THE NORTH ASIA COMMAND 1952 - 1956

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06761480
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: March 8, 2023
• Document Release Date: March 28, 2019
• Case Number: F-2018-02706
• Publication Date: July 1, 1969

Approved for Release: 2019/03/25 C06761480
$ E yE T
CS Historical Paper
No 211
CLANDESTINE SERVICES
HISTORY
(TITLE OF PAPER)
THE NORTH ASIA COMMAND
pumM.
1952 � 1956
DO NOT DESTROY
Date published: July 1969
Copy No. 2 of 2 copies
S Ey(E T
Controlled by � FE Division
Date prepared � Spring 1969
Written by W. Lloyd George
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SECRE
GTOUID (JTAG) came to a disastrous end with more serieus
and lasting consequences. In North China, not too ir
from the presence of Chinese Communists, a guerrilla--
intelligence team was in trouble-and an airplane rescue
operation for the principal agent was planned. The com-
mander of JTAG,
informed the newly estab-
lished NAC that the then available ground pick-up
system would be employed. This called for a pass over
the ground team's location by the JTAG C-47, the drop-
ping of gear which the ground team would set up quickly,
another pass with
stretched between
plane to lift the
a lowered hook to seize a strong line
two stakes, and a rapid climb by the
attached Agency agent to safety where
he would no longer be subject to capture and interro-
gation for his knowledge of base headquarters information.
JTAG recognized the danger of entrapment but considered
the risk minimal. It.did not prove so. The plane was
shot down on its second pass and John T. Downey and
(b)(3)
Richard Fecteau, two Agency employees under Department
of the Army civilian
the pilot and copilot
cover,
did
were captured.
not survive.
*Presumably
For a time in
it was not known,
even though
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
suspected, what had happened.
unit, headed by
23
NAC's new air maritime
SECRET
sought and gained the
(b)(3)
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SECRET
support of General "Jake" Smart of the Far East Air Force.
The Air Force laid on a sea search between Japan and
Korea under the pretext that an Air Force plane had pos-
sibly gone down on
This was supported
second C-47 which,
coverage, appeared
a trip between the two land areas.
by a carefully devised flight by a
by suddenly diving below radar
to have crashed into the sea. The
search lasted most of a week without, naturally, direct
results. During that interval, Japan headquarters of
FEC,
waited in trepidation for any word
of survivors of the rescue operation. Finally, almost
exactly two years later, in November 1954, it came when
the Chinese Communists announced that Downey and Fecteau
had been captured and would be tried. This they were
and sentenced to prison, Downey for life and Fecteau
for 20 years.* Thus for well over a decade they have
been
in China as subjects of endless
and fruitless negotiations and diplomatic conversations
in Warsaw whenever Chinese Communist representatives
agree to talk with the American Ambassador there. To
*For further details on this operation, see CS Historical
Paper No. 87, The Civil Air Transport (CAT) A Propri-
etary Air Line, 1946-1953, vol. III, tab J, The Pick-
Up Operation.
24
SECRET
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
Approved for Release: 2019/03/25 C06761480