We Found a Russian Princess While Looking For Merson Booth's Parents

If there is anything we have learned from the JFK assassination and the attempted Trump coup d'etat, there are probably some White Russian royalists lurking in the shadows if the conspiracy is big enough. 

First, a point of clarification.

Aside from the cocktail, the term "White Russian" can mean:

1. A person from White Russia or White Ruthenia, "a territory in the eastern part of present-day Belarus." 
2. Anyone from Belarus, under the presumption that "White" is "an archaic literal translation for Belarus." 
3. A member of the "White" movement during the Russian Civil War. The forces that opposed the "Red" movement (Communist/Boslshevik.) They were often monarchists, or those that remained loyal to the Russian Royal family, but also included Russian Nationalists, Ukranian and other regional Nationalist proponents ("Free Lithuania", "Free Belorus",  anti-Soviets, pro-democracy and other factions, the common denominator being anti-Red.)
• Also narrowly, emigres from Imperial Russia during and after the civil war that remained actively opposed to the Reds while in exile.
• More Broadly, any emigre from Imperial Russia during the civil war, whether or not they cared about returning to Russia. (ie. forced out of Russia but no plans to return.)

What was Merson Booth's "White Privilege?"

We called attention Merson Booth in this post "The Gibson Island Atomic Lighthouse and Introduction to Merson Booth" a few days ago. Briefly, we are interested in learning more about Merson Booth (1924-2012)  for the following reasons:

• Member of the Gibson Island Club.
• Recruited by Admiral Hyman Rickover to work on US Navy Nuclear Submarine Program.
• Contemporary of, and likely worked directly with, Zalman Shapiro, founder of NUMEC and central figure in "The Apollo Affair" (the illegal sale of Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) to Israel in 1960s.)
• Worked for the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) during the period the HEU went missing and was involved in the investigation of a radiation incident less than an hour away from the NUMEC plant in Apollo, Pennsylvania. 

Naturally, we like to know more about the background whenever we come across suspicious characters from Gibson Island, especially when they have connections to important conspiracies.

Since Gibson Island is so exclusive and limited in size, residents (property owners) are "privileged" to live there. In our research into the history and families of Gibson Island, we have noticed a few broad patterns with which we can suggest a stereotypical family. These stereotypes, especially for pre-World War II founding families, with much overlap, include:

• WWI War Profiteers
• Standard Oil "Trusters" (Rockefeller relatives, as well as early investors, partners, corporate officers and bought-out competitors of Standard Oil before it was broken up in 1911.)
• Colonial Founders (Mayflower and early Virginia descendants, etc.)
• Revolutionary War Fighters & Declaration Signers
• "Spurious Nobility" (ie. family can claim some type of lineage to a European Royal Family.)
• "Confederate Royalty" (ie. a great-grandfather [great-great, etc.] was a high ranking officer in the Confederate Army or politician.
• "Baltimore Brahmans" (Social Register listed families from nearby Baltimore.)
• Annapolis Admirals

We believe that residents and families of Gibson Island that purchased houses later in the 20th century likely fall into one or more of the categories above, but there may be a few exceptions. These exceptions might include people that ingratiated themselves via displays of competence while undertaking a specific mission for the Deep State. A few of the Admirals, Intelligence Officers, Media Manipulators, Academics and Industry Leaders might fall into the category. Nonetheless, we would not be surprised to find out if most of the newer members of the Gibson Island Gang, were put in a position to demonstrate competence, and eventually progress to "Full Member" status, because their lineage could be traced to one or more of the bullet-pointed groups.  

Among the privileged, Merson is a descendant of John Hart, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The Booths were a large family. William Booth had nine children (not all shown) and at least two of his children had eight children. We believe two Booths on the "Skull & Bones" Membership Roster from the 1880s are related to Merson Booth, as well as Clare "Booth" Luce. Further research is required.

Who are Merson Booth's "White Russians?"

We will often find that a suspicious character does not end up playing a roll in a conspiracy out of sheer coincidence. For example, as a member of the Gibson Island Club, Merson Booth would have rubbed shoulders with the Muellers and duPonts, who have already been connected to post WWII nuclear weapons and power projects (as well as pre-WWII weapons projects in general).

Booth also would have come into contact with Godfrey Rockefeller (worked for Bell Helicopter at same time as Lee Harvey Oslwald "friend" Michael Paine), and Harold Noel Arrowsmith, Jr., whom we can connect to George Lincoln Rockwell, the neo-Nazi founder believed to be an associate of several JFK assassination suspects, and Hans Reckenberg, an original Nazi that corresponded with Otto Skorzeny. See these posts:

• Arrowsmith & Rockwell Post: About the Gibson Islander Neo-Nazi Financier, the "Face" he Financed, and the Futile JFK File Search
• Arrowsmith - Reckenberg Skorzeny Post: Arrowsmith of Gibson Island, a Few More Familiar Names and a Dueling Scar

Along another line of inquiry that is discussed in this thread, Who was Edward Pierpont Morgan? Was Charles W. Lyons a CIA Cut Out? Did Otepka run across a Nazi Rat Line? we delve into a potential CIA sponsored effort to smuggle Nazi War criminals into the United States by disguising them as White Russians, using any of the definitions for White Russian we highlighted above.

