Patrick Stanley Vaughan Heenan
Encyclopedia
Patrick Stanley Vaughan Heenan (29 July 1910 – 13 February 1942) was a Captain
in the British Indian Army
who was convicted of treason
, after spying
for Japan
during the Malayan campaign of World War II
. Heenan was reportedly killed during the Battle of Singapore
. According to Heenan's biographer, Peter Elphick, these events were suppressed by British Commonwealth
military censors
.
. His birth certificate recorded her maiden name as his surname, and did not include any information about his father. Heenan's illegitimacy would have carried a great social stigma in western society, during the early part of the 20th century. A year later, both mother and son moved to Burma
with a mining engineer named George Charles Heenan (born 1855). The older Heenan is described by some sources as an Irish republican
, although he seems to have had a long association with New Zealand, including selection for a regional representative cricket
team in 1882–83. There is no conclusive evidence that George Heenan was Patrick's father, or that George and Anne ever married. However, Patrick was baptised
in Burma as a Catholic
, with the surname Heenan. George Heenan died at Pauk
, Burma in 1912. Patrick's mother then worked as a governess
for a family named Carroll.
In 1922, the Carrolls moved to England, and Anne Stanley went with them. Mrs Carroll died a few years later, and Bernard Carroll, who was an accountant, married Anne. From 1923 to 1926, Patrick was a boarder
at Sevenoaks School
in Kent
, and in 1927 began attending the elite Cheltenham College
, as a day boy
, in a stream of students preparing for military careers. Although he was then 16 years old, at Cheltenham he was put in classes with pupils as young as 13.
Accounts of his time at Sevenoaks and Cheltenham show Heenan to have been a poor student and — in the words of the ODNB — a "gloomy, resentful misfit disliked by other pupils". He nevertheless excelled at sports, especially boxing
, due largely to his impressive physique. According to Elphick, Heenan was unpopular with other students at Cheltenham and was often in trouble with school authorities. Although he joined the Officers Training Corps
(OTC) at Cheltenham, Heenan did not gain any formal qualifications; because of this, he was not able to be admitted to British Army
officer training, when he left school at the age of 19. Heenan instead joined Steel Brothers, a trading company with interests in Asia.
In 1935, Heenan was commissioned into the British Army, with the service number 547AI. His address at this time was recorded as Cheam, Surrey, England
. He was put on the Indian Army's Unattached List, and was sent to India
. After six months' training with a British regiment, Heenan was not accepted by any Indian Army regiments. He had to do an additional six months with another British regiment before being accepted by the 16th Punjab Regiment
. He reportedly performed well in a skirmish on the North-West Frontier, but was later transferred to the Indian Army Service Corps. According to Elphick, this was a device commonly used to get unsatisfactory officers away from prestigious frontline regiments. However, Heenan later returned to the 16th Punjabs, but to a different battalion.
In 1938–39, Heenan took a six-month "long leave" (an Indian Army tradition) in Japan
.
During 1941, as fears of a Japanese invasion of Southeast Asia
grew, Heenan's unit was sent to Malaya
. He was transferred to an Indian Army air liaison unit and was sent to Singapore
for training. Following the completion of air liaison training, Heenan was stationed at Alor Star
, in Kedah
, northern Malaya, in June 1941. It was in this area that most of the British RAF
, Royal Australian Air Force
and Royal New Zealand Air Force
squadrons in Malaya were based.
Japanese forces invaded Thailand
and Malaya
on 8 December. Their air raids were assisted by radio transmissions made by Heenan. Among other espionage equipment, he reportedly had a morse code
transmitter operated by an alphanumeric keyboard — similar to a Traeger Transceiver
— which was disguised as a typewriter.
By 10 December, the Japanese had destroyed most of the Allied
aircraft in northern Malaya. That same day, according to Elphick, Heenan was caught "almost in the act" and was arrested. Heenan was sent to Singapore, and was reportedly court-martial
led in January 1942. He does not seem to have been formally sentenced, but the normal sentence for treason by British officers was death.
Heenan remained in custody at Singapore for several weeks. The Japanese gradually drove the Allies out of Malaya, and on 8 February they invaded Singapore Island
. Within days, it became clear that the battle was being won by the Japanese. In the words of journalist and author Lynette Silver (whose main source is Elphick):
Elphick also states that the site of Heenan's shooting was Keppel Harbour
.
some personnel and aircraft. Elphick suggests that the British Commonwealth air forces would have been defeated without Heenan's help: their aircraft in Malaya were inadequate compared to the Japanese, and airfields in northern Malaya had been located in undefensible positions. Elphick added that Heenan "...must have passed on much helpful information pre-war and he pushed the rate of aircraft destruction along a bit after the war began." Elphick also says that word of Heenan's actions spread quickly among British Commonwealth officers and had a significant effect on morale.
