Shropshire Star

Codebreaker Eddie from Ellesmere marks 100th birthday

An intelligence expert in the Second World War celebrated his 100th birthday this week with family, friends schoolchildren and representatives from the military.

Published
Eddie Shaw celebrating his 100th Birthday at the Boathouse Restaurant in Ellesmere. Eddie with friends and family.

Eddie Shaw, who lives in Ellesmere, saw service as an interpreter in Europe and in Africa as well as at Bletchley Park translating transcripts from the Enigma Machines. He was placed on the Role of Honour at 2014 getting his Role of Honour award from the government communications headquarters.

A regular at the Ellesmere Age Concern Day Centre Eddie celebrated his birthday when pupils from Welshampton Primary School visited the day centre to entertained him and the other members with a selection of wartime songs including We’ll Meet Again.

He also enjoyed a birthday lunch at the Boathouse were guests included Sam Southam from his old regiment.

Before the war Mr Shaw had worked in Germany as a waiter and it was only when the army realised that Mr Shaw was good at languages that he was asked to join the Intelligence Corps. Before that he was a driver on convoy duty supplying the forward battle with food, water and ammunition with the 8th Army in Africa.

In his memoirs written a few years ago he wrote that on one occasion he was ordered to hand over his lorry to another driver while he and an Arab speaking interpreter, George Aziz, spend two week visiting Arab villages, gathering information from the Sheik of each village relating to visiting German Forces in return for money.

"It so happened that a convoy, including my lorry, was ambushed and captured by a forward German Unit who drove to Tripoli, boarded the prisoners on a ship bound for Italy, then by train northwards to Poland and the P.O.W. Camp, which was next to the Auschwitz Death Camp. The British prisoners were forced to work in the death camp."

Victory

His work in intelligence to help the forces included being the only German speaker able to break German codes at a base south of Algiers when he covered the headquarters of Field Marshall Erwin Rommell, Africa Corps, and various Panzer Units, Infantry and other Units.

"For recording purposes, we used gramophone records, which became wavy in the hot weather but I managed to acquire a recording by wire outfit from the Americans," he said.

When the German forces left North Africa and made their way up through Italy, he and signals operator Harry Wheeler followed.

With the Allies advancing Eddie moved into Germany and helped the forces to victory tuning into to German army retreat.

He was even involved in the capture of an officer himself - Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, Deputy Abwehr Military Intelligence.

"On Christmas Eve we were issued with two 2lb tins of turkey between 14 men, so I motored in my Mercedes 170v to several erman farms, obtaining a substantial amount of fare, and made visit to the Feldschloss brewery for a small barrel of beer.

"On my way back I observed a track leading to a farm. I made a call, met Admiral Canaris, who was with his family in hiding! By Gentleman’s agreement I allowed him to stay on until January 1 1946, when I collected him for transfer to London for interrogation."