58 • BLEICHER, HUGO
Choice. Despite the British government’s legislation to prevent for-
mer intelligence personnel from disclosing details of their profes-
sional work, Blake’s book was released in England, and it contained
numerous names of Blake’s former SIS colleagues whose identities
had never previously been published. Surprisingly, no action was
taken to prevent the book’s circulation, and in one passage the traitor
claims that he was trapped into confessing his duplicity by a skillful
interrogator who suggested that he had been coerced into becoming
a spy. This version contrasts with the memory of one of those present
in the room at the time of his confession, who insists that Blake was
spotted by surveillance experts trying to telephone his Soviet contact
in an apparent hope of a rescue. Royalties from Blake’s autobiogra-
phy have been blocked by the treasury solicitor in order to prevent a
criminal from profiting from crime but this appears to have been the
only disadvantage to the release ofNo Other Choice.BLEICHER, HUGO.A noncommissioned officer in the GermanAb-
wehr, Hugo Bleicher proved to be a skilledcounterintelligence
agent who successfully penetrated severalSpecial Operations Exec-
utivenetworks in occupied France during World War II. He was re-
sponsible for the arrest ofPeter Churchilland Odette Samson, and
his mistress was the notorious ‘‘La Chatte,’’Mathilde-Lily Carre ́,
who betrayedRoman Garby-Czerniawski’s Polish network. After
the war Bleicher ran a tobacconist’s shop in Germany and was
prompted to write his memoirs,Colonel Henri, to counter allegations
of misconduct. Bleicher was never charged with any war crimes and
always remained friendly with Peter Churchill.
BLENHEIM PALACE.The home of theDuke of Marlborough,MI5
occupied the Blenheim Palace estate in 1940 following a Luftwaffe
raid on Wormwood Scrubs that damaged much of theRegistrythat
September. Most of the administrative sections were transferred to
the main house, with other local houses, including Cornbury Park,
accommodating the personnel, and Keble College, Oxford, providing
training facilities.
BLETCHLEY PARK.Also known as ‘‘Station X’’ and theSecret In-
telligence Service’s War Station, Bletchley Park is an ugly mansion