Toil and Trouble: Introducing... Codename Badger (February 9, 2026)

Overview

In this special introductory episode, Always True Crime presents the first episode of "Codename Badger," an enthralling new series explored by journalist Eugene Henderson and co-producer Andy Clark, with perspectives from Nikki Hibbing, the daughter of one of the key figures. The episode delves into the mysterious circumstances that upended the Mills family’s life in 1955, beginning with the unexplained death of Major Robbie Mills, followed by the sudden appearance of enigmatic “Captain” John Cattell—a man whose stories of espionage, betrayal, and covert operations would shape the family’s destiny for decades.

This is a gripping true crime tale filled with secrecy, manipulation, and trauma, as Henderson and Clark reconstruct a saga stretching from postwar England to the shadowy corridors of British intelligence and beyond.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Tragic Death of Robbie Mills

• Setting the Scene (02:14–03:56)

  • 1955, Torbay, England: Major Robbie Mills, a charismatic and sociable army officer, falls to his death from a gangplank after a party aboard HMS Untiring.
  • "But his death is just the beginning." – Eugene Henderson (03:34)

• Initial Aftermath (03:56–04:40)

  • Robbie’s wife, Josephine, is told it was a tragic accident. Within weeks, a mysterious man appears at her door with an alternative story.

2. Enter: Captain John Cattell

• The Intruder with Secrets (04:41–06:41)

  • John Cattell presents himself as Robbie’s best friend and a military spy, hinting that Robbie’s death was no accident but punishment for being “a liability” to higher powers.
  • “Your children... when remember the traumas we all had when Robbie was alive and the desperate attempt he was making to sort out life and to live it. But in fact he did say to you Joe, didn't he? That he didn't think he'd last very long.” – John Cattell (06:23)

• Josephine’s Vulnerability (07:37)

  • Josephine, a young widow with four children, becomes increasingly reliant on John, seeking answers others won't—or can't—provide.

3. Family Memories: Nikki and Andrew Hibbing

• The Children’s Perspective (08:00–10:25)
  • Nikki, the eldest daughter, and Andrew, her brother, recall John’s unsettling integration into the family. Nikki resents him taking her father’s place and possessions.
  • “He seemed to sort of slot into the house. I think he even sat in my father's chair at the dining table, which I didn’t like.” – Nikki (10:25)
  • Andrew describes John as, “big, powerful, dark... an odd character... we didn’t really get to know him.” (10:38–11:44)

4. Shadows of Espionage

• Covert Operations and Paranoia (12:22–13:15)
  • Josephine spends hours decoding the personal columns in The Daily Telegraph, trying to find hidden messages possibly sent by John.
  • “She never explained what was going on... as if secret messages were being conveyed through this personal column...” – Nikki (12:40)

5. John Cattell’s Extraordinary Past

• Wartime Recollections & SOE Recruitment (13:55–16:02)

  • John recounts his dramatic military career, including a harrowing initiation in the woods, and missions as an SOE agent (Special Operations Executive).
  • “It was a strange kind of initiation really, when you think about it. Being dropped in the woods at night, armed with two knives, knowing a convicted murderer, also armed with two knives, was in the very same woods...” – Actor as John Cattell (16:02)

• Daring Missions (18:22–21:10)

  • Claims of being personally briefed by Churchill, operating under the codename “Badger,” suffering torture and narrowly escaping execution.
  • “The volley filled the air and the wall behind me shuddered and I stood there dazed. The shots had deliberately gone over my head. No bullet had touched me.” – Actor as John Cattell (20:02)
  • Liberation from Buchenwald by Patton’s army (21:10)

6. Strains, Scams, and Scandal

• Turbulence at Home (23:03–24:53)

  • Nikki remembers John’s behaviors: feigning illness after meals, taking her father’s clothes, causing childhood resentment.
  • “She would also give him my father’s clothes....we hadn’t really been offered anything to remember our father by, whereas he seemed to take priority.” – Nikki (24:10)

• John’s Chaotic Life (24:53–26:14)

  • Frequent injuries, late night calls compelling Josephine to bail him from jail, citing espionage-related troubles and car accidents.

• Criminal Charges and Doubt (26:16–27:10)

  • Arrested for theft (coins from phone boxes; later for shoplifting olives). His defense claims “inadequate personality”. John maintains these are covers for secret missions in Hungary and Budapest.

7. Lasting Trauma and Unresolved Questions

• Josephine’s Sacrifices (27:10–28:55)

  • Josephine gives John large sums of money, holds onto hope for answers about Robbie’s fate, forever absorbed in his mystique.

• Nikki’s Enduring Mystery (28:55–29:07)

  • “We couldn’t process our own grief at losing our father and left… in this complete vacuum.” – Nikki (29:04)

• John’s Final Tapes (29:12–29:39)

  • John leaves cryptic recordings, hinting at secrets too dangerous to share, and possible threats to his own safety.
  • “There’s some things I can't say under pain of imprisonment, without trial or being detained during Her Majesty's pleasure indefinitely.” – John Cattell (29:31)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the impact of secrets:
  "This short tape will be unsatisfactory to people who might hear it in 30, 40, 50 years time. But at this particular moment, it is not a good idea to say anymore." — John Cattell (29:12)

• On inherited trauma:
  "We couldn’t process our own grief at losing our father and left… in this complete vacuum." — Nikki Hibbing (29:04)

• On John’s enigmatic presence:
  "He seemed to sort of slot into the house. I think he even sat in my father's chair at the dining table, which I didn’t like." — Nikki Hibbing (10:25)

• On wartime initiation:
  "Being dropped in the woods at night, armed with two knives, knowing a convicted murderer, also armed with two knives, was in the very same woods..." — Actor as John Cattell (16:02)

• On survivor’s bravado and secrecy:
  "I was not very brave, I can assure you. I tried to be." — John Cattell (29:25)

Important Timestamps

• 02:14 — HMS Untiring incident & Robbie Mills’ death
• 04:41 — John Cattell’s first visit to Josephine
• 10:25 — Nikki’s childhood discomfort with John in the house
• 13:55–14:34 — John discusses his military recruitment and initiation into SOE
• 16:02 — Dramatic retelling of John’s “initiation”
• 18:22 — Churchill, the codename “Badger," and dangerous missions
• 20:02 — Mock executions by the SS
• 21:10 — Buchenwald liberation recap
• 24:10 — Nikki’s resentment over her father’s clothes
• 26:16 — Phone box theft charge and court drama
• 29:04 — Nikki on lasting family trauma
• 29:12–29:39 — John’s mysterious sign-off and hints at further danger

Tone & Style

The episode blends evocative oral history with elements of spy thriller and family drama, capturing the bewilderment, sadness, and ongoing mystery that continue to haunt the Hibbing family. Primary voices—Eugene Henderson’s serious, investigative narration and the emotional perspectives from Nikki and Andrew Hibbing—are punctuated by John Cattell’s self-mythologizing explanations, creating a sense of intrigue and unresolved menace.

Summary

This opening of "Codename Badger" paints a vivid picture of a family ensnared by the aftershocks of war, secrets, and the chaotic orbit of a man who may have been a spy, a conman, or both. The first episode sets the stage for a deeper dive into one of the UK’s most peculiar unsolved postwar mysteries, inviting listeners to follow the threads of obsession, deception, and loss as the story unfolds.

Next time: The investigation continues as Eugene and Andy unearth more evidence—will they crack the enigma behind “Codename Badger,” or will the secrets stay buried forever?