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Cambridge Five Spy Ring — Part 8

101 pages · May 09, 2026 · Broad topic: Intelligence Operations · Topic: Cambridge Five Spy Ring · 99 pages OCR'd
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; © ‘ THIS FAMOUS INVESTIGATOR— AND AUTHOR OF 'SPYCATCHER' —HEADS A NEW INQUIRY FOR THE JEXPRESS ‘There is nothing as yet to suggest that Burgess is behind the Iron Curtain...or even that he is OU will assume—if you believe that the diplomats Burgess and }Maclean have dis- appeared for political reasons—that I have been called in because of my knowledge of the art of counter espionage, “ That experience, of course, will be of immense value to me. Every trick, every ruse | have Jearned in 34 years’ work will be employed in my attempt to solve this absarb- ing mystery. But I must tell sou at once ‘hat the very nature of this snquirv—with one historic ex- cepiion—is foreign to me. (ecar-old trail AMITH that one excep- tiot my fife of counter espionage has heen tdevoted to the prerention of disaster—ithe disaster that oniy spies and agents can bring about. In the Burgess and Maclean case I have to assume that the disaster has happened already. Here I am taking up & trail & Vear old. Here T have none of my former official powers. Here I am on my own, When I was first asked to in- vestigate the disapperrance of the two men IT had many doubts end misgivings. Chief amon ihem was the fact that the trail I must take up is one year old. One year cold, too. Why then have I accented ‘hisbase 2?) When my misgivings werd greatest I was given access to tpe findings of the Daily Express investigating teams, at home and abroad, I. was shown #® mass of evidence, the product of A vear’s work: photographs. the reports of handwriting experts, ames, sddresses facts that have never been disclosed, pe ae Fy have studied with dcare the impor- tant. document puh- lished on Page One of yester- day'se Express and realised its implifations — then you will know \that the’ theorists must make new start. But \far that letter from Burgess—withheld jor a year ton UD HERE UUEUASUU GHEE UU OUASUEUT OUGHT OGTR from the friend he wanled to receive jt—we would not have known of Burgess’s firm inten- tion 6 break away from his old life and disappear. This, and other details soon to be disclosed to you, indicaled to me that the thing was possible, The Inquiry eseuld he undertaken. even now; and given luck—slways a necessary weapon in my armoury—there ix a chance of reaching a satis- faclory conclusion, Let me tell vou whv 1 stress the value of “luck” and “hunches” in an investigation | by Lieut.-Col. ORESTE ‘PINTO of this kind. T have worked on my hunches before, and many spies are long since dead because a hunch was right. A hunch HE one important Tex in my careecc of counter esplonage which. like the Burgess and Mactean case. was Rot the pre- vention of disaster, was the tracking of a man after the event. Christiaan Lindemans a Dutchman like mysclf, Was B& gorilla of a man. He was so broad you could never realise he ‘stood 6{t. 2ins. in height. All of us. and everyone in the Dutch wnderground. knew him as “King Kone.” I knew of him as a leader of that brave movement. He hed done wonderful work during the occupation. He had helped a lot of people escape to us. Then came Arnhem, and disastor, I had oa hunch. Through snoiher agent I cap tured later I learned = that Lindemans had given the Germans all the plans two days before the airborme drop. Lindemans was arrested and flown to England. He confessed + later committed suicide in @ Dutch prison. Now whai do we know in ‘his case? What are the circum- stances from which such & hunch might spring ? WE KNOW the men have arla still] with Maclean’ left the country: Gut 2? am keeping @ completely open mind as to their whereabouts. On the evidence, Lam inclined to the view that Donald Maclean 18 in a country behind the Tron There is nothing whatever, to my mind at this stage, to show or, indeed, behind the ran Curiain at all I bave the evidence ol fs shtyma‘e friends. the evidence of his unchang-ng insies and habits. his) luxury - needing ‘character. There is nothing to show. even afler a Vears invest:ga- tion, that he was at any time Politically suspect. One word, at this stage. about the character of these two. There is evidence of physical unbalance, It is w curaus thing tha; lrom my 34 years in the ruthless world of counter espionage, plot and counter plot. 50 per cent. of the spies and traitors I have met ave been similarly affected. What 3s it nal makes them spy? Whar is it that makes them take up (his dangerous, often poorly pald, life ? I have given much thought to this. I think it must be the agony of mind, the cons'ant minging of excuement and terror, the brutal and ever present sense of fear. Endless checks ND now for the Ate. Already the great pressure by the Press throughout the free world —and this newspaper hag taken the leadmg role—has served. in Che way, to add to my diffi- culties. The leads I must take up. the people I must see, rhe endless checks to be made—all these things are made harder for me from the outset because of that Incessant pressure, But we shall see... - The trail that led Po. oS wt) _D to rari By DONALD SEAMAN URGESS drove south, heading for the Channel, that evening in May, one year ago. When be boarded the steamer Falaise at Southampton, he was accompanied by Donald Maclean. ‘ Burgess had made a detour to Martean'’s hame afar Wester- ham to pick him up They arrived, with minutes to spare. Maclean had uo fug- gage except a bricfcase. Burgess loaded his two suite cases on beard, carried a black ° = official) briefcase with him. They made no effort to elher passengers. y dis- embarked at St. Mald at siz oelock en the morning pf Mar 9, and made their way lite the port—carrying onlk their briefcascs * * WHAT DID THEY Lo BE- TWEEN THAT TIME AND 11.30 A.M.? For those five aud a half hours Maclean and Burgess vanished again. At 11.30, it has been established, the two diplomats hailed St. Malo daxidriver Albert Gilbert, and asked him to drive them to Rennes in time to catch the L.18 p.m. to Paris. drank at the ‘bar, but mjx with 4 * Githert. covered the 45 miles’ journey ia 90 minutes. He was pald aio 500-Tranc lip (roughly 10s.) over aud above the fare of 4.500 francs Maclean and Burgess teft} bim and) walked towards [| the station. : * * * Weeks later it was learned in Paris that two men, answering + the description of the missing diplomats, had called at the Czech Embassy in Paris. For obvious reasons—wirn could question Czech Entbossy officials an the story ?—the report remained unconiirmed, THE STATION AT RENNES is the last positive clue that Colonel Pinto has to take “up. | WHAT NOW? Colonel Pinto's progress repprts will appear only in the Daily Express WORLD COPYRIGHT: Reproduction in part or whole forbidden y
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