Ivor Porter
Encyclopedia
Ivor F. Porter CMG, OBE (born 1913) is a former British
Ambassador and author.
and educated at Barrow-in-Furness Grammar School and Leeds University.
, Romania
on an academic post with the British Council
but was quickly transferred to the Legation, and remained there until it was withdrawn from Romania on 12 February 1941. On 1 March 1941 Porter was recruited by SOE
, and was one of a covert three-man mission that was parachuted into Romania in December 1943 to instigate resistance against the Nazis at "any cost" (Operation Autonomous
). The SOE agents were captured and held as prisoners-of-war until, on 23 August 1944, King Michael of Romania carried out his anti-German coup d'état. Porter met King Michael that night and remained in the country during the King's desperate efforts to prevent Soviet domination. In June 2008 he was awarded the Cross of the Royal House of Romania.
, Washington, D.C.
, the U.K. delegation to NATO, Cyprus
, as U.K. representative to the Council of Europe, and India
. He was ambassador in Senegal and to the Arms Control Committee in Geneva.
: With SOE in Wartime Romania and Michael of Romania: The King and the Country.[1] Operation Autonomous was short listed for the Time-Life/Pen Award for non-fiction.[7] In 2005 he was made Commander of the Romanian order of "Meritul Cultural".
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Ambassador and author.
Education
Porter was brought up in the Lake DistrictLake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
and educated at Barrow-in-Furness Grammar School and Leeds University.
Special Operations Executive
In 1939 Porter was sent to BucharestBucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
on an academic post with the British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
but was quickly transferred to the Legation, and remained there until it was withdrawn from Romania on 12 February 1941. On 1 March 1941 Porter was recruited by SOE
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
, and was one of a covert three-man mission that was parachuted into Romania in December 1943 to instigate resistance against the Nazis at "any cost" (Operation Autonomous
Operation Autonomous
Operation Autonomous was a clandestine operation carried out on the territory of Romania by the Special Operations Executive set up by Churchill for the duration of the war to assist local Resistance movements.-Participants:...
). The SOE agents were captured and held as prisoners-of-war until, on 23 August 1944, King Michael of Romania carried out his anti-German coup d'état. Porter met King Michael that night and remained in the country during the King's desperate efforts to prevent Soviet domination. In June 2008 he was awarded the Cross of the Royal House of Romania.
Foreign Office
He joined the F.O. in May 1946 and has served in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, the U.K. delegation to NATO, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, as U.K. representative to the Council of Europe, and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He was ambassador in Senegal and to the Arms Control Committee in Geneva.
Author
Porter has written two books since retirement: Operation AutonomousOperation Autonomous
Operation Autonomous was a clandestine operation carried out on the territory of Romania by the Special Operations Executive set up by Churchill for the duration of the war to assist local Resistance movements.-Participants:...
: With SOE in Wartime Romania and Michael of Romania: The King and the Country.[1] Operation Autonomous was short listed for the Time-Life/Pen Award for non-fiction.[7] In 2005 he was made Commander of the Romanian order of "Meritul Cultural".