Kim Philby
Kim Philby | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Portrait taken from a 1990 Soviet stamp | |
| Born | Harold Adrian Russell Philby 1 January 1912 |
| Died | 11 May 1988 (aged 76) |
| Nationality | British |
| Other names | Sonny, Stanley |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
| Spouse(s) | Litzi Friedmann Aileen Furse Eleanor Brewer Rufina Ivanovna Pukhova |
| Parent | St John Philby & Dora Philby |
Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby (1 January 1912 – 11 May 1988) was a British intelligence officer who worked as a spy for the Soviet Union, before defecting in 1963.[1]
Philby began his work for the Soviet Union as a spy in 1934. He went on to serve the KGB for 54 years. He passed over 900 British documents to the KGB. He served as a double agent.[2]
Of the five spies in the Cambridge Five spy ring, Philby was believed to have been the most successful at passing information to the Soviet Union.[3]
In 1961, defector Anatoliy Golitsyn gave information which pointed to Philby. An MI6 officer, Nicholas Elliott, was sent in 1963 to interview him in Beirut. He reported that Philby seemed to know he was coming (this suggested the presence of yet another mole). Nonetheless, Philby allegedly confessed to Elliott.
Shortly afterwards, apparently fearing he might be abducted in Lebanon, Philby defected to the Soviet Union. He fled, under cover of night, to a Soviet freighter.
Related pages
[change | change source]References
[change | change source]- ↑ "Five of the most notable defections". The Telegraph. 27 July 2010.
- ↑ Higgins, Andrew (2017-10-01). "Even in death, thesSpy Kim Philby serves the Kremlin's purposes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
- ↑ Parfitt, Tom (31 March 2011). "Spy Kim Philby died disillusioned with communism". The Guardian.