Anna Wolkoff facts for kids
Anna Wolkoff (born in 1902, died August 2, 1973) was a Russian woman who moved to Britain. Her family left Russia after a big change called the Bolshevik Revolution. Anna was known for being the secretary of a group called The Right Club. This club was against Britain joining World War II.
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Early Life in Britain
Anna Wolkoff was the oldest child of Admiral Nikolai Wolkoff. Her father was a navy officer who worked at the Russian embassy in London. After the revolution in Russia, her family decided to stay in Britain. They became British citizens in 1935.
In 1923, the Wolkoff family opened a place called the Russian Tea Rooms in London. This tea room became a popular meeting spot for other Russians who had also left their home country.
Anna and her father held strong political views. They were against Britain fighting in World War II. Anna visited Nazi Germany several times in the 1930s. Because of her visits and views, a British intelligence agency called MI5 started watching her in 1935. They thought she might be a German spy.
The Right Club
Anna Wolkoff was part of The Right Club. This was a group in Britain that had about 350 members. They were against the war. Captain Archibald Maule Ramsay, a member of Parliament, started the club. He said the club's main goal was to oppose certain influences and to keep the Conservative Party free from them. The club's members often met at the Russian Tea Rooms.
Other people in the club included William Joyce, who later broadcast propaganda from Germany, and A. K. Chesterton.
Secret Activities
When Britain went to war with Germany in September 1939, The Right Club officially closed. However, some members, including Anna, continued their anti-war activities. Anna tried to send information to Berlin, Germany. She used a contact from the Italian embassy to do this. She even suggested ideas for William Joyce's radio broadcasts.
MI5 had already placed undercover agents inside The Right Club. These agents, like Joan Miller, kept MI5 informed about what the group was doing. This helped MI5 to know and even influence the group's actions.
In February 1940, Anna Wolkoff met Tyler Kent. He was a clerk from the US embassy who shared her views. Kent started visiting The Right Club often. He showed Anna and Ramsay some secret documents he had taken from the embassy. These documents included important messages between Winston Churchill, Britain's leader, and Franklin Roosevelt, the US President.
On April 13, 1940, Anna went to Kent's apartment to borrow some of these documents. She planned to have them photographed. Later, she asked one of the MI5 undercover agents, Helene De Muncke, to pass a secret letter to William Joyce through her Italian contacts. Helene agreed but then showed the letter to MI5.
Arrest and Trial
Anna Wolkoff and Tyler Kent were arrested on May 20, 1940. They were charged under a law called the Official Secrets Act, which protects government secrets. Anna's arrest was seen by an 11-year-old boy named Len Deighton, who later became a famous writer.
Anna's trial was held in private at the Old Bailey court. On November 7, 1940, Anna Wolkoff was sentenced to 10 years in prison. She was found guilty of "attempting to assist the enemy." Tyler Kent, who was an American citizen, was sentenced to 7 years. After her conviction, Anna's British citizenship was taken away in 1943.
Release and Later Life
Anna Wolkoff was released from prison in 1947. She then worked as a seamstress. She died in a car accident in Spain in 1973. The car was driven by Enid Riddell, another former member of The Right Club.
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