 Are you willing to undertake a dangerous mission behind the enemy lines knowing you may never return alive? What you have just heard is the question asked during the war to agents of the OSS Ordinary citizens who to this question answered? Yes This is cloak and dagger Warfare espionage international intrigue these are the weapons of the OSS in In today's adventure the swastika on the windmill the role of Paul Helfand an OSS agent in Holland is played by Lestromane The story is suggested by actual incidents Recorded in the Washington files of the office of strategic services a story that can now be told My mouth was as dry as ashes the palms of my hands were ringing wet My revolver was drawn. I moved slowly slowly along the dark hall Everything I have been taught led up to this this moment Boards under my feet teetered for a terrifying moment. I almost lost my balance and fell backwards Something was ahead of me in a room along that dark passage. I sensed it more than anything else Then I heard it on my Stop breathing until I pass that room in the voices of the hidden Germans Almost slid past them to the end of the corridor There was a Nazi stormtrooper in uniform right in front of me blocking the exit well fire fire fire again Well, that's it you passed the test now the colonel wants to see you What I had just come through was a cleverly designed scare house that rivaled any Coney Island Chamber of Horrors for one-a-minute thrills This was part of the training of an OSS agent and it took place less than an hour's ride from Washington, DC Lieutenant how found at the present time? We have no information and no way of getting information on the disposition and plans of German troops in the Netherlands We think they're up to something. We want to know what Now you'll be flown to England and from there a submarine will take you to the coast of Holland the coast of Holland To me Holland was that little country where my uncle Brahm lived where I visited when I was 12 Where the windmills were now under the shadow of the swastika? I guess we can surface about here. There's my cone Holland. I want to take a look with then help them. Oh, thanks, Commander Sperling Through the periscope of the submarine tuna. I could see a windmill in the flat lowland of the Netherlands. I Couldn't see the swastika, but I knew it was there The pressure gauge showed 20 feet of salt water above us. Take her up We climbed the ladder through the hatch where an inflated rubber boat was waiting to take me to shore I'm only a couple of yards from shore. I can get out here And me that rucksack, please. Hey, you are sir Have you far to go from here? It's only about five miles from my comb to Bolsward where my uncle lives I can make it before the Sun comes up Goodbye and thanks So when you rang the bell at Santa Paul I jumped from my bed the devil I said it's the guest table They finally put two and two together and connected me with the underground hush brahm hush God gave you a tongue. Must you use it so loosely? I'm afraid my new aunt Hilda doesn't trust me completely. I trust no one these days Hilda this is Paul How often have I spoken to you of the times he came here when he was a how old Paul 12 uncle brahm Oh, yes 12 and so proper so correct a miniature model of propriety Well from the looks of it you've grown, but you haven't changed much still proper is the devil The result of my strict quaker upbringing uncle brahm remember We were both taught never to drink or smoke or lie or or swear uncle brahm. Yes How long will you stay in Holland only long enough to contact the leader of the underground and get the information I'm after I see Tell me why should we believe that you are an allied spy? Answer me Surely you don't expect me to carry proof about me that I'm a spy in case the Germans find me then How do we know that's enough Hilda the devil I say I'll hear no more of this talk All right, brahm It will be as you say and on your conscience Your wife doesn't trust me You were surprised no doubt to find your aunt Katrina dead and I re married Yes, yes, I was uncle brahm. I was lonesome. It's not good for a man to live by himself And she is a good woman, but she doesn't trust me. She has her reasons There was a man in these parts not long ago. He passed himself officer British agent gained the confidence of some of the underground and He turned them over to the Gestapo I see Hilda's family was among those executed You understand now Uncle brahm You haven't seen me in or heard from me since I was a boy. You don't know where I've been during those years in between You don't know what my loyalties are Do you trust me? Tomorrow I will take steps to put you in contact with handspoken Luaden a leader of the Dutch underground When I awoke a few hours later, it was about 10 o'clock Through the window of the spare room that aunt Hilda had made up for me I could see the neat little milk carts jolting over the Kijstenen cobblestones and I could see the endless