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Double Agent Celery: MI5's Crooked Hero
With Britain braced for a German invasion, MI5 recruited an ex RNAS officer, come confidence trickster, called Walter Dicketts as a double agent. Codenamed Celery, Dicketts was sent to Lisbon with the seemingly impossible mission of persuading the Germans he was a traitor and then extract crucial secrets. Once there, the Nazis spirited him off to Germany. With his life on the line, Dicketts had to outwit his interrogators in Hamburg and Berlin before returning to Britain as, in the Nazis eyes, a German spy. Despite discovering he had been betrayed as an MI5 plant before he even left for Germany, Celery somehow got back to Lisbon. After that he persuaded an Abwehr Officer to defect, and spent nine months undercover in Brazil. A mixture of hero and crook, Dicketts was worldly and intelligent, charming and charismatic. Sometimes rich and sometimes poor, his private life was a web of complexity and deception. Using family and official records, police records, newspaper articles and memories, the author unravels the tangled yet true story of Double Agent Celery.
- GenresHistory
296 pages, Hardcover
First published January 4, 2018
17 people are currently reading
189 people want to read
About the author
Carolinda Witt
8 books3 followersCarolinda Witt is an award-winning author who lives in Sydney, Australia. She is the author of the bestselling "The Eye of Revelation 1939 & 1946 Editions Combined" and "The Illustrated Five Tibetan Rites," which she began teaching and practicing in 2000. Carolinda has since taught the Rites to over 70,000 people worldwide through her books, online training course, DVD, and workshops - and attributes them to her youthful appearance and energetic outlook.
Her prize-winning non-fiction book, "Double Agent Celery" is about her grandfather, Walter Dicketts, aka Double Agent Celery, who married six times (two were mistresses).
Her prize-winning non-fiction book, "Double Agent Celery" is about her grandfather, Walter Dicketts, aka Double Agent Celery, who married six times (two were mistresses).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
September 23, 2024
A superb read.
The author’s grandfather, Walter Dicketts, died before she knew him, which it seems is true for the rest of his family; the family which records know of, there could, I can but wonder, more children from Walter’s unknown liaisons. He was as you will read here a charmer, he had a way with the ladies. He was quick with it, able to find empathy with people, easily befriend strangers, fast talk his way in life. The skills needed to do well as a con-man and, a con-man he was.
The skills needed to do well as a spy and, a spy he was. For all his faults he was a brave man who put his life on the line for his country.
Better fiction you find difficult to come across.
The author’s grandfather, Walter Dicketts, died before she knew him, which it seems is true for the rest of his family; the family which records know of, there could, I can but wonder, more children from Walter’s unknown liaisons. He was as you will read here a charmer, he had a way with the ladies. He was quick with it, able to find empathy with people, easily befriend strangers, fast talk his way in life. The skills needed to do well as a con-man and, a con-man he was.
The skills needed to do well as a spy and, a spy he was. For all his faults he was a brave man who put his life on the line for his country.
Better fiction you find difficult to come across.
November 4, 2024
I liked this. It makes for a great story and I would guess a great film. The small time crook becomes a spy and a national hero.
June 18, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this most entertaining read. Walter was known by the security services to be a con-man and a trickster, yet at the same time seen as a credible recruit for important work.
Within the intelligence community, 'field operatives come with a whole kettle of skills. The ability to live under a false identity. Possess faultless recall: names, dates, times. Have a snapshot memory for people: features, visible distinguishing marks, clothes, shoes, jewellery. And a talent for reading body language and spotting people’s giveaways. Command the art of staying alert to threats while looking relaxed and unaware of what is happening around them whilst able to pick out those who are watching without being marked as a watcher themselves. Even with all those talents, the one quality demanded of each candidate on the Intelligence Officers’ New Entry Course is, do they have the knack of reading people? Can they find empathy with someone? Can they walk into a roadside eatery, sit next to a complete stranger, rattle out a whole pack of lies, and in doing so gain the absolute trust of their new friend?'*
I wonder, what are the essential qualities of a profession con-man and trickster?
* The Roads Chosen, Ben Carlyle.
Within the intelligence community, 'field operatives come with a whole kettle of skills. The ability to live under a false identity. Possess faultless recall: names, dates, times. Have a snapshot memory for people: features, visible distinguishing marks, clothes, shoes, jewellery. And a talent for reading body language and spotting people’s giveaways. Command the art of staying alert to threats while looking relaxed and unaware of what is happening around them whilst able to pick out those who are watching without being marked as a watcher themselves. Even with all those talents, the one quality demanded of each candidate on the Intelligence Officers’ New Entry Course is, do they have the knack of reading people? Can they find empathy with someone? Can they walk into a roadside eatery, sit next to a complete stranger, rattle out a whole pack of lies, and in doing so gain the absolute trust of their new friend?'*
I wonder, what are the essential qualities of a profession con-man and trickster?