By 1998, the families of other personnel listed on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
World War II memorial at Kranji War Cemetery
, Singapore, were requesting the removal of Heenan's name. His date of death on the memorial, "February 15, 1942" was reportedly a standard date assigned to all Commonwealth personnel officially listed as missing during the Battle of Singapore.
Captain (OF-2)
The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...
in the British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
who was convicted of treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
, after spying
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
for Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
during the Malayan campaign of World War II
Battle of Malaya
The Malayan Campaign was a campaign fought by Allied and Japanese forces in Malaya, from 8 December 1941 – 31 January 1942 during the Second World War. The campaign was dominated by land battles between British Commonwealth army units, and the Imperial Japanese Army...
. Heenan was reportedly killed during the Battle of Singapore
Battle of Singapore
The Battle of Singapore was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of the Second World War when the Empire of Japan invaded the Allied stronghold of Singapore. Singapore was the major British military base in Southeast Asia and nicknamed the "Gibraltar of the East"...
. According to Heenan's biographer, Peter Elphick, these events were suppressed by British Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
military censors
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
.
Early life
Heenan's mother, Anne Stanley (born 1882), was not married at the time of her son's birth at Reefton, New ZealandReefton, New Zealand
Reefton is a small town on New Zealand's West Coast region, some 80 km northeast of Greymouth, in the valley of the Inangahua River. State Highway 7 passes through the southern part of the town, and State Highway 69 runs north to connect to State Highway 6...
. His birth certificate recorded her maiden name as his surname, and did not include any information about his father. Heenan's illegitimacy would have carried a great social stigma in western society, during the early part of the 20th century. A year later, both mother and son moved to Burma
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
with a mining engineer named George Charles Heenan (born 1855). The older Heenan is described by some sources as an Irish republican
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
, although he seems to have had a long association with New Zealand, including selection for a regional representative cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
team in 1882–83. There is no conclusive evidence that George Heenan was Patrick's father, or that George and Anne ever married. However, Patrick was baptised
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
in Burma as a Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, with the surname Heenan. George Heenan died at Pauk
Pauk
Pauk is a town in Pauk Township, Pakokku District, Magway Division, in northwest Burma . It is the administrative center for Pauk Township. Pauk is located on the western bank of the Kyaw River just above its intersection with the Yaw River....
, Burma in 1912. Patrick's mother then worked as a governess
Governess
A governess is a girl or woman employed to teach and train children in a private household. In contrast to a nanny or a babysitter, she concentrates on teaching children, not on meeting their physical needs...
for a family named Carroll.
In 1922, the Carrolls moved to England, and Anne Stanley went with them. Mrs Carroll died a few years later, and Bernard Carroll, who was an accountant, married Anne. From 1923 to 1926, Patrick was a boarder
Boarder
A boarder may be a person who:*snowboards*skateboards*bodyboards*surfs*stays at a boarding house*attends a boarding school*takes part in a boarding attackThe term may also refer to*The Boarder...
at Sevenoaks School
Sevenoaks School
Sevenoaks School is an English coeducational independent school located in the town of Sevenoaks, Kent. It is the oldest lay school in the United Kingdom, dating back to 1432. Almost 1,000 day pupils and boarders attend, ranging in age from 11 to 18 years. There are approximately equal numbers of...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, and in 1927 began attending the elite Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College is a co-educational independent school, located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.One of the public schools of the Victorian period, it was opened in July 1841. An Anglican foundation, it is known for its classical, military and sporting traditions.The 1893 book Great...
, as a day boy
Day pupil
Day pupils are students who attend boarding school but who are not boarders and who travel between home and school every day...
, in a stream of students preparing for military careers. Although he was then 16 years old, at Cheltenham he was put in classes with pupils as young as 13.
Accounts of his time at Sevenoaks and Cheltenham show Heenan to have been a poor student and — in the words of the ODNB — a "gloomy, resentful misfit disliked by other pupils". He nevertheless excelled at sports, especially boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, due largely to his impressive physique. According to Elphick, Heenan was unpopular with other students at Cheltenham and was often in trouble with school authorities. Although he joined the Officers Training Corps
Officers Training Corps
The Officer Training Corps is a part of the British Army which provides military leadership training to students at UK universities...
(OTC) at Cheltenham, Heenan did not gain any formal qualifications; because of this, he was not able to be admitted to British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer training, when he left school at the age of 19. Heenan instead joined Steel Brothers, a trading company with interests in Asia.
