INTERVIEW WITH GREVILLE WYNNE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000600250062-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 18, 2000
• Sequence Number: 62
• Publication Date: November 2, 1965
• Content Type: PREL

Approved For Release 2001/07/26 : CIA-RDP75-00149R000600250062-4
PROGRAM Huntley-Brinkley Report STATION WRC-TV, and
NBC-TV Network
DATE November 2, 1965 6:30 P.t4. CITY Washington, P. C.
INTER VIEW WITH CREVILLE WYNNE
CITET NUNTL7-.Y WAS SEEN SEATED IN THT TV STUDIO
HimTT'LEEY: "Oleg Penkovskiy, a Russian scientist and Army intelli-
gence officer was shot two years ago as a spy for the West. But his
private papers were smuggled out of Moscow, and now they are to be
published as a book.
It is said to be full of gossip and hints about Soviet spying,
and it may do heavy damage to Soviet relations with other countries.
"Ponkovskiy's story came to light in a Moscow court room in
May, 1963. Greville Wynne, a British agent, posing as a businessman,
was accused of carrying documents out of the Soviet Union, secrets
that he had received from Oleg Penkovskiy, an official of the Soviet
State Committee for Scientific Coordination. Wynne pleaded guilty
and was sentenced to eight years in detention. Penkovskiy also
pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to death.
"The trial led to a shake up in Soviet military intelligence,
when the head of the service, General Ivan Serov, was forced to resign.
"Last year, the Soviet Union released Greville Wynne, the British
agent, in exchange of prisoners.
''Over the weekend NBC's George Montgomery talked to Wynne about
how he worked with Penkovskiy and what their spy ring accomplished.
In this film the British secret agent tells his story."
lO? TGOMERY: "Could you describe how you worked with him?"
WYNNE: "Well, I can't go in great details as to all the packages
that were handled. I certainly brought out an enormous amount of
-naterial from time to time. But I think what you might be -- what
I consider to be the most important is the first one.
"Up until this time -- I told you earlier on that we were build-
ing up together confidence to one another. Alex told me this later.
He was unsure about me, as I was unsure about him, to start with.
Bu.t then. gradually we got to know one another, became on Christian
name terms. And we discussed the going on in the Soviet Union.
`Now, the visit I made to him when he asked to be put in touch
with the intelligence services and stated his willingness to work
with us. He asked if I would take a package back to England, He
tole?vff @r ftle%%%2Wj074%%kAlAelR1RPMTg0'W90% the material and
showed me some documents. I realized the great importance of this.
C.nn-t-i Whorl
 pow, in v eweo This positions his Communist Party official card,
his military past, his security pass, he was able to do all kinds of
things. And he came to the airport with me on this occasion. We went
into the washroom and when we found it was empty he handed me several
packages -- several papers in a package and asked me to deliver this
to my friends in England prior to his visit. I accepted these.
At the end Irealized that he was genuine. To him early in the
morning, I said that I wouldn't take them. But he said to me,
'Greville, all right, if you feel this way anal don't trust me, I won't
press you.' But please prepare for my visit when I come to England.'
But, of course, he pave me thAs chance. I decided to t, ake the pack-
ageo 'Alex, I trust you, rive them to me.'"
MON`T'GOMERY: "How did Penkovskiy? get the intelligence information
he gave to the West?"
)-m, INE: "Well, you see he had this -- these very high positions,
particularly with the intelligence, military intelligence service,
and his Communist Party and his military capacity.
"For example, he had to give two senior lectures a year. Al-
though he was working for the scientific committee, he was really a
very active organizer of the military intelligence services in the
West and particularly with visiting observing Western visitors --
interesting Western visitors to the Russians.
"But on account of him having to prepare these lectures, he had
access to all military secrets. There was no question at all --
plans for so-called defense, their agry;re.jsive plans, their policies
in Traq, in Eastberg(?), Germany, in Cuba and all the West. They
were wide open to Alex. He could go and demand any file. And in his
own way, he took pictures and took the documents. I mean it wasn't
just handwritten notes. There were photographs signed, seals
and signatures on the, we received."
"ION! r"GOMMY: "How valuable was the information Penkovskiy gave
the United States and Britain?"
WYNNE: "Of extreme value. The papers themselves -- Penkovskiy's
papers will mention some of these. But I would prefer to mention
what the Russians have done and how important the-7 regarded it.
"It is well known that over 300 agents wore returned from the
West, A marshall of the Red. Army was dismissed. Serov was dis-
missed and. hundreds of other people have also been dismissed or
demoted from their posts. Penkovskiy undoubtedly stopped a major
conflict, particularly over Berlin.`'
TJUNTL1N: "There's room to doubt that Wynne and Penkovskiy
actually prevented a war, but it remains true that Penkovskiy w as
the most valuable agent the West has had in years. And publication of
the Penkovskiy papers is likely to increase the value of secret agent
Olen; Penkovskiy."
NOV 2 1965
Approved For Release 2001/07/26 : CIA-RDP75-00149R000600250062-4