Photo of Paul Hardt chief OGPU agent in the UK from, June 1935-June 1936 and closely associated with the recruitmant of the Cambridge spies.

Date: June 1935 Reference: KV 2/1009 (2) Creator: Security Service Catalogue context: Paul HARDT, aliases Theodore MALY, PETERS, PETERSEN, MANN (OGPU codename), "der lange" (nickname): Hungarian. HARDT was identified by General KRIVITSKY, a friend as well as a colleague, as an OGPU "illegal" who operated in the UK from January 1936 to June 1937. Nicknamed "der lange" because of his unusual height, he trained originally as a priest. He was captured by the Russians while serving with an Austrian regiment during the First World War. He became a communist and took an active part in the Revolution. Using the name HARDT and posing as an Austrian, he is first recorded as visiting London in June 1935. According to various sources he was working predominantly in Paris until Jan/Feb 1936 when he established a base in London. HARDT, who was accompanied by his wife, also posing as an Austrian, was variously described as an engineer, of no occupation, and latterly as the representative of a Dutch textile firm, GADA, established by the OGPU for cover purposes for a predecessor, Dmitri BYSTROLETOV. HARDT... Categories: Second World War Subjects: Agents, extremists, traitors; Army; Communism; Conflict; Europe and Russia; Operations, battles and campaigns Topics: British state and citizens; International trade and affairs; Military and war Period: Interwar Copyright information: Copyright clearance for publication is not required, except in the case of documents in third-party copyright. Usage terms: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/information-management/use-of-tna-materials.pdf