Military career
In the early 1930s, Heenan applied for the Army Supplementary Reserve, the only way he could become an officer without formal qualifications. According to Elphick, had Heenan's illegitimacy been known, it would have prevented him becoming an officer. He was able to join the reserve by presenting his baptism certificate, along with a certificate signed by his school headmaster, stating that Heenan was capable of performing the duties of an officer. This was endorsed by the commander of Cheltenham's OTC. In 1932, he was placed on the Supplementary Reserve.In 1935, Heenan was commissioned into the British Army, with the service number 547AI. His address at this time was recorded as Cheam, Surrey, England
Cheam
Cheam is a large suburban village close to Sutton in the London Borough of Sutton, England, and is located close to the southern boundary between Greater London and Surrey. It is divided into two main areas: North Cheam and Cheam Village. North Cheam includes more retail shops and supermarkets,...
. He was put on the Indian Army's Unattached List, and was sent to India
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. After six months' training with a British regiment, Heenan was not accepted by any Indian Army regiments. He had to do an additional six months with another British regiment before being accepted by the 16th Punjab Regiment
16th Punjab Regiment
The 16th Punjab Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. It was transferred to Pakistan Army on Partition of India in 1947, and amalgamated with the 1st, 14th and 15th Punjab Regiments in 1956 to form the Punjab Regiment....
. He reportedly performed well in a skirmish on the North-West Frontier, but was later transferred to the Indian Army Service Corps. According to Elphick, this was a device commonly used to get unsatisfactory officers away from prestigious frontline regiments. However, Heenan later returned to the 16th Punjabs, but to a different battalion.
In 1938–39, Heenan took a six-month "long leave" (an Indian Army tradition) in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
During 1941, as fears of a Japanese invasion of Southeast Asia
South-East Asian theatre of World War II
The South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was the name given to the campaigns of the Pacific War in Burma , Ceylon, India, Thailand, Indochina, Malaya and Singapore. Conflict in the theatre began when the Empire of Japan invaded Thailand and Malaya from bases located in Indochina on December 8,...
grew, Heenan's unit was sent to Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
. He was transferred to an Indian Army air liaison unit and was sent to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
for training. Following the completion of air liaison training, Heenan was stationed at Alor Star
Alor Star
Alor Setar, known as Alor Star between 2004 and 2008, is the state capital of Kedah, Malaysia, and Kota Setar District's Administrative Centre. It is also a distribution center for manufacturing and agricultural products such as paddy, and the royal seat of the Kedah state since the establishment...
, in Kedah
Kedah
Kedah is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice...
, northern Malaya, in June 1941. It was in this area that most of the British RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
and Royal New Zealand Air Force
Royal New Zealand Air Force
The Royal New Zealand Air Force is the air arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...
squadrons in Malaya were based.
Japanese Invasion of Thailand
The Japanese invasion of Thailand occurred on December 8, 1941. It was fought between Thailand and the Empire of Japan. Despite fierce fighting in Southern Thailand, Thai resistance lasted only a few hours before ending in a ceasefire.-Background:...
and Malaya
Battle of Malaya
The Malayan Campaign was a campaign fought by Allied and Japanese forces in Malaya, from 8 December 1941 – 31 January 1942 during the Second World War. The campaign was dominated by land battles between British Commonwealth army units, and the Imperial Japanese Army...
on 8 December. Their air raids were assisted by radio transmissions made by Heenan. Among other espionage equipment, he reportedly had a morse code
Morse code
Morse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
transmitter operated by an alphanumeric keyboard — similar to a Traeger Transceiver
Alfred Traeger
Alfred Hermann Traeger, OBE was an Australian inventor, chiefly known for the development of the pedal radio.-Biography:Traeger was born in Victoria, and raised near Adelaide, South Australia....
— which was disguised as a typewriter.
By 10 December, the Japanese had destroyed most of the Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
aircraft in northern Malaya. That same day, according to Elphick, Heenan was caught "almost in the act" and was arrested. Heenan was sent to Singapore, and was reportedly court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
led in January 1942. He does not seem to have been formally sentenced, but the normal sentence for treason by British officers was death.
Heenan remained in custody at Singapore for several weeks. The Japanese gradually drove the Allies out of Malaya, and on 8 February they invaded Singapore Island
Battle of Singapore
The Battle of Singapore was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of the Second World War when the Empire of Japan invaded the Allied stronghold of Singapore. Singapore was the major British military base in Southeast Asia and nicknamed the "Gibraltar of the East"...