stream of bicycles and Here and there a German soldier in uniform Like a blot on the landscape I'm afraid the breakfast is not as sumptuous as it was in the old days poor do not Apologize for what we cannot change And Hilda is right. It was very good The rogue a brood was just as I remembered it and these current buns these credit will just a wonderful I Will leave you. I have a house to clean You're still suspicious of me. Have I any reason not to be it enough Paul is my sister's son I will stick my own life's blood that he is to be trusted Let us hope you do not have Aunt Hilda Look This pistol I'm giving it to you It's the only one I have The only one you have and you give it to me. Yeah, I Put myself at your mercy If at any time you have proof even the slightest that I'm not what I claim to be take my own gun and turn it on me I will take your gun and Take you at your word That should convince her Paul you are what you say. Hmm. I hope so No, what about these hunts buck? How can I get in touch with him? I will arrange for a meeting between you halfway at the harling and Five days from now to give him time to collect the information you are after The days until Thursday when I was supposed to meet hunts buck passed slowly, but they weren't wasting I Set up the shortwave radio on the wine cellar in the living room. I had long talks with Uncle Brum And I went out of my way to win over and Hilda Are you sure there's nothing I can do to help you with dinner and Hilda? Nothing Thank you. Oh It's Still raining one need not be too clever to see that And Holland it seems always to be raining now Rain mud and despair I Remember when I came here years ago. It was winter. I was in time for the skaters races Yeah And the booze remember the little booze that sold chocolate and milk cooked with aniseed and the little cakes all the varieties of gingerbread Oh, how I loved them Hand me the spoon Here Here you are Thank you Tell me about America What is it like? It's too large to describe in a sentence or two and Hilda when the war is over you must come visit us When the war is over Well, it can't last forever and America is helping and remember our leader President Roosevelt is himself of Dutch ancestry tomorrow Tomorrow, perhaps I will make you a gingerbread cake Yes, I Won her over slowly and on Thursday when I left for Harlingen. She said goodbye to me at the door with Uncle Brahm You know where to meet him Paul You have everything clear. Yeah Everything Uncle Brahm I'm to meet him beside the monument of the stone man on the North Sea Dyches I'll be notting and unnotting a piece of string so you'll know good good We will see you later tonight then yeah Paul Here This is for you In case you should have need of it My pistol Take it back Thank you Thank you and Hilda Good morning Good morning This habit you have of nothing and unnotting string. Is it not a waste of time? Nothing is a waste if it serves a purpose Airbuck Yeah, I like an album We meet this plant the information. Do you have it? Yeah, where where in my head? You'll have to memorize it as I give it to you. I could not take a chance of writing anything down Remember then remember it and use it well There are 40,000 Nazi troops in Holland and Belgium These troops will be on the move within two weeks where they're going northern Italy They'll be used to cut off the American advance there the colonel did suspect the worst Thank you. Thank you. I'll radio this out tonight. It is appropriate Is it not for us to meet under the statue of this stone man? See the inscription Terminus It means thus far and no father a threat to the sea that is held back by the bikes Thus far and no father A threat also to the Nazis. Yeah You understand me well remember me to your uncle and Goodbye for now Her book is in constant danger of discovery by the Gestapo Paul It's why he could not take a chance and write that information down for you. It wasn't necessary on the brahm He passed it from his head to mine. When will you radio it to London? It's after midnight. I think I can start now What's that? Ah Stopping in front of the house They are men getting out so late Who are they brown? Do you know them? No, I don't I'm afraid I'm afraid it was like this once before when I came to get my family Paul we were turned in then by someone who pretended to be a friend It's not Hilda. Do you believe I don't know I don't know how to believe I I'll answer it a Kelderman. Yeah, we've business with you This is my wife and my nephew Paul Halfand nephew Max take a good look at him. Ah, would you say he looks as if he's to be trusted? I never trust the man who looks so innocent. What are you talking about? Who are you? Do not be so suspicious. We are from Hans Bock. We're members of the underground I was not conscious there was an underground in the Netherlands What do you want with us? Ah, you're being very careful. I can see that here Kelderman, and that's good And perhaps this will prove who we are Would