Hermann Görtz was an Abwehr agent with a colourful past. He had already been detained on suspicion of espionage in Britain following his arrest on 8 November 1935. He was sentenced to prison in 1936 and released in February 1939. In Britain he had become notorious as "The Flying Spy" in the British media although his notoriety did not prevent his recall to service on 1 August 1939 during the German call up for World War II as a reserve second lieutenant. He had a number of functions in the German military before being assigned to the "Lehr Regiment Brandenburg" on 19 January 1940 under the command of Abwehr II.