* The Roads Chosen, Ben Carlyle.
January 29, 2022
There are regrettably far too few books written about WW2 by women and it is truly a breath of fresh air to read Carolindas Witt book, Double Agent Celery: MI5's Crooked Hero. The charming but yet ambiguous protagonist, Walter Dickett, was her maternal grandfather, a man of many faces and countless secrets. A true hero, agent of MI5 tortured by the Nazis, but also an unscrupulous swindler and an incorrigible philanderer. He kept himself quite busy on the latter front; he had four wives, two mistresses and six children that we know of. A crooked hero indeed. Witt‘s book is hugely entertaining and written with passion and flair. It has the quality of a well plotted and thought out novel, without giving any discounts on historical facts. A fascinating visit to a unique time in history. An outstanding book doesn’t need to be made into a movie as it stands on its own merits, but I’m sure that this crooked hero would shine brightly on the silver screen.
October 31, 2017
This is a fascinating insight into the making of a double agent and all the intrigue and double dealing that go on behind closed doors. Many lives risked and some ruined. Written by the grand-daughter of Celery, it's been well researched and seems very thorough in its investigations. Essential reading for Cold War enthusiasts.
June 26, 2018
First off, I have to say that getting a copy of this book took both perseverance and patience. I had ordered a copy in late December and it finally arrived in late February. It was slated for release in Canada on January 19, 2018 but even after that date, there were no actual books in stock online or in stores (Chapters bookstore). I even went so far as visiting Foyles while I was in London in early February and they had not received any copies either. I could have ordered an e-book but I prefer actual books.
As for the book itself, it is definitely interesting. Carolinda Witt is the granddaughter of Walter Dicketts, a.ka. Double Agent CELERY. In the first part of the book, we learn about Dickett's early life, his World War I career and his shady dealings in the 1920s. He was definitely a rogue and a scoundrel! Dicketts had several mistresses and wives and seems to have left many of them with broken or resentful hearts. After several stints in prison, he did manage to redeem himself in the 1930s and when World War II broke out, had high hopes of being able to serve his country again in the RAF. Unfortunately, his criminal past was a hard pill to swallow for many in the military services. One evening, he bumped into a man at the pub and after a few beer, the two were fast friends. That man was Arthur Owens, a.k.a. Double Agent SNOW. And so Dicketts was introduced to the world of espionage.
The author spends a fair bit of the book outlining the background and career of SNOW, necessary given the fact that the espionage careers of both Owens and Dicketts were so firmly intertwined. I've read several books on SNOW and his story is always complicated. Seriously complicated. That is the case in Witt's book as well. Witt does add to the story by having access to interviews with George Sessler, assistant to German spy master Nikolaus Ritter. This is a new source but does tend to add another layer to an already complicated story.
One is left with the impression that Dicketts was a loyal Brit and did his best to serve his country, despite SNOW's attempts to discredit him. The book ends with an account of how Dickett's descendants (the offspring of 4 wives and 2 mistresses), many of whom had no idea that the others existed, managed to reconnect with each other. It makes for a fascinating tale.
Review
As mentioned above, I've read several different books on SNOW and that definitely helped me navigate through this book. The complexities of SNOW's story could easily stymie the average reader who may not be familiar with all of the different characters and situations. Witt has done an admirable job of setting the context for Dickett's story and one does feel, at the end of the book, that one has a deeper insight into the character and motivations of this complex man.
There were a few things that struck me as interesting and new:
- reference to Masterman's diaries, now available at an archives in England
- Witt's access to interviews with George Sessler, assistant to Nikolaus Ritter
- re: Nikolaus Ritter - when Farago interviewed him in the 1960s, he showed Ritter some documents from the mysterious treasure trove of microfilmed Abwehr documents that Farago claimed to have discovered. Ritter was shocked that Farago had such documents as he thought they had all been destroyed. Does make one wonder if the treasure trove actually exists... even though no one else has ever been able to find it.
