Life Story

Nathalie "Lily" Sergueiew (AKA TREASURE) was a double agent

who worked for MI5 during the Second World War, under the

codename "Treasure". She played a significant role in the Double-

Cross System, particularly by deceiving the Germans about the

location of the D-Day landings.

Sergueiew was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia. She was the

niece of General Yevgeny Miller, but that did not give her family any

guarantee of safety after the Russian Revolution in

1917, so they fled to France. Sergueiew was

educated in Paris as an artist, and then trained as

a journalist aided by her skill in languages as she

was fluent in English, French and German. During

the mid-1930s she worked across Germany as a

journalist, and even interviewed Hermann Göring

during her travels. She also decided to cycle from

Paris to Saigon (shown right on her bike) but only

made it as far as Beirut due to the outbreak of war

and there she decided to start training as a nurse.

Prior to the war, German Intelligence made attempts to recruit her

but were rebuffed. However she did actually have an interest in

undercover work and in 1940 volunteered to work with the Abwehr,

the German Military Intelligence. It seems that her real aim was to

get sent to England as an agent and turn double-agent, working for

the British against the Nazi’s. Her Abwehr handler was Major Emil

Kliemann who operated out of Paris, and is shown on the right with

Sergueiew. This photograph was taken and during a meet in Lisbon

and sent back to the British authorities. It demonstrates the trust

Kliemann placed in her.