[TFR4-1]
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#147/12
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RESOLUTION
PRESIDIUM OF THE SUPREME SOVIET OF THE USSR
Release from criminal responsibility American pilots McCowen, D.R. and Olmstead F.B.
On July 1, 1960, American citizens, military pilots McCowen, John Richard and Olmstead, Freeman Bruce aboard an RB-47 aircraft, while on an information gathering mission, violated the national borders of the USSR, in connection with which they were arrested and criminal charges were brought up against them.
After examining the plea, the government of the USSR, guided by the desire to improve relations between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR declares that:
McCowen, John Richard and Olmstead, Freeman Bruce shall be released from criminal responsibility and handed over to the American authorities.
Chairman, Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, USSR
L. Brezhnev
Secretary, Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, USSR
M. Georgadze
Moscow, Kremlin. 24 January 1961 STATEMENT
We, the undersigned representatives of the MID [ministry of foreign affairs] of the USSR parties of the first part, and representatives of the US Embassy in USSR parties of the second part, have compiled this Statement to verify that the MID USSR representatives transferred, and the US Embassy representatives received, the members of the US Air Force RB-47 aircraft crew, McCowen, John Richard and Olmstead, Freeman Bruce, who were released under a resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated 24 January 1961.
MID USSR Representatives USA Embassy Representatives
Deputy Chief, Minister-Counselor Department of American countries US Embassy [signed] [signed] (L. Zamyatin) (Edward L. Freers)
Deputy Chief, Air Attache Treaty Rights Department US Embassy [signed] [signed] (G. Vilkov) (Col. Melvin J. Nielsen, USAF)
Moscow, "25" January 1961
[US Embassy seal] RESOLUTION
on closing the case
City of Moscow 28 January, 1961.
Senior investigator of the KGB Investigative department at the Council of Ministers(CM) of the USSR examined the documents of criminal case #45 against McCowen John, Richard, born 1932, Kansas City, Missouri, US citizen, 1st Lieutenant, USAF, navigator, and Olmstead, Freeman Bruce, born 1935, Elmer, New York, US citizen, 1st Lieutenant, USAF, second pilot;
and FOUND that
McCowen, J.R.,and Olmstead F.B.,on 01 July 1960 aboard an RB-- 47 military-strategic intelligence [reconnaissance] aircraft violated the airspace of the Soviet Union. A Soviet fighter shot down the RB-47 aircraft. McCowen and Olmstead, who parachuted to safety, were arrested and charged with a crime according to article 2, of the "Crimes against the State" of Soviet law.
During the investigation it was established that McCowen and Holmstead flew aboard RB-47 aircraft on 01 July 1960 in order to gather military intelligence information about radar installations and other military sites of the Soviet Union, and violated the Soviet national border 22 kilometers north of Cape Svyatoi Nos [Saint Nose].
The RB-47 aircraft was equipped with special intelligence gathering radio-electronic equipment and armed with two cannons.
The investigation also established that in 1959, McCowen made a number of flights aboard the RB-47 aircraft along the border of the Soviet Black Sea coast and the coast of the Baltic sea in order to gather information about military strategic sites of the Soviet Union.
Guided by the desire to improve relations between the Soviet Union and the United States of America, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on 24 January 1961 declared that McCowen, J.R., and Olmstead F.B. are to be released from criminal responsibility and be transferred into the custody of American authorities. Based on the above and guided by Article 5. Paragraph 4 of the RFSFR Code of Criminal Procedure,[the senior investigator]
DECLARED that:
Criminal charges against McCowen, John Richard and Olmstead, Freeman Bruce are to be dropped.
SENIOR INVESTIGATOR OF THE KGB
INVESTIGATION DEPARTMENT at the USSR Council of Ministers.
Captain [signed, possibly Aurevich]
Agreed:
Chief of 2nd KGB Investigative department at the USSR Council of Ministers. Colonel [signed, illegible]
Chief KGB Investigative department at the Council of Ministers of USSR
General-Major of Justice
[signed, illegible] [Entire page handwritten]
From captain Poliashov of RT-194 [fishing trawler] "Yalta".
EXPLANATION [report]
While fishing on 13 Oct 61 at 10:45 hrs we raised the trawl from the depth of 130 meters and brought it aboard. In the stern wing of the trawl we discovered a parachute of foreign manufacture. In the parachute shroud we found part of a human leg (foot and part of the shin) with one shoe and a dark blue wool sock. Since the leg was badly decomposed, we threw the leg and the sock into the sea. We also discovered items of unknown purpose:
Small canisters [possibly oxygen tanks], jacket, metal box without a lid and a bag containing documents.
