Difference between revisions of "John Bingham (Lord Clanmorris)"
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'''John Bingham, Lord Clanmorris''', (1908-1988) also known as Michael Ward, was a British novelist and intelligence officer, reputed to be the inspiration for the character George Smiley, created by his former colleague David Cornwell (John Le Carré).<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/style/la-bkw-weinman23dec23-story.html Smiley's model], ''LA Times'', 23 December 2007.</ref> | '''John Bingham, Lord Clanmorris''', (1908-1988) also known as Michael Ward, was a British novelist and intelligence officer, reputed to be the inspiration for the character George Smiley, created by his former colleague David Cornwell (John Le Carré).<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/style/la-bkw-weinman23dec23-story.html Smiley's model], ''LA Times'', 23 December 2007.</ref> | ||
| − | Bingham | + | Bingham was the son of [[Maurice Bingham]], Sixth Lord Clanmorris and Leila Cloete, a descendant of one of the earliest Dutch settlers in South Africa.<ref>Michael Jago, ''The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham'', Biteback Publishing, 2013, p.15.</ref> He was educated at Cheltenham College.ref>Michael Jago, ''The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham'', Biteback Publishing, 2013, p.22.</ref> |
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| + | Through a family contact with [[Lord Rothermere]], Bingham found a job on the ''Hull Daily Mail'' in 1930.<ref>Michael Jago, ''The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham'', Biteback Publishing, 2013, p.58.</ref> he moved to the ''Sunday Dispatch'' in 1933.<ref>Michael Jago, ''The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham'', Biteback Publishing, 2013, p.62.</ref> | ||
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| + | He was briefly a member of the [[British Democratic Party (1930s)|British Democratic Party]] in the 1930s, a move which led to criticism from his uncle, the MP for Belfast East, [[Herbert Dixon]].<ref>Michael Jago, ''The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham'', Biteback Publishing, 2013, p.81.</ref> | ||
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| + | ==MI5== | ||
| + | It was through Dixon's contacts that Bingham gained an entrée to [[MI5]], using suspicions about what he later decided was an innocent German acquaintance.<ref>Michael Jago, ''The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham'', Biteback Publishing, 2013, p.81.</ref> He was subsequently interviewed by [[Maxwell Knight]], who introduced himself as Captain King.<ref>Michael Jago, ''The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham'', Biteback Publishing, 2013, p.83.</ref> | ||
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| + | After Knight was authorised to recruit five new officers by the head of [[MI5 B Division]], [[Guy Liddell]], on 18 June 1940, Bingham was one of the first approached.<ref>Michael Jago, ''The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham'', Biteback Publishing, 2013, p.87.</ref> For much of World War Two, he worked as [[Maxwell Knight]]'s deputy in B5(b) section at 308 Hood House, Dolphin Square.<ref>Anthony Masters, ''The Man who was M: The Life of Maxwell Knight, The real-like spymaster who inspired Ian Fleming'', Grafton Books, p.101.</ref> | ||
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| + | However, among his first tasks, carried out directly for Liddell, was the creation of an MI5 press section, which would eventually be run by [[Derek Tangye]].<ref>Michael Jago, ''The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham'', Biteback Publishing, 2013, p.89.</ref> He subsequently became heavily involved in MI5's Double Cross deception operations against German intelligence.<ref>Michael Jago, ''The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham'', Biteback Publishing, 2013, p.91.</ref> He interrogated potential agents among aliens being processed at the Royal Patriotic Schools.<ref>Michael Jago, ''The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham'', Biteback Publishing, 2013, p.92.</ref> He also posed as an Abwehr officer to trap British nationals attempting spy for the Germans, notably [[Irma Stapleton]], arrested on 19 November 1941.<ref>Michael Jago, ''The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham'', Biteback Publishing, 2013, p.95.</ref> | ||
Bingham rejoined MI5 in 1950 after two years on Fleet Street.<ref name="ALLA">[http://www.andrewlownie.co.uk/authors/michael-jago/books/the-man-who-was-george-smiley-the-life-of-john-bingham The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham], Andrew Lownie Literary Agency, accessed 5 June 2015.</ref> | Bingham rejoined MI5 in 1950 after two years on Fleet Street.<ref name="ALLA">[http://www.andrewlownie.co.uk/authors/michael-jago/books/the-man-who-was-george-smiley-the-life-of-john-bingham The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham], Andrew Lownie Literary Agency, accessed 5 June 2015.</ref> | ||
