The subject of Val Wake''s biography No Ribbons or Medals is strongly criticised in Peter Butt''s documentary
Peter Butt an Australian film maker with a history for making controversial films with a historical background did it again last week with his documentary I Spry.
The hour long doco which was shown on ABC national television in all states and territories was the story of the second director general of ASIO, the Australian spy agency, Charles Spry.
Spry took over ASIO shortly after the conservative government of Robert Menzies was elected in late 1949.
ASIO was formed earlier by the Chifley Labor government with South Australian Supreme Court Judge Geoffrey Reed as director general and Bob Wake, Val Wake's father, as the organisational director.
With Judge Reed, Bob Wake was successful in getting the organisation launched. Bob Wake worked closely with an MI 5 liasion officer Courtney Young and the fledging organisation had some success in placing agents inside Russian organisations within Australia and even identifying potential spies.
Following the Menzies victory Judge Reed returned to the bench and Brigadier Spry of Military Intelligence was appointed director general.
Spry and Wake never got on and eventually Wake was forced to resign. ASIO then conducted a watch on Wake which was turned into a witch hunt.
Peter Butt's film deals almost entirely with events that took place after Spry became director general. It alleges that Bob Wake was fired because he was incompetent and was unreliable.
Val Wake hotly denies these allegations and claims that after Wake resigned ASIO embarked on a character assassination which still influences historians and others today.
" All I am asking for is justice," says Val Wake speaking from his Port Macquarie home.
" Bob Wake was one of this country's finest security officers. What Peter Butt and others have done is unconscionable."
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