The trawl was raised in quadrant #946, 69 degrees 12'N, ob L=40 degrees 04'E. We were headed to k.k. 310 degrees(+17 degrees) with the trawl and covered the distance of approximately 8 miles. There was a foreign trawler about 1 mile ahead of us following the same course.
25 Oct 61 [signed] Poliashov 166
STATEMENT
Concerning the transfer of the body of Captain Palma, Willard George. USAF.
This statement is compiled to certify that on 25 July 1960 in the city of Moscow, the representatives of the Soviet side: from USSR Ministry of Defense - Colonel Grechishkin, P. and Lt. Colonel Nosov, V.E. and from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Abramov, A.G. transferred, and representatives of the American side: assistants to the Air Attache at the United States Embassy in USSR - Major D.P. Macken [possibly MacCann] and Captain D.K. Martin along with the 2nd secretary of the US Embassy R.E. Snyder, received:
1. The body of USAF Captain Palma, Willard George, clad in the US military pilot's uniform - grey flight suit and black leather boots, in a sealed galvanized coffin;
2. The ten page coroner's report on Captain Palma's body dated 04 July 1960 signed by medical court experts, Levchenkov, B.D., Alisievich, V.E., and Pegov G.P;
3. Captain Willard George Palma's identification papers, ID number AO 2087476 issued by the United States Department of the Air Force, dated 05 Feb 1955 # 1417806, with photo, physical description and fingerprints;
Captain Palma's USAF identification papers, form # [illegible], date of birth 1921. ID number AO 2058476 issued by the US Department of Defense.
In accordance with the wishes of the United States representatives, the coffin was not opened and was transferred in a sealed condition.
During the transfer of Captain Willard George Palma's body and documents, there were no objections raised concerning the transfer issue from the American side.
This statement is drafted in two copies, in English and in Russian, in Moscow on 25 July 1960.
REPRESENTING THE SOVIET UNION REPRESENTING THE UNITED STATES "25" March 1953
[Stamp]: Representative of the USSR Council of Ministers on Repatriation for citizens of the USSR.
STATEMENT
"25" March 1953 city of Moscow
Carying out the decision of Council of Ministers of the USSR dated 12/29/1952 as per #5305-2071s on abolishment of Office of the Representative of the USSR Council of Ministers on Repatriation for citizens of the USSR, we, the undersigned abolishment committee, by the order of the Representative of USSR Council of Ministers on Repatriation dated 01/09/1953 as per #01 consisting of the Chairman - COL M.M. Starov and members: COL E.I. Koptev, COL F.E. Sidorenko, Service Corps COL P.I. Leonov, Administration Service LTC M.M. Volkov transferred all top secret, secret, unclassified archival documents and materials from 1944 to 1952, and also current list of property valuables, money and accounts for 1953.
TRANSFERRED:
To the Ministry of foreign Affairs of the USSR
I. Archival files and documents.
a) Top secret, secret files and materials from the office of the Representative of the USSR Council of Ministers on Repatriation from 1944 to March 1953.
- archival units - 1,162
b) Unclassified files and materials from the office of the Representative of the USSR Council of Ministers on Repatriation from 1944 to 1953.
- archival units - 1,824 c) Incoming and outgoing top secret and secret documents for 1953 - 584 documents.
d) Incoming and outgoing unclassified documents for 1953 - 152 documents.
e) Registration/tracking cards on displaced Soviet citizens located abroad - 103,932 pieces.
f) Registration/tracking cards on Soviet children located abroad - 549 pieces.
g) Registration/tracking cards on Soviet children returned to the USSR - 6,066 pieces. h) Registration/tracking cards on children of Polish citizens, repatriated from the USSR to Poland, and also on children of Polish citizens not located in the USSR - 1,950 pieces.