you not say that is her box own signature? Yeah, that is his all right. I know it well convinced now read it aloud Uncle Brown Let me read it Paul Have reason to distrust man you sent me today Show proof who he is or turn him over to these men for Underground execution But this is ridiculous. I do not understand nor I Her box seemed to trust me well enough this afternoon. Never use a German spy a traitor in our midst the devil He is I do not believe that not Paul. He's not the spy not for the Germans You want proof? I will give you proof See here in the vine cell of it This is his shortwave radio. He was going to send a message tonight. He is a friend. He is an ally He's a member of the American OSS Don't you believe me That is the matter we really leave you well enough thank you for giving us proof of what we suspect it What's this? Shall I show them my badge? Take a good look The skull and cause bones We've been trailing her bark But we had no definite proof that he was connected with the underground. We only suspected and today we saw him eat your Naveau here on the North Sea Dyches. Where did you beat until I give that if we arrested them then in there We might get nothing from them. So we waited we arrested her bark and we found a paper with his signature on it That note you showed us was forged quite right Little by little anything inch by inch I have made my way to the kitchen door You have killed him right again And then around the corner And up the back stairs In a flood of memory it came back chamber of horrors an hour's drive from Washington My mouth was dry as ashes the palms of my hands were ringing wet Along the dark hole I revolve a drone Everything I had been taught led up to this This momentary have you covered from both sides drop your gun will fire fire fire again into the darkness At this time there was no instructor to say good work Paul There was just a gun in my back and a leader of the Gestapo to say you are under arrest your tenant hard for How long do you think you can hold out? We have ways of making you tour no no must we convince you more Sergeant Well Perhaps we'll have better luck if we question your aunt sergeant get from Kelterman bring her here No, no, don't do that. Let her alone simply because you request it Sergeant do as I say you'll see how long she holds out She's absent and we'll have a shot and you will be a witness I know when I'm beaten Don't bother the old lady or the old man either. What are you saying? Well, I thought I could hold out I can see now. There's no point in holding out. You won. What more is there to say if you're just stalling for time Not stalling here commander. I'll prove it. I'll confess everything. Tell you everything you want to know now you're becoming smart And so I told them everything they wanted to know General Donovan heads the OSS in Washington The OSS is part of the American State Department The Minister of Finance in Britain is also head of the British secret intelligence. Go ahead lieutenant. We're listening corporate. Take this down I Gave them a mixture of fact and fantasy that would have done the German propaganda ministry crowd The true facts I told them I knew they already knew The rest they seem to accept at face value. So I kept my story with a real warper You taking all this down corporal We'll take this down with a red pencil an invasion of North Holland is part of the Allied plan What the invasion will be made in the eastern area of Friesland on the Dutch North Sea coast You are lying to us We'll see if you know you're beaten Perhaps you've been on the wrong side lieutenant Hartfond you've Set up a radio. I think you ought to use it tonight Time is now 2300 2300 Paul Hallfond calling headquarters. Can you hear me over? Coming in clear waiting for your message ball. Good to hear your voice What would you say? There's a gun in your back. I could see it's going to take a lot to convince you Paul Hallfond headquarters. Listen. Listen carefully It's stinking weather for a drop, but I've got to have supplies. It's darned important over There's a hole for beating that so we're sure What the devil's the matter you said you were getting darned good reception I said the weather's lousy, but it's darned important that I get a supply drop at designated point tomorrow night Can't make it any darn clearer than that over You heard it yourself the drop will be made are you beginning to be convinced of my sincerity Where are you nervous lieutenant? What? Why do you say that I never heard you use such language before oh I Expect to get over my nervousness after I broadcast many of these radio messages for you commander Brant After that they drove me back to the jail Commander Brant of the Gestapo had never heard me use such language before and neither had OSS headquarters In the army they used to make fun of me because of my proper speech I gambled on the chance that the radio operator who knew me would detect something odd about my speech When