MINISTRY OF INFORMATION,
NORTHERN REGION,
METROVICK HOUSE,
NORTHUMBERLAND ROAD,
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE,1.
29th May, 1943.
NORTHERN REGION,
METROVICK HOUSE,
NORTHUMBERLAND ROAD,
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE,1.
29th May, 1943.
Dear Mr. Eddington,
Mr. Foreman reported to me that a rumour was prevalent in your area that Haw Haw had said on Thursday night, May 20th, that the Germans would come again after the district had been given time to bury its dead. We have taken up this matter with Headquarters who report that no such announcement has been made by Haw Haw. The B.B.C. Monitoring system, as you know, takes cognisance of all broadcasts from Germany.
It may be of interest to you to know that similar rumours have occured at various times all over the country after enemy air raids. This Ministry has, from time to time, tried to run these rumours down to their ultimate origin in order to find out whether enemy agents are responsible for starting them. In each case, Haw Haw has never made such announcement, and, where it has been possible to track them down to their source, it has been found that (a) an enemy agent was not responsible and (b) the source was usually a disgruntled citizen with an inferiority complex, who wanted to feel important and had started this story in order to let his friends think that he knew something they did not.
I think you will like to have this information to pass on to the people in your neighbourhood.
I have taken up with the Board of Trade the matter raised by your Committee in connection with Mr. T. Galley of Seaside Lane, Easington Colliery, who has been advised that, if he sells six large kettles to an Institution, they will be deducted from his general quota of pans, kettles etc., which will be eventually allotted him. I will let you know further about this when we have their reply.
Yours sincerely,
(SGD.) MARGARET RICHARDSON,
INTELLIGENCE OFFICER.
Mr. Foreman reported to me that a rumour was prevalent in your area that Haw Haw had said on Thursday night, May 20th, that the Germans would come again after the district had been given time to bury its dead. We have taken up this matter with Headquarters who report that no such announcement has been made by Haw Haw. The B.B.C. Monitoring system, as you know, takes cognisance of all broadcasts from Germany.
It may be of interest to you to know that similar rumours have occured at various times all over the country after enemy air raids. This Ministry has, from time to time, tried to run these rumours down to their ultimate origin in order to find out whether enemy agents are responsible for starting them. In each case, Haw Haw has never made such announcement, and, where it has been possible to track them down to their source, it has been found that (a) an enemy agent was not responsible and (b) the source was usually a disgruntled citizen with an inferiority complex, who wanted to feel important and had started this story in order to let his friends think that he knew something they did not.
I think you will like to have this information to pass on to the people in your neighbourhood.
I have taken up with the Board of Trade the matter raised by your Committee in connection with Mr. T. Galley of Seaside Lane, Easington Colliery, who has been advised that, if he sells six large kettles to an Institution, they will be deducted from his general quota of pans, kettles etc., which will be eventually allotted him. I will let you know further about this when we have their reply.
Yours sincerely,
(SGD.) MARGARET RICHARDSON,
INTELLIGENCE OFFICER.