II. Balance analysis of property and valuables.
In Moscow:
a) Motor transportation for the sum of 268,431 rubles 00 kopecks. b) Bedding for the sum of 4,329 rubles 43 kopecks. c) Library for the sum of 4,439 rubles 83 kopecks. d) Household equipment for the sum of 283,339 rubles 50 kopecks. e) Materials for the sum of 99 rubles 00 kopecks. Total: 560,638 rubles 76 kopecks
Abroad:
a) Motor transport for the sum of 33,893 rubles 00 kopecks. b) Household equipment for the sum of 46,140 rubles 01 kopecks. c) Foreign currency for the sum of 47,803 rubles 64 kopecks. Total: 127,836 rubles 65 kopecks
Accounts and funds:
a) Debtors for the sum of 13,477 rubles 30 kopecks. b) Creditors for the sum of 153 rubles 64 kopecks. c) Fund in principal means for the sum of 640,572 rubles 77 kopecks. d) Financing by State Budget Committee [GOSBYUDJET] - 61,226 rubles 30 kopecks. Unfunded Items:
- Bond purchase receipt - 450 rubles 00 kopecks - Spare parts for cars, approximate cost - 14 rubles 00 kopecks.
(Attachment #1)
To the USSR Ministry of State Security
I. Archival files and documents.
a) Top secret, secret files and materials from the office of the Representative of the USSR Council of Ministers on Repatriation from 1944 to 1953.
- archival units - 146
b) Unclassified files and materials from the office of the Representative of the USSR Council of Ministers on Repatriation from 1944 to 1953.
- archival units - 262
c) Registration/tracking cards on Soviet citizens repatriated to permanent place of residence and provided a job - 9,000 pieces.
d) Registration/tracking cards on repatriated to the USSR former POWs and Soviet citizens, that were received by the Repatriation office from disbanded camps and collection transfer points of repatriation agencies (on former POWs 233,400 pieces, and on civilian population - 104,000 pieces) - 369,700 pieces.
e) Registration/tracking cards on Ukrainians, Byelorussians, former emigrants, who entered the USSR from France - 7,557 pieces.
f) Registration/tracking cards on Soviet citizens, who entered the USSR from Bulgaria - 1,654 pieces.
g) Registration/tracking cards on Soviet citizens, who entered the USSR from China - 4,760 pieces.
h) Registration/tracking cards on citizens of Russian and Ukrainian nationality, who entered the USSR from Romania 9,069 pieces.
i) Registration/tracking cards on former emigrants, who entered the USSR from Czechoslovakia - 142 pieces. j) Registration/tracking cards in German on former POWs held in German camps and located in Germany and Norway - 3,377 pieces.
k) Registration/tracking cards on Soviet citizens, who served in Anders Army and later repatriated to the USSR - 816 pieces.
II. Balance analysis of property and valuables.
a) Motor transport for the sum of 10,000 rubles 00 kopecks. b) Equipment and bedding for the sum of 446,079 rubles 27 kopecks. c) Food stuffs for the sum of 49,224 rubles 24 kopecks.
Total: 505,303 rubles 51
kopecks (Attachment #2).
OSIA/DXL To the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs
a) Top secret, secret files and materials from the office of the Representative of the USSR Council of Ministers on Repatriation from 1944 to 1953.
- archival units -100
b) Unclassified files and materials from the office of the Representative of the USSR Council of Ministers on Repatriation from 1944 to 1952.
- archival units - 806
c) Photocopies of statements on repatriated from the USSR Italian POWs and citizens - 241 pieces.
d) Registration/tracking cards on German POW's and interned citizens repatriated from the USSR - 964,984 pieces.
e) Registration/tracking cards on foreign POW's interned and dislocated citizens, repatriated through repatriation camps and also those, who are being located by the request of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs and those, who died in repatriation camps - 70,145 pieces.
(Attachment #3)
To the USSR Ministry of Defense
I. Archival files and documents.
a) Top secret and secret files from the Party bureau of the office of the Representative of the USSR Council of Ministers on Repatriation from 1944 to 1953.
- archival units - 16 b) Unclassified files from the Party bureau of the office of the Representative of the USSR Council of Ministers on Repatriation from 1944 to 1953.
- archival units - 71
c) Top secret, secret files and materials from the office of the Representative of the USSR Council of Ministers on Repatriation from 1944 to 1952.
- archival units - 236
d) Unclassified files and materials from the office of the Representative of the USSR Council of Ministers on Repatriation from 1944 to 1952.
- archival units - 88
II. Balance analysis of motor transport for the sum of 50,000 rubles 00 kopecks.
(Attachment #4)
Total number of archival units transferred a) Top secret and secret files - 1,660 units. b) Unclassified files - 3,051 units
Total: 4,711 units
c) Registration/tracking cards on Soviet citizens repatriated in the USSR and abroad, and also on POWs, interned and dislocated foreign citizens, repatriated from the USSR, and on other categories - 1,599,701 pieces.
