8 Jun 2020

01: One Night in Wadestown

From The Service, 6:55 am on 8 June 2020

John Daniell grew up in a house where spying was the family business. His mum had worked for New Zealand's Security Intelligence (SIS) before he was born and his step-dad worked for them throughout his childhood. 

Through the tense years of the Cold War, John's step-dad, who we're calling Jim Stewart, went out on missions and the family kept New Zealand's secrets. The SIS - known as The Service - works on a need to know basis. But one night, not long before he died, Jim told John a story about one particular mission; a raid on a foreign embassy right here in New Zealand that has remained a closely guarded secret. Until now.

John Daniell playing rugby as a 10 year-old.

John Daniell playing rugby as a 10 year-old. Photo: John Daniell

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With his friend, RNZ's Guyon Espiner, John has spent the past year trying to get to the bottom of this story.  

 

RNZ/NZ On Air Innovation Fund logos

Photo: RNZ/NZ On Air

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Photo: Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

 

 

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