He trained her in intelligence gathering and communications
techniques, and in 1943 sent her to the UK along
with her dog “Babs”, from whom she was
inseparable, stopping in Lisbon to
collect her radio to communicate
back. However she was unable to
get a visa to leave Portugal due to
her Russian nationality so she went
to Spain. Once there, Sergueiew
contacted the Madrid MI5
representative to hand herself over as a German spy
who was willing to turn double-agent. She was
accepted and sent to England to be processed.
Sergueiew was given the code-name TREASURE
and handled by MI5 officer Mary Sherer. She was a
very effective agent, but also
as her personnel file records. She suffered from
kidney problems, (which would contribute to her early death) and
that might have exacerbated her temper. British doctors had
recommended surgery to remove one kidney but she refused.
Allowances had to be made to visit her at home in order to discuss
plans as travelling was too tiring for her. Quarantine regulations
were to cause a particular headache for the British – they meant
that she could not take her beloved Babs back with her, and the dog
had to remain in Gibraltar. Sergueiew protested heavily and told her
MI5 contact that he had to persuade the powers that be to let the
dog come. She threatened to quit unless MI5 arranged for her dog
to be brought her. Matters came to a head in February 1944 when
Sergueiew learned that her precious Babs (now living with her sister
in Algeria) had been run over. She informed MI5 that she had a
secret signal, which would indicate to Kliemann that she was under
British control, and threatened to use it in revenge for the death of
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