Last week, I visited the National Archives at Kew.
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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The exhibition was a fascinating insight to one of our most secret organisations.
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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.
The Spooks, the spies among us. Well not you and I, but the in the higher echelons of society.
ReplyDeleteThe exhibition must have been fascinating. I don't remember about Cairncross, but what a confusion between the political left and the right in English society. Quite immoral really.
The Cambridge 5 spying ring was a group of students at Cambridge University and believed in the ideals of communism. I remember 4 of the names (Kim Philby, Guy Burgess, Donald Maclean, Anthony Blunt) who were all recruited by Soviet intelligence in the 1930s. And I remember Blunt was recruited by MI5 during WW2. Most amazingly, Blunt resumed work as an art historian and held the position of Director of the Courtauld Institute post war! He was certainly talented.
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