- the involvement of Coroner Bentley Purchase in several questionable MI5 situations: (a) falsifying the autopsy report for William Rolph (SNOW's former partner - he committed suicide and MI5 didn't want the Germans to get wind of that, as it might make them think that SNOW had been compromised) and (b) supplying MI5 with a dead body for Operation Mincemeat. Witt notes that Purchase was the coroner for Dickett's death - he apparently committed suicide by turning on the gas in his apartment. Was it suicide or something else? Intriguing question.
Some history books simply churn through secondary sources and repeat the same errors from the past. I appreciate Carolinda's effort in referencing primary source material and actually adding something new to the story of SNOW and CELERY. She has also done an admirable job in bringing us the human element of the story, something that can be easy to miss amidst the sea of facts. These men were complicated characters, with mixed motivations and loyalties.
A well-researched and helpful contribution to the story of the Double Cross agents.
As for the book itself, it is definitely interesting. Carolinda Witt is the granddaughter of Walter Dicketts, a.ka. Double Agent CELERY. In the first part of the book, we learn about Dickett's early life, his World War I career and his shady dealings in the 1920s. He was definitely a rogue and a scoundrel! Dicketts had several mistresses and wives and seems to have left many of them with broken or resentful hearts. After several stints in prison, he did manage to redeem himself in the 1930s and when World War II broke out, had high hopes of being able to serve his country again in the RAF. Unfortunately, his criminal past was a hard pill to swallow for many in the military services. One evening, he bumped into a man at the pub and after a few beer, the two were fast friends. That man was Arthur Owens, a.k.a. Double Agent SNOW. And so Dicketts was introduced to the world of espionage.
The author spends a fair bit of the book outlining the background and career of SNOW, necessary given the fact that the espionage careers of both Owens and Dicketts were so firmly intertwined. I've read several books on SNOW and his story is always complicated. Seriously complicated. That is the case in Witt's book as well. Witt does add to the story by having access to interviews with George Sessler, assistant to German spy master Nikolaus Ritter. This is a new source but does tend to add another layer to an already complicated story.
One is left with the impression that Dicketts was a loyal Brit and did his best to serve his country, despite SNOW's attempts to discredit him. The book ends with an account of how Dickett's descendants (the offspring of 4 wives and 2 mistresses), many of whom had no idea that the others existed, managed to reconnect with each other. It makes for a fascinating tale.
Review
As mentioned above, I've read several different books on SNOW and that definitely helped me navigate through this book. The complexities of SNOW's story could easily stymie the average reader who may not be familiar with all of the different characters and situations. Witt has done an admirable job of setting the context for Dickett's story and one does feel, at the end of the book, that one has a deeper insight into the character and motivations of this complex man.
There were a few things that struck me as interesting and new:
- reference to Masterman's diaries, now available at an archives in England
- Witt's access to interviews with George Sessler, assistant to Nikolaus Ritter
- re: Nikolaus Ritter - when Farago interviewed him in the 1960s, he showed Ritter some documents from the mysterious treasure trove of microfilmed Abwehr documents that Farago claimed to have discovered. Ritter was shocked that Farago had such documents as he thought they had all been destroyed. Does make one wonder if the treasure trove actually exists... even though no one else has ever been able to find it.
- the involvement of Coroner Bentley Purchase in several questionable MI5 situations: (a) falsifying the autopsy report for William Rolph (SNOW's former partner - he committed suicide and MI5 didn't want the Germans to get wind of that, as it might make them think that SNOW had been compromised) and (b) supplying MI5 with a dead body for Operation Mincemeat. Witt notes that Purchase was the coroner for Dickett's death - he apparently committed suicide by turning on the gas in his apartment. Was it suicide or something else? Intriguing question.
Some history books simply churn through secondary sources and repeat the same errors from the past. I appreciate Carolinda's effort in referencing primary source material and actually adding something new to the story of SNOW and CELERY. She has also done an admirable job in bringing us the human element of the story, something that can be easy to miss amidst the sea of facts. These men were complicated characters, with mixed motivations and loyalties.
A well-researched and helpful contribution to the story of the Double Cross agents.
January 29, 2019
Double Agent Celery is a marvellous character, all the more marvellous because he's the real McCoy. If this was a work of fiction it would be considered too fanciful. A loveable rogue, and you wouldn't trust him as far as you could throw him.
October 25, 2018
I experienced great pleasure in reading this incredible and important book, I have been recommending it to family and friends. I was quite touched by the sadness revealed over the decades,sadness relating to the activities of such a very brave man that some would say was unscrupulous,today we should not judge him,as who are we to judge. This incredible story surrounded so many peoples lives both during Walter Dicketts(Double Agent Celery)own life and the lives of his descendant to this day.The sheer bravery of this courageous man defies belief. Carolinda has included many photographs of the people written about and they are fascinating to look at to wonder about them and their lives and connection to Double Agent Celery.Her story reflects a time long gone, a time when so much was at stake in the world,a time of huge and dangerous importance, much of which will never be known, Carolinda has beautifully revealed a moment of that time to us. She has opened a window for us all.
