an illegible hand-written word which overwrites the underlying typed word "life". This is presumably an amendment by the author.</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial">We would like to hear from anyone who has knowledge of the whereabouts of the document N.I.D. 001107/42, or any other documents on the subject.</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Geneva,Arial">We would also like to know who the author "C. L. M." is and if he or she can be contacted.</font></div>
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