” HEADQUARTERS ~ ye = BASE SECTION RO. S . Brisbane 3 February 8, 1042 Prom: US Kaval Intelligence Officer, Staff. for The Commanding Officer, Base Bection Roe Se Subject: Intelligence report. 2. On January 26, 1942, the Coczanding Officer ‘ordered that @ certein vessel bo furnished with a route and other needCkaterial to safeguard bor voyage, He further ordered that thi materiel and route should bs forvarded imodiately upon the copying of the route after the despatch of the vessel to one Commander Causoy, US Raval Attache, Australia, render of the Ship Moverents Boards 2. At 2300 Bours according to the receipt in thie office, the above material was banded in to the message center, 28 January, 1942, for safehand to naval attaches S. On Priday last Colonel Chanborlain called Major Dietz and stated, "The naval officer up there bas everything all nixed up. That route dan't herel® de In the evering of Friday a secraphone conversation wag held betweon Major Dietz and Colonel Chacberldan and the Ainforcation which was contained in the packet was deranded femediately by the colonels A signal bad gone to, the eolonel in Welbourne aa of Friday, 30 January, oaying that the ship bad been rovted and ell was in order and that the inforzation was available from Comander Causey in Kelbourne. The colonel evidently did not believe thize It was dozanded that immediate receipt be arranged. Major Dietz suggested that this officdr be sont. Colonel Chamberlain 80 ordered it by the earliest method of transportation availables &> “Having copied and worked 11 routes this officer then departed for Yelbourne, Arriving thero be was unable to Iemedietely contact Colonel Chanberlain and wae ordered by tbe aide to Coneral Barnea to see about it in tho mornings 6. | On Sunday morning tho packet waa given to Colonel, Chasberlain and Conmander Causeye At a conference, attended byMajw General Barnes, Colonel Chamberlain, Military Attache 7 Colonel Smith, Comnander Causey and Major Anse (ap?) and © - +> - thin officer, plans to despatch the Conet Farmer and Admiral Haletead on.m Miseion to Euron were Aiscussed and the order was givon, MaSor Anco was deapatched to Bidney and Brisbane to giv eiphors to hips, Major Anse was to Snform "Colonel Johnoon that he has nothing to sbips after they leave Brisbane." This order been given by Colonel Chamberlain, and pent on bis waye This officer was then ordered to show what he had done for the Don Ieidro“if anything." The rout. shown and no objection was made thereto, The code was showne The day identification jettera and their promulgation to all areas concerned (this « copy of a despatch elicited from Waval Board by this officer) wore shown. ‘Tho key day words . to obviate the onexy giving this vessel false mobaages stated that this officer had given the al protection by a set of Japanese answering signals. The tine of speciel broadcast and the {ntolligence thison organization for this vessel were explainede repeated, the major v Conzander Causey aatd be pot convinced about the code and obarply ordered a message to be encoded ‘This mossage was encoded with Lt, Ranier of the Signal Corpe Bo that he would know, and be able to sond messagete The code was thon found to de workable and Comcander Causey said no fords 5. 6. Eaving been ordered to vait upon a further interview on Monday and feeling disquiet at the treatment received this officer reported the matter further to the officer in charge of G-2 Welbourne and placed that office in contact with Base Section Three's O-2., A search aa made and although a preliminary trace was made at doth onda, nothing could be discoverods As the diseppearance of a safehand 1o considered extremely serious much effort was mado. 7 At 3 otclock¥in the afternoon of Monday this officer was to Colonel Soith and Codsander Causey, This mooting wae ordered by Colonel Chamberlagne + At 4 ofclock this meoting waa hold, though this officer had several times protested hia delay in Melbourne on the grounds that he had work to do theroe Ho waa dotained by the statement of Commander Causey that no one in Brisbane workede The preceeding night, thia officer hed had an interview with Che Comranding General at the ineiatence of Mr. Grima“peso ( Page 2a on the grounds that the general must be informed of the folly of sending the Coast Parmer and Admiral Balatead to Euzon kha and the further folly of routing them paat Thureday Island, Kew OQuinea and past the Japancose land sea and air be on Amboine. Tho goneral directed that this information be told to Colonel Chanterlain, ‘The general wished to discuss the disappearance of the safehand. This officer said that it might have beon removed from the plane Ddetween Brisbane and Melbourne. The general asked who would want thet information who bad access to the planes. Tho name Sir Thomas Gordon appeared in the conversations - Thue, on 4 ofelock 2 Fobruary 1942, this officer w prepared to relay thia information, He had been rofused sntrance to Colonel Chamberlain, Ho attempted to apeak of the matter to Codmzander Ci y but ordered to be allent adout it, even though the demeanor of thie officer was uniformly courteouss ‘Tate officer found hinself boing"triea” by the military attache Colonel Saith. The recorder waa Lt. Odel1,U54 Commander Causey was a epoctator in agreaztnt with Colonel Seith and nothing wrong with @ navel officer being Gisciplined by Colonel Scith while he, Conzander Causoy, was prosente All tolegrans save tuo deapatched by thie officer vere produced and close questioning was zaqu given this officer concerning each, Tho two misoing tolegrazs were tho: in which this officer bad reported by despatch to the Cin Asiatic as being assigned to duty on the staff of Base Section Taree until further informetion from the CinC Asiatic. Tho other missing telegram wan that one in which this officer had reported hinsolf to Commander Ceusey as being with Colonel Johnson, this officer having already been granted such assignment by Comzander Cavsey orally. Toe various telogram wore carefully covered by the military attaches Having done with th messages, Colonel Smith then Dogan tg question closely concerning the actual identity of thin officers He vas vieibly startled to discover that thie officer was fully accredited as of the Office of Naval Intelligence, was under orders to the Asfatic and was in order in generale The following hour sas spent in close cross-questioning