Our speaker on April 20 was Bob Skelt who gave a talk on “ Kim Philby, Gentleman, Spy”

Harold Adrian Russell “Kim” Philby had a privileged upbringing and attended Westminster School where his teachers found him intelligent, amusing and charming. He became a member of the Cambridge University Socialist Society where he met Guy Burgess, Donald Maclean and Anthony Blunt. Later he would recruit Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean to work for the KGB. He rose to the highest ranks in M16 which was, at that time run by “upper class dimwits” who ignored suspicions of Philby’s treachery for years. He was the most successful Soviet double agent of the Cold War period Burgess and Maclean were eventually detected and it was revealed there must be a “third” man from evidence found and it was eventually discovered that it was Kim Philby who warned his friends and they all fled to Russia before they could be arrested. He lived there until his death in 1988.

Phone Sandra Tranter, Secretary on 01386 832834 for details of the Club

JACKIE HALE