Julius Green facts for kids

Captain Julius Morris Green (1912–1990) was a brave British prisoner of war during World War II. While held at Colditz Castle, he secretly worked as a spy for MI9, a British intelligence group.

Julius Green was born in Ireland to a Jewish family. He moved to Dunfermline, Scotland, when he was young. There, he studied to become a dentist in Edinburgh. After finishing his studies, he moved to Glasgow to work as a dentist. When World War II began, he joined the Territorial Army.

In June 1940, Green's army group was captured at Saint-Valery-en-Caux. For many months, he traveled between different Prisoner-of-war camps. He used his dental skills to help both fellow prisoners and German soldiers. Eventually, the British intelligence agency MI9 asked him to become a spy. His job was to send secret information from the camps. He wrote coded letters to his family and friends in Scotland. These letters were then checked by MI9 for hidden messages. The messages helped with rescue missions and war plans.

After the war, Green married and moved back to Glasgow. He worked as a businessman and later as a dentist again. He wrote a popular book about his experiences called From Colditz With Code. Julius Green passed away in September 1990 at the age of 77.

Early Life

Julius Green was born into a Jewish family in Killarney, Ireland. Some records suggest he might have been born in Carlisle, England. He later moved to Dunfermline in Scotland.

He studied dentistry at the Dental School of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. After he graduated, he moved to Glasgow to start his career as a dentist.

When World War II started in 1939, Green joined the Medical Unit of the Edinburgh University Officer Training Corps. This was part of the Territorial Army. He then joined the medical unit of the Glaswegian 51st (Highland) Division. He served in their 152 (Highland) Field Ambulance team.

Captured and Became a Spy

On June 12, 1940, Green and his army group were captured at Saint-Valery-en-Caux. This happened after Major General Victor Fortune and French troops surrendered. Green was moved between several prison camps. He stayed at places like Blechhammer, Lamsdorf, and Sandbostel.

He continued to work as a dentist for both German soldiers and other prisoners. Eventually, he ended up at Colditz Castle. While there, he had to hide his Jewish background from the German troops. He removed his identity tags and pretended to be Presbyterian. At one point, he was almost caught. However, a friend, Captain Hugh Dickie, helped him avoid punishment.

Soon after his capture, MI9 contacted Green. MI9 was a special department of the War Office that talked to prisoners of war. They asked Green to become a spy. His job was to send secret messages between Colditz and London.

Between 1941 and 1944, Green sent letters to his family in Dunfermline. These letters looked normal but contained secret codes. The hidden messages were meant for intelligence officers in London. MI9 even sent his family special draft letters to send back to the camp. They also created fake people to send letters from.

The German soldiers guarding the camps did not know much English. Because of this, they never found the secret code. The letters seemed to contain innocent information. For example, in one letter, he wrote about a made-up girlfriend named "Philippa."

Through his letters, Green shared important information. He told MI9 about German troop movements and railway lines. He also advised what items captured soldiers should bring with them. He even suggested what supplies should be sent to Colditz to help prisoners escape. Green also helped expose an English person who was secretly helping the Nazis. This person was later punished for their actions.

MI9 explained the secret system to Green's family in one letter. They wrote:

"You will see that in lines 20, 21 and 22 your son refers to certain matters which will have no meaning for you. These remarks are intended for us, so please do not worry about them, nor refer to them in any way when replying to your son. For your private information, we are very glad to tell you that your son is continuing to do most valuable work. Please do not show this letter to anyone outside the immediate family circle and remember to burn our letter when read."

In 1944, MI9 wrote to the family again. They assured them that Green was "a young man of great resource" and asked them "try not to worry."

After the War

After he was freed, Green returned to Scotland. In 1945, he became engaged to Anne Miller from Glasgow. Some of his letters were later given to the Imperial War Museum in London.

He first worked as a businessman before going back to dentistry. In 1971, he wrote a very popular book about his experiences as a spy. It was called From Colditz With Code. A later edition of the book in 1989 was dedicated to his son, Alan. Julius Green passed away in September 1990 at the age of 77.

In June 2014, a collection of forty letters from Colditz was sold at an auction. The collection also included photos of Green and other prisoners. It was sold for £6,500. A spokesperson for the auction house said that Green took "extraordinary bravery" and risks as a Jewish prisoner.