Niels Bohr

Message from England

A courier from Stockholm had arrived in Copenhagen with a communication from England to the Danish general staff, to the effect that an important message for Prof. Bohr was to come via the general staff offices. It was requested to ascertain whether Bohr would be willing to receive that message, which was to be written on a piece of ultramicrofilm hidden in a hollowed-out section of a key attached to a bunch of other keys. Only after receipt of a signal that Bohr would accept the message would the bunch of keys be sent to Copenhagen.

Gyth was charged with contacting Bohr. He was an officer in the information division of the Danish general staff who at the same time was deeply involved with the Danish resistance movement. Thus came about Gyth's visit to Bohr, the beginning of a secret operation codenamed '213'.

Bohr declared himself willing to accept the message. But it took another three weeks before a sufficiently well qualified courier was found to bring the material from Stockholm to Copenhagen.

After receipt of the keys, Gyth managed to locate the microdot which was the size of a pinhead. He put it under a microscope and transcribed it.

"I have heard in a roundabout way that you have considered coming to this country if the opportunity should offer. I need not tell you how delighted I myself should be to see you again."

"Indeed I have in my mind a particular problem in which your assistance would be of the greatest help. Darwin and Appleton are also interested in this problem and I know they too would be very glad to have your help and advice."

"All I want to do is to assure you that if you decide to come, you will have a very warm welcome and an opportunity of service in the common cause"

"Yours sincerely, J. Chadwick. Physics Laboratories - The University of Liverpool"

Bohr declined the invitation. At Bohr's request, Gyth returned the next day to pick up a reply to Chadwick. He saw to it that this letter was reduced to 2 x 3 mm size. Next, it was wrapped in metal foil and handed to a courier. Then it went to a dentist who inserted the message in a hollow tooth of the courier, then covered it with a filling.

"In spite of the times, it was possible to continue undisturbed both the experimental and the theoretical work."

"I have to the best of my judgment convinced myself that in spite of all future prospects, any immediate use of the latest marvelous discoveries of atomic physics is impracticable."