. Within days, it became clear that the battle was being won by the Japanese. In the words of journalist and author Lynette Silver (whose main source is Elphick):
- By February 13[,] Heenan had become very cocky, taunting his guards ... that he would soon be free and they would be prisoners. It appears that ... British military police took matters into their own hands. After cards were cutCut (cards)After a deck of cards is shuffled by the dealer, it is often given to a player other than the one who performed the shuffle for a procedure called a cut.- Procedure :...
to decide who would ... [kill] Heenan, it is alleged he was taken to the dockside, where a sergeant executed him with a single pistol shot to the back of the head. The body was then dumped in the harbour.
Elphick also states that the site of Heenan's shooting was Keppel Harbour
Keppel Harbour
Keppel Harbour is a stretch of water in Singapore between the mainland and the southern islands of Pulau Brani and Sentosa. Its naturally sheltered and deep waters was to meet the requirements of British colonists attempting to establish a Far East maritime colony in that part of the world, and...
.
Effects and aftermath
Military historian Brian P. Farrell believes that Heenan could not have done decisive damage to the Allies, but he probably cost No. 62 SquadronNo. 62 Squadron RAF
-World War I:No. 62 Squadron RAF was formed on 8 August 1916, at Filton from No. 7 Training Squadron. In May 1917 it equipped with the Bristol F2B, before being posted to France in January 1918. The squadron operated as fighter-reconnaissance unit until disbanding on 31 July 1919. Its wartime...
some personnel and aircraft. Elphick suggests that the British Commonwealth air forces would have been defeated without Heenan's help: their aircraft in Malaya were inadequate compared to the Japanese, and airfields in northern Malaya had been located in undefensible positions. Elphick added that Heenan "...must have passed on much helpful information pre-war and he pushed the rate of aircraft destruction along a bit after the war began." Elphick also says that word of Heenan's actions spread quickly among British Commonwealth officers and had a significant effect on morale.
By 1998, the families of other personnel listed on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves, and places of commemoration, of Commonwealth of Nations military service members who died in the two World Wars...
World War II memorial at Kranji War Cemetery
Kranji War Cemetery
The Kranji War Cemetery is located in Kranji, Singapore, and is the final resting place for Allied soldiers who perished during the Battle of Singapore and the subsequent Japanese occupation of the island from 1942-1945 and in other parts of Southeast Asia during World War II.There are 4,461 World...
, Singapore, were requesting the removal of Heenan's name. His date of death on the memorial, "February 15, 1942" was reportedly a standard date assigned to all Commonwealth personnel officially listed as missing during the Battle of Singapore.
See also
- Velvalee DickinsonVelvalee DickinsonVelvalee Dickinson , was convicted of espionage against the United States on behalf of Japan during World War II. Known as the "Doll Woman", she used her business in New York City to send information on U.S. Naval forces to contacts in South America via steganographic messages...
(American spy for Japan during World War II) - John Semer FarnsworthJohn Semer FarnsworthJohn Semer Farnsworth was a former United States Navy officer who was convicted of spying for Japan during the 1930s. He was identified as Agent K in radio messages intercepted by the Office of Naval Intelligence....
(American spy for Japan in the 1930s) - Harry Thompson (spy)Harry Thompson (spy)Harry Thomas Thompson was a former United States Navy yeoman who spied for Japan against the United States in 1934–35. He was the first American to be convicted of espionage since World War I....
(American spy for Japan in the 1930s) - Norman Baillie-StewartNorman Baillie-StewartNorman Baillie-Stewart was a British army officer known as The Officer in the Tower when he was imprisoned in the Tower of London...
(British spy for Germany during World War II) - Arthur OwensArthur OwensArthur Graham Owens, later known as Arthur Graham White was a Welsh electrical engineer who acted as a mole during World War II. He was working for MI5 while appearing to the Abwehr to be one of their agents. Owens was known to MI5 by the codename SNOW...
(suspected British spy for Germany during World War II) - Eddie ChapmanEddie ChapmanEdward Arnold "Eddie" Chapman was an English pre-war criminal and wartime spy. During the Second World War he offered his services to Nazi Germany as a spy and a traitor whilst intending all along to become a British double agent. His British Secret Service handlers code named him 'ZIGZAG' in...
(British double agent during World War II) - William ColepaughWilliam ColepaughWilliam Curtis Colepaugh was an American who, following his 1943 discharge from the US Naval Reserve , defected to Nazi Germany in 1944. While a crewman on a United States Merchant Marine ship that stopped off in Lisbon, Colepaugh defected at the German consulate...
(American spy for Germany during World War II) - Tyler KentTyler KentTyler Gatesworth Kent was an American diplomat who stole thousands of secret documents for a pro-German organization while working as a cipher clerk at the U.S. Embassy in London during World War II....
(suspected American spy for Germany in the early 1940s)