John Deverell
John Deverell was the former head of MI5 in Northern Ireland. He was killed in the Mull of Kintyre Chinook crash in 1994.[1]
F Branch
As head of MI5's F2 section, Deverell was seconded in October 1979 to run a Cabinet Office unit to forestall industrial disruption. He was able to forestall a strike at the Longbridge car plant by passing details of a CPGB meeting opposing British Leyland's recovery plan to the company's chairman, Sir Michael Edwardes, who passed them in turn to AUEW president Terry Duffy and the Sunday Times. Deverell later returned to his Security Service post, but retained responsibility for his industrial operations until he was posted out of F branch in July 1981, at which point they came under the control of the new Director F, David Ranson.[2]
Documents released by the Margaret Thatcher Foundation, show that in March 1980, Deverell looked at the role of Vic Allen and the National Miners’ Left Club in the National Union of Mineworkers, but the material was apparently not felt to be strong enough to embarass the NUM left.[3]
According to Stephen Dorril, Deverell was head of F5 in 1980, when he was approached by the Cabinet Office Intelligence Unit, about a proposal that eventually became Operation Ward.[4]
Director K
As director of K Branch in 1983, Deverell led the investigation which identified Michael Bettaney as the MI5 officer attempting to pass information to the KGB.[5] In 1985, Deverell was considered for the post of Director General of MI5, but was ultimately passed over in favour of Sir Antony Duff.[6]
DCI Northern Ireland
Deverell played a key role in opening up secret contacts with the IRA in 1990.[7]
According to the Guardian, Deverell was a Deputy Director General of the Security Service at the time of his death.[8] However, the official history of MI5 by Christopher Andrew states he was still DCI.[9]
External Resources
- Rosie Cowan, MI5 man 'had hand in Ulster peace', Guardian, 15 June 2001.
Notes
- ↑ Liam Clarke, Key evidence on FRU barred, Sunday Times, 12 September 2004.
- ↑ Christopher Andrew, Defence of the Realm, The Authorized History of MI5, Allen Lane, 2009, pp.671-673.
- ↑ Margaret Thatcher, the NUM, and the mysterious Mr Deverell, Margaret Thatcher Foundation, 15 September 2013.
- ↑ Stephen Dorril, The Silent Conspiracy: Inside the Intelligence Services in the 1990s, Mandarin, 1994, p.195.
- ↑ Christopher Andrew, Defence of the Realm, The Authorized History of MI5, Allen Lane, 2009, p.715.
- ↑ Christopher Andrew, Defence of the Realm, The Authorized History of MI5, Allen Lane, 2009, p.557.
- ↑ Rosie Cowan, MI5 man 'had hand in Ulster peace', Guardian, 15 June 2001.
- ↑ Sally Weale and Owen Boycott, CHINOOK DISASTER: COUNTING THE COST OF THE SENIOR FIGURES IN BATTLE AGAINST TERRORISM, Guardian, 4 June 1994.
- ↑ Christopher Andrew, Defence of the Realm, The Authorized History of MI5, Allen Lane, 2009, p.785.