he answered back the same way, I knew he understood I was a prisoner of the Germans and that the supply drop would probably save my neck. I Didn't sleep that night and I didn't really take a deep breath until 11 o'clock the next morning Good morning, lieutenant. Would you care perhaps for the piece of chocolate on American cigarette? I Knew the drop had been successful They sent us home Uncle Brahman and Hilda me but we brought a border with us in the person of commander Brant House was different now and Hilda prepared meals silently Uncle Brahman smoked his pipe and looked at me Wondering and twice a week. They sat in the living room and watched and listened as commander Brant and I contacted OSS headquarters This is important 4 and 20 blackbirds are coming through the ride storm clouds overhead Take in your washing Good night. What's that that mean 15,000 more allied troops are added to preparations for the invasion of Holland And then we will rush 20,000 more German troops to the Dutch North Sea coast Already we have 40,000 troops waiting there. We were going to send them to Elsewhere, but they will undoubtedly be a war use here undoubtedly I've got you up to bed now Dog shit the dinner was very good for Kilderman. I cannot help being a good cook It's thoughtful of him to leave us alone so much Is it I? Do not care much for your company Hilda. Maybe he's got his reasons. I Wanted to tell them my reasons But I didn't dare Instead I stood at the piano and played the scale with one finger Even Uncle Brahman was getting to the point where he couldn't look me straight in the eye But as Uncle Brahman became more suspicious commander Brant became less suspicious. I think I will go up to bed, too Something was wrong with the piano The sea was sharp as if something were pressing on it making it sharp. I Walked around at the back of the baby grand and I saw it It's a small round disc the size of an overcoat button. I knew it was attached to a dictaphone in Brant's room That was why he left us alone so much I Give him something to listen to Paul. I know there must be some Explanations for these things you're doing now look You haven't had it so good for years eggs on the table. When did you have eggs on the table last? Privileges nobody else has extra ration books. You might as well face it This is a new order Germany's order and if you're smart like I am you'll fall in with them Paul Paul is this you I told you he was a traitor a spy. I warned you Wanted to see me here commander. Yeah Thank you for coming to my office or promptly at my call. I follow orders, so I'm beginning to see Sit down sit down. I want you to hear something I don't understand Dictaphone, but I still don't That's Uncle Brum You haven't had it so good for years. That's me eggs on the table. What's the idea of doing it on the table last? Privileges nobody else has extra ration books You might as well face it. This is a new order. You have convinced me complete if you're smart like I am you're all in with them I have a proposition for you Yes, I want you to go to England for us act as a double agent You can be more valuable to us there Leave Holland But aren't I a great help to you here? I know the risk it involves, but Germany would pay you well after the war Take it over I Thought it over and let him convince me And a few days later a German storm trooper gave me a personal escort to the border and I made my way back from the enemy lines After I left my aunt and uncle escaped and were hidden by the underground And it wasn't until the war was over that I was able to see them and explain Lieutenant Paul Hulfen returned to OSS headquarters and Thousands of Nazi troops waited on the shore of the North Sea for an invasion that never came Thus once again the report of another OSS agent closed with the words mission Accomplished listen again next week for another true adventure from the files of the OSS on cloak and dagger Herd in today's cloak and dagger adventure as Paul Helfand was last remain Braum was played by Stefan Schnabel Hilda by Virginia Payne Vant by Barry Kroger the Colonel by Raymond Edward Johnson Others were Carl Weber Jerry Jarrett Arnold Robertson and Bob Wilde the script was written by Winifred Wolf and Jack Gordon The music was under the direction of Murray Ross Today's true OSS adventure was based on the book cloak and dagger by Corey Ford and Alistair McBain This program was produced by Louis G. Cowan and Alfred Hollander It was under the direction of Sherman marks Programs get your programs here Mystery fans. There's an exciting evening waiting for you tonight on NBC First some listener will have a chance to win a double reward for solving the case on $1,000 reward next when a woman reads her own Obituary in the paper the saint finds himself involved in a case that leads to murder Then Sam Spade works his way through the rod and real caper. Yes, you will find adventure here tonight Stay tuned now for high adventure and the big guy on NBC