Documents / FOIA release

/specialCollection/nwcda2/27/LAUNAGS, FREDS VOL. 1/LAUNAGS, FREDS VOL. 1_0015.pdf

Central Intelligence Agency · 146 pages · text from the file's own layer

This undated, secret Central Intelligence Agency debriefing memo to the Chief, CSOB, records the life story of Clevland O. Hahn, a Latvian born in 1919. It covers his family and pre-war life, the Soviet and German occupations of Latvia, his anti-communist resistance group at the Jelgava Academy, and his post-war activities in Sweden. An appendix gives numbered biographic notes on Latvian emigres, intelligence figures and police officers. The document contains no UFO material.

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SEC:RFT
It later appeared that Greste was the propaganda
leader in some underground organization which at that time
was unknown to Hahn, and that Greste had been using him on
atrial basis, which Hahn had apparently passed with success.
Owing to the fact that Hahn now occupied a pretty solid posi-
tion within the overt Communist structure at the Academy,
Greste decided to turn him over to Lt. Kirsis, who it later
appeared, was the chief of this organization's Military Intel-
ligence Section. With Kirsis Hahn participated in a theft in
Riga of a mimeograph machine so that this underground organi-
zation might enhance the printing of the illegal "Zinotajsu:
Hahn found that prior to this theft all arrangements had been
made so that he and Kirsis only had to proceed to the office
of some tobacco plant and there steal the mimeograph machine.
In his initial work with Kirsis Hahn also participated in
thefts of World War I arms and ammunition which was taken from
a museum in Riga; it was Hahn's task to hide these items, which
he accomplished by storing them in the apartment of Ivars
Zemitis.
In the beginning of 1941 Greste was warned that the
NKVD was looking for him, and though he hid for a . period of
two months he couldn't resist visiting his recent bride in
Lielvarde,'where he was apprehended. Hahn assumes that Kirsis
must have had a very good alibi because even though the NKVD was
looking for Greste for two months Kirsis was not arrested and
continued to live in the same apartment that he had previously
shared with Greste. Hahn's assumption regarding Kirsis' alibi
is strengthened in that during the aforementioned two months
prior to Greste's arrest the apartment was a trap for anyone
attempting to enter it. However later; after Greste.was ar-
rested he must have revealed Kirsis' complicity in the affair
because shortly thereafter Kirsis too was arrested. Kirsis'
mother was also arrested by the NKVD in Jelgava and not being
able to stand the, torture and finding an opportune moment in
the toilet in the Jelgava jail she committed suicide by hanging
herself. Neither Greste nor Kirsis have ever been heard of
since. One of the aforementioned persons caught in the trap
was CATSEYE, who was Visiting Greste's father, but did not
belong or have any connection with the group or any of its
activities. CATSEYE was held for two days, interrogated, and
then released.
In the Fallof 1940-Hahninformed hisaidters of his
underground activities for the purpose of proe-uring'their aid
In hiding persons working for the illegal newspaper, to report
on local situations, and to aid him with funds'. At that time
while Ingrida, the younger, • was a teacher in the Jaunjelgava s -
School of Commerce. Even though his sisters were skeptical about
Margita, the older, was a teacher in the French lyceum in 71:on
the usefulness of Hahn's activities, and even thou;
some hesitancy in approving, they nevertheless galenglip7what-
hearted support to,him whenever he requested it.
they
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About this file

FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 146 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.