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He retired from MI5 in 1979.<ref name="ALLA">[http://www.andrewlownie.co.uk/authors/michael-jago/books/the-man-who-was-george-smiley-the-life-of-john-bingham The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham], Andrew Lownie Literary Agency, accessed 5 June 2015.</ref> | He retired from MI5 in 1979.<ref name="ALLA">[http://www.andrewlownie.co.uk/authors/michael-jago/books/the-man-who-was-george-smiley-the-life-of-john-bingham The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham], Andrew Lownie Literary Agency, accessed 5 June 2015.</ref> | ||
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==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
Revision as of 18:33, 14 June 2015
John Bingham, Lord Clanmorris, (1908-1988) also known as Michael Ward, was a British novelist and intelligence officer, reputed to be the inspiration for the character George Smiley, created by his former colleague David Cornwell (John Le Carré).[1]
Bingham was the son of Maurice Bingham, Sixth Lord Clanmorris and Leila Cloete, a descendant of one of the earliest Dutch settlers in South Africa.[2] He was educated at Cheltenham College.ref>Michael Jago, The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham, Biteback Publishing, 2013, p.22.</ref>
Through a family contact with Lord Rothermere, Bingham found a job on the Hull Daily Mail in 1930.[3] he moved to the Sunday Dispatch in 1933.[4]
He was briefly a member of the British Democratic Party in the 1930s, a move which led to criticism from his uncle, the MP for Belfast East, Herbert Dixon.[5]
MI5
It was through Dixon's contacts that Bingham gained an entrée to MI5, using suspicions about what he later decided was an innocent German acquaintance.[6] He was subsequently interviewed by Maxwell Knight, who introduced himself as Captain King.[7]
After Knight was authorised to recruit five new officers by the head of MI5 B Division, Guy Liddell, on 18 June 1940, Bingham was one of the first approached.[8] For much of World War Two, he worked as Maxwell Knight's deputy in B5(b) section at 308 Hood House, Dolphin Square.[9]
However, among his first tasks, carried out directly for Liddell, was the creation of an MI5 press section, which would eventually be run by Derek Tangye.[10] He subsequently became heavily involved in MI5's Double Cross deception operations against German intelligence.[11] He interrogated potential agents among aliens being processed at the Royal Patriotic Schools.[12] He also posed as an Abwehr officer to trap British nationals attempting spy for the Germans, notably Irma Stapleton, arrested on 19 November 1941.[13]
Bingham rejoined MI5 in 1950 after two years on Fleet Street.[14]
According to Mike Hughes, Bingham became head of MI5's F4 agent-running section after Knight's retirement in the mid-1950s.[15]
Bingham inherited the title of Lord Clanmorris in 1960.[14]
He retired from MI5 in 1979.[14]
Notes
- ↑ Smiley's model, LA Times, 23 December 2007.
- ↑ Michael Jago, The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham, Biteback Publishing, 2013, p.15.
- ↑ Michael Jago, The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham, Biteback Publishing, 2013, p.58.
- ↑ Michael Jago, The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham, Biteback Publishing, 2013, p.62.
- ↑ Michael Jago, The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham, Biteback Publishing, 2013, p.81.
- ↑ Michael Jago, The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham, Biteback Publishing, 2013, p.81.
- ↑ Michael Jago, The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham, Biteback Publishing, 2013, p.83.
- ↑ Michael Jago, The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham, Biteback Publishing, 2013, p.87.
- ↑ Anthony Masters, The Man who was M: The Life of Maxwell Knight, The real-like spymaster who inspired Ian Fleming, Grafton Books, p.101.
- ↑ Michael Jago, The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham, Biteback Publishing, 2013, p.89.
- ↑ Michael Jago, The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham, Biteback Publishing, 2013, p.91.
- ↑ Michael Jago, The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham, Biteback Publishing, 2013, p.92.
- ↑ Michael Jago, The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham, Biteback Publishing, 2013, p.95.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham, Andrew Lownie Literary Agency, accessed 5 June 2015.
- ↑ Mike Hughes, Spies at Work, Chapter Nine.