To the Soviet Section of Allied Commission of Austria
I. Balance analysis of property and valuables.
a) Motor transport for the sum of 23,634 rubles 00 kopecks. b) Household equipment for the sum of 9,780 rubles 00 kopecks. c) Foreign currency for the sum of 1,423 rubles 13 kopecks.
Total: 34,837 rubles 13
kopecks (Attachment #6)
To the Soviet Control Commission in Germany
I. Balance analysis of property and valuables.
a) Motor transport for the sum of 49,100 rubles 00 kopecks. b) Household equipment for the sum of 12,245 rubles 25 kopecks. c) Foreign currency for the sum of 5,106 rubles 37 kopecks.
Total: 66,451 rubles 62 kopecks (Attachment #6)
Officers, non-commissioned officers and other enlisted personnel are transferred into command of other directorates of the USSR Ministry of Defense.
Premises, occupied by the office of the Representative of the USSR Council of Ministers on Repatriation, total area - 251 sq. meters, is transferred to the USSR Ministry of Electric Power Stations and Electric Industry based on the order of the USSR Council of Ministers as per #1059/r dated 01/16/1953.
(Attachment #7)
All seals and stamps of the office of the Representative of the USSR Council of Ministers on Repatriation are destroyed according to the statement.
(Attachment #8)
All top secret, secret and unclassified archival files for the period from 1944 to 1952, and also the current list and documents for 1953, which are considered a part of the Repatriation office are transferred in full.
As a result of the transfer, excess or shortage of property valuables, money and accounts have not been found.
Attachment: documents on " " pages.
Chairman of the abolishment committee COL [signature] Starov
Members:
COL [signature] Sidorenko
COL [signature] Koptev
Service Corps COL [signature] Leonov
Administrative Service LTC [signature] Volkov
"25" March 1953
I agree with the statement of the abolishment committee:
Acting Deputy Representative of the USSR Council of Ministers on Repatriation
COL [signature] Filatov
"25" March 1953 #1
REFERENCE cipher telegram from Makarov to Krimov dated 06/25/1952
#20850/1844
Makarov reports that he received from Chinese friends the following information:
Chinese comrades interrrogated an American POW Harding, Jack Erving, who stated, that in 1950 he served in the Intelligence Group of US Army Commander-in-Chief HQ, Far East. As an intelligence officer he knows about a group of american agents in Vladivostok. This group consists of four people: two Americans and two Russians. Harding remembers several things about one of the Russian agents: last name Provoznik, age - 40, height - 5 feet 10 inches, skinny, blond hair. This agent often traveled to Vladivostok and had direct contact with the intelligence group of Commander-in-Chief. Others operated from Manchuria territory.
According to Chinese comrades Harding cannot be fully trusted, although he provided a lot of other information.
Makarov reports that this information was not received during a special interrogation, but during a conversation about general work with POW's.
I agree: [signature] B. Zanegin
"26" June 1952
over To comrade Zanegin Please pass this information to comrade Konovalov's[?] people. 07/14/1952 [singature]
#2 INFORMATION on American POW in Korea
Harding, Jack Erving, First Lieutenant US Air Force, 34 years old, caucasian, American Legion member. 12 years of education. Harding's father - a train machinist, presently unemployed and retired. His mother is 58 years old, divorced from his father. His father remarried, stepmother is 52 years old. Harding has several sisters.
In 1937 he raped a girl, who got pregnant. In order to avoid the responsibility joined the Armed Forces, but soon after got out scared by Army discipline. Lived with his parents for some time. At this time he committed anothe crime - because of his fault a car accident took place, as a result of which a woman, riding with Harding lost an arm. Once again being afraid of taking responsibility for this accident he joined the Armed forced and served in Reconnaisance Aviation until 1945. As a reconnaissance pilot with the Fouth Armoured Division he fought against the Germans during WWII.
He finished the war in Czechoslovakia as a First Lietenant.
In 1945 he demobilized and had various jobs - flight instructor, secretary of the Chairman of American Legion Lakedown Chapter.