June 29, 2018
An incredible and historically factual story about a womanizing, scoundrel, WW2 double agent spy that has only just come to light in 2017 - 72 years after the end of the war.
Brilliantly researched for over 7 years and brought to life by agent Celery's granddaughter Carolinda Witt, this book is a truly heroic tale of a man with an incredible past who risked it all to protect his country by entering Germany at the height of the war acting as a double agent for MI5.
A rival to some of the most unbelievable true stories that have surfaced from the second world war, this riveting tale of this incredibly brave man is an instant classic in the WW2 spy and espionage genre.
I loved every moment of this book and found it more similar to a movie than a historically factual account from WW2. I couldn't put it down and highly recommend it to anyone.
Brilliantly researched for over 7 years and brought to life by agent Celery's granddaughter Carolinda Witt, this book is a truly heroic tale of a man with an incredible past who risked it all to protect his country by entering Germany at the height of the war acting as a double agent for MI5.
A rival to some of the most unbelievable true stories that have surfaced from the second world war, this riveting tale of this incredibly brave man is an instant classic in the WW2 spy and espionage genre.
I loved every moment of this book and found it more similar to a movie than a historically factual account from WW2. I couldn't put it down and highly recommend it to anyone.
February 15, 2018
Life as the saying goes is always sweeter closest to the bone! And For Walter Dicketts this translated into a life not just beyond the beige but way past normality. So far beyond all expectation on into the stratosphere of razor edge bravery. A zest for life and a passion for living life’s adventure to the full meant challenging himself beyond the leaps of risk most of us today might ever expect to face. All for the thrill? Pushing his mind and body to the limit in a career spent challenging adventures and overcoming defeat -It didn’t always turn out as he expected by the look of this incredible true story by Carolinda Witt as she delights the reader with the unexpected in the unraveling of her unknown Grandfather she discovered... great read
December 27, 2017
This well researched and documented book by the experienced author Carolinda Witt, delivers an entertaining yet invaluable account of Walter Dicketts, codenames Celery to MI5 and Brown to the Abwehr. His philandering was as daring as his double cross activities with the German secret service. During the nearly decade of research the author not only uncovered the many clandestine lives of her grandfather Walter Dicketts, but discovered a beautiful network of relatives around the globe that she never knew existed. This book is truly a well accomplished fact finding mission and well worth reading.
January 24, 2018
Was lucky enough to get an early copy of this book from the UK prior to the Australian launch. Simply a brilliant read.
This is a true story of a clearly brilliant, extraordinary and compromised man through two world wars . Couldn’t put the book down knowing how this true account has just been pieced together so thoroughly from facts and information that have only recently come to light. Although complex its written in a style that makes it easy to read and take in the atmosphere that our grandparents lived through.
February 14, 2018
An incredible insight into the life of a daring, courageous spy who's exploits seem as though they were the inspiration for James Bond Films. While not usually a fan of the spy genre, the factual nature of this book made it impossible to put it down. Clearly the author has gone to significant effort to gain the facts of Walter Dickett's ever changing life and as a result produced a story that will have anyone eager to find out what happens next.
I would strongly recommend this to anyone, well worth the read.
I would strongly recommend this to anyone, well worth the read.
May 4, 2018
I had read a couple of books about Agent SNOW who was inextricably linked to Agent CELERY, but Carolina Witt's book was amazing. I had no idea what a complicated man he was, who, while a rogue and a crook, turned out to be one of MI5's earliest and most successful double agents. It must have been a tremendous 'voyage of discovery' to learn that a relative had had such an illustrious, if checkered life, for both her and the other members of the family. Her book is an extremely valuable addition to the canon of books on wartime agents. I would recommend it to anyone interested in this genre.
May 15, 2018
An interesting piece of original research and a fascinating story. I read a lot of military history, have been to nearly all the places mentioned in the book: Lisbon, Madrid, Berlin, Hamburg, Bristol, London … and I thought I knew this period pretty well ~ the Enigma code-breakers, Bletchley Park and SOE, but not so! I found the book absorbing and learnt a lot.
A difficult thing to pull off - blending painstaking historical research into a gripping story. Well done Carolinda Witt.
