Age, Biography and Wiki

Walter Seddon Clayton was born on 24 March, 1906 in Australia, is an A communist party of Australia members. Discover Walter Seddon Clayton's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 91 years old?

Popular As N/A
Occupation N/A
Age 91 years old
Zodiac Sign Aries
Born 24 March, 1906
Birthday 24 March
Birthplace N/A
Date of death 22 October 1997
Died Place N/A
Nationality Australia

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 24 March. He is a member of famous with the age 91 years old group.

Walter Seddon Clayton Height, Weight & Measurements

At 91 years old, Walter Seddon Clayton height not available right now. We will update Walter Seddon Clayton's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.

Physical Status
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Dating & Relationship status

He is currently single. He is not dating anyone. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. According to our Database, He has no children.

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Walter Seddon Clayton Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Walter Seddon Clayton worth at the age of 91 years old? Walter Seddon Clayton’s income source is mostly from being a successful . He is from Australia. We have estimated Walter Seddon Clayton's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
Salary in 2023 Under Review
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Source of Income

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Timeline

1906

Walter Seddon Clayton (24 March 1906 – 22 October 1997) was a key organiser of the Communist Party of Australia (CPA) in the 1930s and 1940s and suspected of being the Australian-based Soviet spymaster code-named 'KLOD', although the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and Britains' MI5 were not able to provide any conclusive evidence of this for fear of tipping off the Soviets that their cable traffic was being deciphered and read by Western intelligence agencies.

1930

Clayton migrated from New Zealand to Australia in 1930 and joined the Communist Party of Australia in 1933.

He quickly moved up the ranks within the CPA, becoming responsible for the organisation and operation of the undercover and clandestine apparatus for the CPA while the party was outlawed.

Incensed by the Great Depression of the 1930s, Clayton joined the Communist Party of Australia (CPA) in 1933 where he quickly moved up the ranks.

1931

Clayton was born in New Zealand before settling in Melbourne, Australia in 1931, where he sold bags and goods wholesale.

1938

Clayton was well known for his public "soap box" appearances and was arrested in 1938 for protesting against a visit to Australia by a Nazi yachtsman.

1940

Clayton spent most of the 1940s and 1950s underground, playing a game of cat and mouse with the police and officers of the Australia's newly formed security service (ASIO).

Clayton was also "nabbed" during a police raid shortly after the CPA was declared illegal (in June 1940).

Clayton was kept under investigation for his connections with the CPA.

However, he went underground and was rarely seen again until his appearance at the Petrov Royal Commission.

Some time in the 1940s, Clayton became a member of the CPA's Central Control Commission, which was responsible for internal discipline and the clandestine operations of the party.

While never charged with espionage or treason, Clayton was believed to be the Soviet spymaster code-named 'KLOD', who coordinated a network of spies in Canberra during the 1940s and early 1950s.

According to decrypts from 'Venona', a United States counterintelligence program, KLOD received classified (and some not-so-classified) documents and information from a network of about 10 spies and passed this information to his Soviet handlers.

1945

One of the decrypted Venona reports indicates that Clayton was embarrassed when paid for information that he provided in 1945.

Clayton explained to his Soviet handler that he passed information for 'duty'.

1950

Clayton was kept under ASIO surveillance throughout the 1950s and 1960s as part of Operation Pigeon.

In the mid-1950s, Clayton had fallen out of favour with the senior members of the CPA.

Having failed in his attempt to defect to the Soviet Union, Clayton moved to a small home in Salt Ash, near Nelson Bay on the NSW coast.

There he purchased a small fishing boat and became known as the "Snapper King" while fishing at Broughton Island.

Other agents in place in the Australian Government and suspected of involvement with Clayton, include:

1954

In May 1954, Clayton briefly emerged from hiding to appear at the Royal Commission on Espionage, which was the government's response to the Petrov affair.

At the inquiry, Clayton denied ever having met anyone from the Soviet embassy and could not recall having met either Jim Hill or Ian Milner.

Clayton mocked ASIO by going back into hiding shortly after his appearance at the Royal Commission.

Convinced that Clayton was the mastermind behind the Soviet intelligence network in Australia, ASIO retaliated against Clayton with Operation Pigeon, in an effort to get him to confess or to find others who would provide the much needed evidence of his treachery.

1957

In 1957, ASIO ramped up pressure on Clayton to confess.

Fearing that Clayton was about to defect to the Soviet Union, the Menzies government arranged for the cancellation of his and his wife's passports the day before they were due to depart Australia.

According to Clayton's wife, Peace Joy Clayton, the two had progressed plans to migrate permanently to the USSR from April 1957.

1970

This surveillance may have even extended into the 1970s and 1980s.

Suspecting that Clayton might rendezvous with a Soviet submarine off the NSW coast, ASIO had reportedly even recruited the services of local fishermen in the Port Stephens area to monitor his movements at sea.