As things tend to happen, a simple google search of the name "Merson Booth" pulled up "Irina Troubetzkoy" as some sort of relative. Russian names and anything nuclear related are always worth a look, so digging deeper into Irina revealed that she is married to William Clay Booth, the son of Merson, and a White Russian Princess.

Princess Irina Troubetzkoy hails from "The Princely House of Gagarin" which originates from the founder of Russia, "Rurik" in 867, according to this genealogy website http://www.gagarin.com/.

The full Family Tree of the House of Gagarin can be viewed at this link. Gargarin Family Tree - Beginning Year 879.

The Primary modern branches of the House of Gagarin are shown in the table below.

Other Information and References

Follow @btaylor_71

Related Follow Up Post: 

Wash, Rinse, Repeat at the Troika Laundromat

Link for Later Post:

George de Mohrenschildt (Deep Politics Forum)

  

Arrowsmith of Gibson Island, a Few More Familiar Names and a Dueling Scar

As noted in our last post, Harold N. Arrowsmith Jr. was known to associate with Neo-Nazis, including George Lincoln Rockwell, and old-Nazis, like Hans Rechenberg.

The historical record can confirm that Rockwell and Rechenburg were first degree connections to Harold Arrowsmith. A few more names have popped up in the list of associates of Rockwell and Rechenburg that are interesting. We have not dug deep enough to confirm a first degree connection between Arrowsmith and these associates, so we'll call them second degree connections for now.

• Link to Original Post - About the Gibson Islander Neo-Nazi Financier, the "Face" he Financed, and the Futile JFK File Search - August 21, 2019
• Link to Follow Up Post - More About Arrowsmith, the Nazi from Gibson Island - August 22, 2019

Did Somebody Say Hookers?
Harold N. Arrowsmith was not the first wealthy WASP that Rockwell ran in the same circles with that was a potential source of funding for a nascent North American Nazi movement. Prior to Rockwell's receipt of some "start-up" capital from Arrowsmith in 1958, Rockwell was introduced to
DeWest Hooker (aka West Hooker.)

DeWest Hooker

DeWest Hooker is another one of those characters in the huge circle of JFK conspirators, Cold-War spies, culture manipulators and disinformation agents that all seemed to know each other, in some way, before November 1963.

The last name "Hooker" is one of those "Eastern Establishment" family names that would lend credibility to a possible "mark" like George Lincoln Rockwell, who was looking for a wealthy benefactor back in the mid-1950s. As this blog post reads, Dewest looked like a genuine "hoi polloi", and he may well have been. There are other Hookers in the general "milieu" of the JFK conspiracy, including a branch in the Rockefeller family. An Edward Hooker was the room mate of George H.W. Bush at Andover and the uncle of George de Mohrenschildt.

The Hooker/Rockwell association does not appear to have developed into a benefactor/protege relationship, and we only think it is noteworthy that apparent attempt was made because of the more successful relationship that developed a few years later between Rockwell and Arrowsmith. (ie. Neophyte Nazi (Rockwell) find WASP money (Arrowsmith.) In other words, was Rockwell an actor in a play he probably did not know he was in?

Otto Skorzeny with "dueling scar"

Otto Skorzeny, Super Nazi, had one Hell of a Dueling Scar
As described in this post the CIA station in Munich was keeping tabs on Harold Arrowsmith in 1962. Harold was noted to have been in contact with an un-repentant ex-Nazi named Hans Rechenburg. 

The CIA has a substantive file on Hans Rechenburg with 129 records available for review in the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act section of the CIA FOIA vault.

The most interesting record we have come across so far is a translation of a correspondence between Rechenburg and Super Nazi Otto Skorzeny. The letter is dated February 19, 1962 and a February 12 letter is referenced.  (The letter between Rechenberg and Arrowsmith is date January 20, 1962.) 

We'll set aside further speculation as to whether the letters have any significance for the time being and anyone is free to go through the Reckenberg CIA files if you are conducting your own research.

CIA Vault - Translation of letter between
Otto Skorzeny and Hans Rechenburg

• Link to full letter (pdf) above
• Link to "Rechenberg" (also occasionally "Reckenburg") Files in CIA Vault.
• Link to CIA Vault 

Otto Skorzeny gained Super-Nazi status when in World War II, Hitler asked him to rescue Benito Mussolini from his prison "high in the Abruzzi Apennines."