A difficult thing to pull off - blending painstaking historical research into a gripping story. Well done Carolinda Witt.
June 26, 2022
A fascinating insight, not just into a person's life, but also into a period of great turmoil. Very depictive of the time and place, and full of insight into the psychology of the intelligence services battling against the unseen enemy on both sides of the conflict. The personal story of Dicketts and his family provided the backdrop to try and understand what made this colourful character do the things he did.
November 5, 2017
Carolinda's latest book Double Agent Celery: MI5's Crooked Hero provides us with a fascinating insight into the life of a loveable rogue - one of the few double agents who undoubtedly helped Britain win the Second World War. Carolinda's book about her grandfather is a fabulous read, her story one of love, hope, betrayal and courage. Her story needs to be told and deserves to be read.
November 28, 2017
This is quite an extraordinary book.
Double Agent Celery, aka Walter Dicketts, was a complex character. On civvy street he was an incorrigible rogue and he paid the price for that on a number of occasions. In times of conflict during WW1 and WW2 his sense of duty to King and country was solidly resolute.
It is a remarkable story wonderfully told.
Double Agent Celery, aka Walter Dicketts, was a complex character. On civvy street he was an incorrigible rogue and he paid the price for that on a number of occasions. In times of conflict during WW1 and WW2 his sense of duty to King and country was solidly resolute.
It is a remarkable story wonderfully told.
February 13, 2018
Fascinating story about a grand-daughter discovering who her grand-father was, decades after his death.
A double agent during the 2nd world war, working for MI5 and the Germans, with the unlikely code name of 'Celery'.
It's a really good read and discloses some of the risks that these agents are put through to gather intelligence and how to avoid getting caught. Not an easy task.
A double agent during the 2nd world war, working for MI5 and the Germans, with the unlikely code name of 'Celery'.
It's a really good read and discloses some of the risks that these agents are put through to gather intelligence and how to avoid getting caught. Not an easy task.
February 16, 2018
An extraordinary story and testimony to truth often being stranger than fiction. Walter's life is a veritable blizzard of experiences, many at the pointy end of extreme peril. For a dodgy character he had a curious sense of honour. A remarkable piece of research by his grandaughter, the author Carolinda Witt.
June 8, 2018
Thankyou for writing the story of your grandfather, it could have so easily remained lost to the world. Wow what a convoluted life! Just finished the book and my head is spinning. Will have read the book again to try and absorb the detail. I could not put the book down after I started, lots of lost sleep.
October 31, 2017
An exceptional story very well told about a very brave but also a very complex man. Celery was my Father and I wish I had been able to hear it from him personally but Carolinda has done a fantastic job.
February 12, 2018
Great read - Fascinating, well written, can't believe this is all true!
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August 15, 2022This is a great read, because Carolinda Witt has made an extremely complicated and fascinating story easy to follow and also because her family connection with the main character adds an intensely personal dimension. The truth is often even stranger than fiction, and that is certainly true of this extraordinary book. Carolinda's research has clearly been immensely thorough and enables a comparison of the story from both British and German viewpoints which is fascinating. I just couldn't put it down!
July 18, 2021
Tar (Tommy Robertston) said he couldn't help feeling that the anti-Nazi feeling was strong amoung German Intelligence officers of the pre-Hitler vintage, and didn't think 'they cared whether their agents were good or bad or produced good or bad information.' ....These officials 'thought it better for selfish reasons to have corrupt or disloyal agents than to have no agents at all.' Chapter 10, Aftermath, page 199.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2022
This gripping book is bound to be snapped up for a major tv series or movie adaptation. Truth is more amazing than fiction as a crook and confidence trickster morphs into a real-life hero. Walter Dicketts survived many bouts of fierce interrogation by British and German military intelligence, persuading both sides they had his undivided loyalty.
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June 25, 2022This is a fabulous book. Not only is it a ripping yarn but factual too. My aunt Kay was Celery's partner for part of the story and my mother's home at the time in Wednesfield is mentioned. My mother remembers Celery well and I believe that she is the last person alive who knew him. Thoroughly recommend.
June 21, 2022
So impressed with the author's attention to detail throughout this historical period. I so enjoyed her storyline and the personal interchange with new found family members and their stories.
Thoroughly recommend this book.
Thoroughly recommend this book.
June 26, 2022
A great read. DA Celery was an amazing character and brought to life in the most realistic and entertaining light.
A Grant
A Grant
February 14, 2018
Riverting read! Complex characters and fascinating historical detail.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews