Around the end of 1940, a ""Where is Frank Ryan?"" campaign began in the "Irish Press". In response, Frank Ryan wrote a letter to Leopold Kerney, Irish Minister in Madrid, explaining his whereabouts. Abwehr II's war diary records that the Government of the Republic of Ireland was made aware of Ryan's whereabouts between 11 and 19 December 1940 by Elizabeth ("Budge") Clissmann, who hand-delivered the letter on Ryan's behalf. Ryan instructed Clissmann not to tell Kerney that Russell had died on board U-65, although this information appears to have already been leaked.