by ▁returned ▁to ▁The ▁Times ▁office ▁in ▁London . ▁When ▁Britain ▁declared ▁war ▁on ▁Germany ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁Phil by ' s ▁contact ▁with ▁his ▁Soviet ▁controllers ▁was ▁lost ▁and ▁Phil by ▁failed ▁to ▁attend ▁the ▁meet ings ▁that ▁were ▁necessary ▁for ▁his ▁work . ▁During ▁the ▁Ph oney ▁War ▁from ▁September ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁until ▁the ▁D unk irk ▁ev acu ation , ▁Phil by ▁worked ▁as ▁The ▁Times ▁first - hand ▁correspond ent ▁with ▁the ▁British ▁Ex ped ition ary ▁Force ▁headquarters . ▁After ▁being ▁ev acu ated ▁from ▁Bou log ne ▁on ▁ 2 1 ▁May , ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁France ▁in ▁mid - J une ▁and ▁began ▁representing ▁The ▁Daily ▁Te legraph ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁The ▁Times . ▁He ▁briefly ▁reported ▁from ▁Cher bourg ▁and ▁Br est , ▁sail ing ▁for ▁P ly mouth ▁less ▁than ▁twenty - four ▁hours ▁before ▁the ▁French ▁surrender ed ▁to ▁Germany ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 4 0 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁on ▁the ▁recommendation ▁of ▁Burg ess , ▁Phil by ▁joined ▁M I 6 ' s ▁Section ▁D , ▁a ▁secret ▁organisation ▁charged ▁with ▁investig ating ▁how ▁enemies ▁might ▁be ▁attacked ▁through ▁non - mil it ary ▁means . ▁Phil by ▁and ▁Burg ess ▁ran ▁a ▁training ▁course ▁for ▁would - be ▁sab ote urs ▁at ▁Br ick end on bury ▁Man or ▁in ▁H ert ford shire . ▁His ▁time ▁at ▁Section ▁D , ▁however , ▁was ▁short -