The Mole In MI6: How A Cambridge Spy Fooled British Intelligence For Decades

He was the proper British gentleman – well mannered, well-spoken, impeccable manners and a knack for charming everybody who got here in his orbit. But behind all of that, Harold Adrian Russell “Kim” Philby was residing a harmful double life. A high officer in British intelligence and a loyal agent of the Soviet Union, Philby fooled nearly everybody, even his closest buddies.

The Perfect Cover

To his colleagues in MI6, Britain’s international intelligence company, Kim Philby was a rising star. Calm beneath stress, loyal in look, and deeply trusted, he was thought of probably the greatest within the enterprise. 

But he had a secret.

Long earlier than his profession started, Philby had already pledged loyalty, to not Britain, however to the Soviet Union.

Philby was recruited in 1934 by a Soviet agent often called “Otto.” It was his first spouse, Lizzy, a dedicated communist, who related him to the underground Soviet community. From that second on, he turned a double agent, sending British secrets and techniques to Moscow for almost 30 years.

MI5 gave him the codename “PEACH.” To the Russians, he was a goldmine.

Philby was a part of a bunch of 5 Cambridge University college students, all of whom changed into Soviet spies after being ideologically drawn to communism within the Thirties.

A Soviet Betrayal

Perhaps Philby’s most unforgivable betrayal concerned Konstantin Volkov, a Soviet officer.

Volkov approached the British in Istanbul, providing a deal: in trade for cash and asylum, he would reveal the names of a number of KGB spies working contained in the British authorities. Among the names? Kim Philby himself.

Philby moved rapidly. He warned his KGB handlers, delayed the British response, and took over the case. Before Volkov may defect, he and his spouse had been kidnapped by the KGB. They had been by no means seen once more.

Volkov may have uncovered Philby and your complete Cambridge spy ring. Instead, due to Philby’s interference, British intelligence stayed at midnight for years.

In his report, Philby wrote, “The possible rationalization is that Volkov betrayed himself.” This lie helped protect his cowl and allowed him to proceed feeding secrets and techniques to Moscow.

A Web Of Lies 

Despite rising suspicions, British intelligence could not pin Philby down. In 1951, Philby was referred to as to London. He was questioned harshly however by no means formally charged. The proof was skinny, and his appeal disarmed even seasoned investigators.

One MI5 officer described him as “extra of an enigma than ever.” Even a confession from Klaus Fuchs, the person who leaked atomic bomb secrets and techniques to the Soviets, did not result in motion towards Philby.

And so, he remained free.

The Confession

The finish got here in 1963, with a quiet dialog in Beirut. By then, Philby was working as a journalist for The Observer. MI6 despatched somebody he trusted, his outdated pal Nicholas Elliott, to get a confession.

Elliott admired Philby and regarded him a brother. 

He secretly recorded their discuss. Philby lastly admitted he had been spying for the Soviets since 1934. But his confession was peppered with lies – he claimed to have stopped spying after 1946, which wasn’t true.

He additionally revealed no regret. “If I had my life to steer once more,” Philby mentioned, “I might in all probability have behaved in the identical approach.”

The Escape

A number of days after the assembly, Philby vanished. He slipped aboard a Russian freighter in Beirut, forsaking a letter for his third spouse, Eleanor, with obscure reassurances and a few money hidden in a dictionary.

MI5 later intercepted the letter. One line learn, “Don’t fear about something. We will meet once more quickly.” In a postscript, he added, “Please destroy this as quickly as you may have discovered the money.”

Philby’s escape shocked British intelligence. Despite a number of alternatives to arrest him, the British had let their biggest traitor slip by way of their fingers.

Kim Philby lived out the remainder of his life within the Soviet Union. Though initially handled as a hero, he grew bitter and remoted. He missed England, drank closely, and remained haunted by what he had carried out, or maybe by how little regret he felt.

He died in Moscow in 1988, nonetheless satisfied he had carried out the proper factor. In 2010, Russia honoured him with a plaque on the international intelligence headquarters.