Skorzeny agreed and on 13th September he led an airbourne force of commandos by glider to a dangerous landing near the hotel where he was being held. Mussolini was soon freed and Skorzeny flew him to safety. Source: Spartacus Educational

Otto Skorenzy is also a suspect in the JFK Assassination, which is what makes him relevant to this narrative. The book below is relatively new (we have not read) and presents evidence that Skorzeny was involved in the plot to kill JFK.

Follow @btaylor_71

More About Arrowsmith, the Nazi from Gibson Island

Harold Noel Arrowsmith corresponded with both "Old-School" Nazi's, like Hans Rechenberg, in addition to the neo-Nazis.

Our post yesterday highlighted Harold Noel Arrowsmith Jr.. The Arrowsmith family was one of the early "investors" in the Gibson Island real estate development. The post, About the Gibson Islander Neo-Nazi Financier, the "Face" he Financed, and the Futile JFK File Search can be read here.

Subsequent to yesterday's post, we found additional information about "Harold Jr."

• Seems to have lived in both Maryland and Germany since at least the late 1950's.
• Moved to Germany permanently in 1974, and passed away there in 1989.
• He was wealthy. As a result of international tax treaty issues, an appeal and litigation by his heirs prompted the disclosure that Harold had about $30 million when he died.

Munich Station - Keeping Tabs

We noted the absence of a "file" on Arrowsmith in the maryferrell.org archive database in the earlier post. A subsequent check of the CIA archives was more fruitful. (A few JFK researchers have said on various message boards that the maryferrell.org website is "controlled opposition." Maybe they are correct.)

The screenshot below shows that in early 1962, the CIA in Munich was monitoring the correspondence of Harold Arrowsmith with a German national named Hans Rechenberg. The letter indicates that Harold Arrowsmith either had an innocent interest in German history, which would square with his "anthropology" interests, or that his willingness to finance some small expenses may indicate more nefarious intentions.

Link to full Document - CIA Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act

The Rechenberg Dossier

Every stack of paper sounds important when you call it a dossier.

Hans Rechenberg (also Hans-Joachim Rechenberg, sometimes Rechenburg) was a Nazi "journalist" who worked under Reich Minister Walther Funk before the war and under Goebbels during the war. He was a war correspondent for the Reich and flew with the Luftwaffe on London bombing missions and parachuted into Tunisia with the Afrika Korps. In May 1943 Rechenberg was listed as MIA and spent the rest of the war in Concordia, Kansas until being repatriated back to Germany in 1946.

After the war, Rechenberg was apparently unrepentant, or duty bound, or needed the money, and remained loyal to some of his former bosses who rank high enough in the Nazi organizational chart to warrant a trial at Nuremberg.  These loyalist activities included:

Francois Genoud
Swiss Banker, ODESSA Supporter

• advocating for better prison conditions for his former bosses.
• oversaw "Progress", a Pro-German Nationalism / Anti-American Magazine.
• conspiring with a Swiss banker and escape agent for Nazi criminals named François Genoud 
• and according to the German to English translation, "With Genoud Rechenberg has worked in the marketing of the estate of Martin Bormann and at the trial of Adolf Eichmann in 1961."

In short, as of 1962, Rechenberg was assisting some of the more infamous Nazis in a variety of ways and was an "undercover agent" for the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) aka West German Intelligence.

• CIA list of Rechenberg contacts
• CIA Intercept of Skorzeny & Rechenberg letter

Revisiting Arrowsmith

Harold Arrowsmith becomes even more interesting given that he was corresponding with Rechenberg, who it turns out, was actively running Nazi rat lines, if not actual Nazis. We can't say for sure if Arrowsmith's "old school" associations were prompted by the fall out with George Lincoln Rockwell and his new brand of American Nazis. (ie Rockwell was a disappointment, so Arrowsmith hooked up with the original version of the Nazi band.)

Alternatively, Arrowsmith may just have become disillusioned with Rockwell in particular, or Rockwell had served out a particular purpose, or the breakup was part of the school play. Whatever the case, Arrowsmith seems to have been in a relatively rare position to effect communication, plans, conspiracies, financial transfers, and a host of other arrangements between two "verbotten" entities; the Old School original Nazis and the New Wave Neo-Nazis of North America.

Nazi Rat Lines to New Orleans

The discovery of Harold N. Arrowsmith dovetails slightly with the broader thesis described by George Webb and McDuff (Kennedy's Man to Smash the CIA) on their Youtube channels (Webb Channel) (McDuff Channel), which, in summary, says that the CIA was running former Nazi's into place like New Orleans, and that these Nazi's were not always the scientific types, like under Operation Paperclip. That thesis is expanded on this earlier post; Who was Edward Pierpont Morgan? Was Charles W. Lyons a CIA Cut Out? Did Otepka run across a Nazi Rat Line?

Also worth a watch, The Nazis Next Door: How America Became A Safe Haven For Hitler’s Men, by the author of this book.

Follow @btaylor_71