I am currently running Day of the Beast. While preparing the London Burning chapter I noticed there is no mention of Special Branch who was, at the time, responsible for investigation and prevention of political violence. So I started doing a bit of research about Special Branch in 1927 -1929
First I thought it would be a nice hook if the groups BoI agent had a contact in Special Branch and with a bit of digging I found Millicent Bagot a temporary clerk with Special Branch correlating information gathered by Special Branch detectives. As for someone who could be heading up the investigation I came across Hubert "Gin" Ginhoven . This opened a whole a new wonderful can of tentacles as Ginhoven was actually a Soviet agent and was passing on information regarding surveillance of left wing groups and providing warnings about raids and arrests.
It seems that Ginhoven was recruited by William Ewer a member of the Communist Part of Great Britain and journalist for the Daily Herald. Ewer ran a spy ring with sources in the India Office, home Office and Scotland. The ring was managed through a news agency the Federated Press of America. When the FPA closed Ewer and Rosa Edwardes (the group's secretary) moved operations to the Featherstone Typewriting Bureau.
Aiding Ewer and Edwardes were employees of the Vigilance Detective Agency Walter Dale and Albert (Arthur) Allen ex- police detectives, with left leanings, who had been fired from the Metropolitan Police for taking part in the 1919 Police strike. Their duties were counter surveillance and acting as cut-outs between Ewer and recruited agents such as Ginhoven. Dale was Ewer's cut-out to Ginhoven and does not seem to have been particularly good at his job as he always met Ginhoven at a Lyon's teashop near Bank station.
In the scenario I had Ewer's group funding and advising the Tooting Revolutionary Party. When the TRP morphed into the Tooting Sons of Terror Ewers group lost contact with them. To Ewer's group this did not seem important until a bunch of Yanks turn up and start questioning Ginhoven.
Thankfully my players took the bait when Ginhoven was evasive about the investigation into Datlers death and they followed him later when he left Scotland Yard. They trailed him to the Bank station and saw him meeting Walter Dale. Dale led them to the Featherstone Typewriting Bureau where they observed Dale meeting with Rosa Edwardes and Albert Allen.
They later trailed Albert Allen to a meeting with Kevin Smith the ex-leader of the TRP. I found this a much more interesting way to get them Tooting other them getting the information from a captured Son of Terror at the Dawes house.
As an added twist I changed Oliver Tant to Olivia Tant. I based the character on Rotha Lintorn-Orman
