Bidspirit auction | CICERO - GERMANY''S GREATEST SPY

CICERO - GERMANY''S GREATEST SPY - ELYESA BANZA (1904 - 1970) Albanian who spied for the Germans during the World War II, in what widely became known as the Cicero Affair. From 1942, Bazna was the valet of the British ambassador Sir Hughe Knatchbull-Hugessen in Ankara. He began photographing secret British documents for profit on Oct. 21, 1943 and was given the code name 'Cicero'. Banza provided information on the raids on Ploesti and even the D-Day landings, but the Abwehr, under anti-Hitler Canaris, sidetracked his reports, and the British thought him 'too stupid' to be a threat. Banza was paid �300,000 by the Abwehr which he kept hidden. After the war, he tried to go into business, but when his money was deposited, his British Pounds were found to be counterfeit! Banza later tried unsuccessfully to sue the West German government for outstanding pay. He lived in Istanbul for the rest of his life, giving singing lessons and working as a used car salesman. Very rare A.L.S., 1p. 4to., Munich, Oct. 30, 1962, in broken English to a researcher. In part (grammar corrected): '...I had given my letter to my lawyer in order to reply...in Deutsch...and explain my business here in Deutschland so you can have some ideas about me accordance to the contract which I had made with the Revu Illustriete[?] my manager F. P. A. Frenci[?] and [?] Dr. Muser they have to pay to me about 200,000 DM...' Regrettably, the balance of the letter is simply illegible. Fine condition.