Kew Archives MI5

Last week, I visited the National Archives at Kew.

The archives hold all kinds of documents dating back to Medieval times. The archives are open to the public and often hold exhibitions hence the reason for going as I wanted to see an exhibition about the MI 5.

Now beyond the age they have to be kept secret, the exhibition had some very interesting documents for you to read. I was interested in the Cambridge 5 spying ring A group of students who met whilst at Cambridge University and believed in the ideals of communism.

Harold (Kim) Philby, Guy Burgess, Donald Maclean, Anthony Blunt and John Cairncross were all recruited by Soviet intelligence in the 1930s. They formed the most infamous spy ring of the 20th century. Incredibly, none of them was ever prosecuted for spying.

 

Philby's code name was 'Peach'. 

Anthony Blunt was recruited by MI5 in 1940. He became a senior operative and served as the chief assistant to the head of MI5's counter espionage, a role that gave him access to sensitive intelligence. Blunt passed on vast amounts of secret intelligence to his KGB handlers, including information about Allied security operations. After the war, Blunt resumed his career as an art historian and held the position of Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures and Director of the Courtauld Institute. He was allowed to keep his position and knighthood in exchange for his confession and cooperation in the 1960s.

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There was also information about more recent terrorist attacks.

The exhibition was a fascinating insight to one of our most secret organisations.