In 1946-47 once again joined the Air Force and then with the help of his uncle, who was a member of Congress and the Chief of police he enrolled in CID school, and then to Intelligence Department of Washington Military Academy, where he studied for several months. In 1948-49 was assigned to Japan, where he served in special guard detachment /probably Army Counterintelligence/, later served as Chief of secret information-administrative group at the US Army Commander-in-Chief HQ, Far East.
In 1950 was again transferred to Reconnaissance Aviation and assigned to Korea, where in April of that year his plane was shot down and he was taken prisoner.
Chinese comrades consider him very cunning and treacherous. However they found him to have several weaknesses: he is a coward, loves to drink wine and can disclose all secrets when he is drunk. Chinese comrades taking advantage of those weaknesses received a significant amount of information from him, mainly on organization, personnel and US Army Commander-in-Chief HQ operations, particularly Intelligence group operations. He also provided factual material about US intelligence operations in China, Hong Kong, Burma, Indonesia and other countries. Harding also revealed that US intelligence shows interest in our Far East. In order to conduct intelligence operations against USSR, in his opinion, an intelligence group was formed in Vladivostok/in Chinese - intelligence station/, consisting of 4 people, who answer directly to the HQ Intelligence group. For communication the group uses agents-informants. The group consists of two Americans and the other two - Russian White Guards. One of the group ofter travels to Vladivostok and gets in contact with the HQ Intelligence group and the other three operate from Manchuria territory. Harding saw one of the four agents and knows that his name is Provoznik, 40 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall, has blue eyes, light hair. At one time this person worked at the HQ Intelligence group.
Chinese comrades have not decided what to do with this prisoner. They are not sure that the information provided by the prisoner is valid. We advised them to take all measures in order to verify the validity of the given information. They believe that if the information provided by the prisoner is valid, he could be recruited, fearing exposure.
[signature] Makarov
"25" June 1952. #3 ...needed lighting in the 1st quarter of 1951.[the rest of the sentence is missing] dated 06 Feb 1951.
- 2- [page 2]
5. Quantity of the flying stock, and also number of tan and artillery guns of Kuomintang forces.
6. To locate airfields, suitable to base planes with cargo weight of 60 tons or more and jet planes.
IN KOREA
1. To establish the last measures taken by South Korean Command to strengthen the Armed Forces.
2. To establish the last changes in organization of South Korean formations and units; to verify data about the presence of tank and anti-tank batallions in infantry divisions.
3. To obtain more accurate information about the High Command Operations (Ministry of Defense, General Staff and others).
4. To establish the number and organization of American advisory structure in the South Korean Army.
5. To obtain more accurate information about the number of tanks in formations and units of the US Army and their types.
6. To establish the bomber aviation routes; American Aviation losses detailed separately: from anti-aircraft gun fire, shot down by fighters and so on.
7. To establish through prisoner interrogation the morale of air crew members, intensity of sorties by aircraft type (heavy and medium bombers, fighters), structure, deployment, time of unit formation and combat applicability characteristics of tactical support wings # 6002, 6149, 6131, 6133, 6147, number of B-45 jet bombers and F-84 jet fighters, their unit assignment and deployment.
8. To establish through prisoner interrogation and other possible means what american forces are stationed in Japan and whether Koreans are being trained in Japan to combat Chinese Army and Chinese volunteers in Korea. NOTE: POW interrogation should be conducted by Chinese
intelligence. Officers of the advisory group are strictly forbidden to take part in interrogations. Corrected entry [?] #282
To comrade S.P. Savhenko
Per # 1218/s dated 03/07/1951
No intelligence operations are being conducted by the 2nd Chief Directorate, Soviet Army General Staff, among POWs of the nationalities you have indicated, who are located in camps in North Korea.
[initials] m/sh M. Shalin
"10" March 1951
Agreed: [signature] Zamtsov
# 998787 CERTIFICATE
cipher telegram from Lieutenant General Razuvaev to Lieutenant General Malk # 500077/sh-77sh
Comrade Razuvaev raises a question on strengthening a group of advisers at the Intelligence Directorate, General Staff of North Korean Army [KKA?] with advisers (on the account of civilian positions for advisery group in Korea) and English language translators.
In connection with absence of qualified English language translators in the NKA [KKA?], comrade Razuvaev is asking for a permission to use our translators during the interrogation of American POWs.
CERTIFICATE: Army General comrade [last name illegible] appended instructions, forbidding out translators interrogate American and British POWs.
AGREED: [signature] B. Zanegin
"31" January 1951