Maxwell Knight
Encyclopedia
Charles Henry Maxwell Knight OBE, known as Maxwell Knight, (b. Mitcham
, Surrey
, 4 September, 1900 - 27 January, 1968) was an English
spymaster
, naturalist
and broadcaster
, whilst reputedly being a model for the James Bond
character M
.
's British Fascisti and served as the organisation's intelligence director. He maintained his membership until 1930.
His ex-wife, Joan Miller, described Knight as a rightwing, anti-semitic homosexual.
In April 1925, Knight was recruited by Major General Sir Vernon Kell, Director General of the British Security Service MI5
responsible for counter terrorism. He was MI5's chief 'agent runner', principally against the Communist Party of Great Britain
. He rose to be head of section B5(b) responsible for infiltrating agents into potentially subversive groups, based for much of its existence at 308 Hood House, Dolphin Square
, London
, separate from the rest of MI5.
During his career with MI5, Knight found that there was "a very long standing and ill-founded prejudice against the employment of women as agents", a position with which he did not agree. Indeed, many of his best agents were women. Agents working under him included Olga Gray
(who infiltrated the leadership of the CPGB), Joan Miller (who "penetrated the anti-semitic underworld of British Fascism") and Tom Driberg.
A respected case officer, notable successes were the infiltration of political groups leading to the internment and imprisonment of people regarded as a threat to the UK such as Albert Williams, Percy Glading, George Whomack, Anna Wolkoff
, Tyler Kent
, Captain Archibald Maule Ramsay
and Sir Oswald Mosley
. His early warnings of communist infiltration of MI5
were not taken seriously. A notable failing was his entrapment of Ben Greene
the pacifist Quaker refugee worker who was interned by the then Home Secretary
, Sir John Anderson, as result of false evidence from Knight's agent provocateur Harald Kurtz.
Ian Fleming
, the author of the James Bond
series of books, used an amalgam of Knight and his former superior Rear Admiral John Godfrey, Director of the Naval Intelligence Division
, as a model for the character 'M
', Bond's boss.
, in 1946, Knight, who had since childhood been an ardent naturalist, began what was to become a successful broadcasting career on BBC
radio, appearing in and hosting such programmes as Naturalist, Country Questions and Nature Parliament. He appeared occasionally on television in Peter Scott
's Look and Animal, Vegetable or Mineral and published 34 books and wrote magazine articles. His broadcast career progressed alongside his MI5 work until 1956 when he retired early, from MI5, on the grounds of ill health, suffering from angina. He died in Midgham
, Berkshire
from heart failure in 1968. After his death, the Maxwell Knight Memorial Fund was set up and from the proceeds funded the Maxwell Knight Young Naturalists' Library in the education centre of the Natural History Museum
.
Mitcham
Mitcham is a district in the south west area of London, in the London Borough of Merton. A suburban area, Mitcham is located on the border of Inner London and Outer London. It is both residentially and financially developed, well served by Transport for London, and home to Mitcham Town Centre,...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, 4 September, 1900 - 27 January, 1968) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
spymaster
Spymaster
A spymaster is a ring leader of a spy ring, run by a secret service.-Historical spymasters:*Dai Li *Francis Walsingham *James Jesus Angleton *Joseph Peters...
, naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
and broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
, whilst reputedly being a model for the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
character M
M (James Bond)
M is a fictional character in Ian Fleming's James Bond series, as well as the films in the Bond franchise. The head of MI6 and Bond's superior, M has been portrayed by three actors in the official Bond film series: Bernard Lee, Robert Brown and since 1995 by Judi Dench. Background =Ian Fleming...
.
Spymaster
Knight had been a member of Rotha Lintorn-OrmanRotha Lintorn-Orman
-Early life:Born as Rotha Beryl Orman in Kensington London, she was the daughter of Charles Edward Orman, a Major from the Essex Regiment, and her maternal grandfather was Field Marshal Sir John Lintorn Arabin Simmons...
's British Fascisti and served as the organisation's intelligence director. He maintained his membership until 1930.
His ex-wife, Joan Miller, described Knight as a rightwing, anti-semitic homosexual.
In April 1925, Knight was recruited by Major General Sir Vernon Kell, Director General of the British Security Service MI5
MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
responsible for counter terrorism. He was MI5's chief 'agent runner', principally against the Communist Party of Great Britain
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
. He rose to be head of section B5(b) responsible for infiltrating agents into potentially subversive groups, based for much of its existence at 308 Hood House, Dolphin Square
Dolphin Square
Dolphin Square is a block of private apartments and business complex built near the River Thames at Pimlico in London, between 1935 and 1937.At one time, the huge development was home to more than 70 MPs, and at least 10 lords...
, London
London
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...
, separate from the rest of MI5.
During his career with MI5, Knight found that there was "a very long standing and ill-founded prejudice against the employment of women as agents", a position with which he did not agree. Indeed, many of his best agents were women. Agents working under him included Olga Gray
Olga Gray
Born in Manchester in 1906, Olga Gray was a British secretary and typist recruited as an Mi5 infiltration agent by Maxwell Knight of B5 section in 1931. Under the instructions of Knight, Gray moved to London and became a member of the Friends of the Soviet Union in 1932...
(who infiltrated the leadership of the CPGB), Joan Miller (who "penetrated the anti-semitic underworld of British Fascism") and Tom Driberg.
A respected case officer, notable successes were the infiltration of political groups leading to the internment and imprisonment of people regarded as a threat to the UK such as Albert Williams, Percy Glading, George Whomack, Anna Wolkoff
Anna Wolkoff
Anna Nikolayevna Wolkova , sometimes known as Anna de Wolkoff, was a White Russian emigré and a spy for Nazi Germany during World War II.-Early life:...
, Tyler Kent
Tyler Kent
Tyler Gatesworth Kent was an American diplomat who stole thousands of secret documents for a pro-German organization while working as a cipher clerk at the U.S. Embassy in London during World War II....
, Captain Archibald Maule Ramsay
Archibald Maule Ramsay
Captain Archibald Henry Maule Ramsay was a British Army officer who later went into politics as a Scottish Unionist Member of Parliament . From the late 1930s he developed increasingly strident antisemitic views...
and Sir Oswald Mosley
Oswald Mosley
Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet, of Ancoats, was an English politician, known principally as the founder of the British Union of Fascists...
. His early warnings of communist infiltration of MI5
MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
were not taken seriously. A notable failing was his entrapment of Ben Greene
Ben Greene
Ben Greene was a British Labour Party politician and pacifist. He was interned during World War II because of his fascist associations and appealed his detention to the House of Lords. In the leading case of Liversidge v...
the pacifist Quaker refugee worker who was interned by the then Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
, Sir John Anderson, as result of false evidence from Knight's agent provocateur Harald Kurtz.
Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
, the author of the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
series of books, used an amalgam of Knight and his former superior Rear Admiral John Godfrey, Director of the Naval Intelligence Division
Naval Intelligence Division
The Naval Intelligence Division was the intelligence arm of the British Admiralty before the establishment of a unified Defence Staff in 1965. It dealt with matters concerning British naval plans, with the collection of naval intelligence...
, as a model for the character 'M
M (James Bond)
M is a fictional character in Ian Fleming's James Bond series, as well as the films in the Bond franchise. The head of MI6 and Bond's superior, M has been portrayed by three actors in the official Bond film series: Bernard Lee, Robert Brown and since 1995 by Judi Dench. Background =Ian Fleming...
', Bond's boss.
Naturalist
After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, in 1946, Knight, who had since childhood been an ardent naturalist, began what was to become a successful broadcasting career on BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio, appearing in and hosting such programmes as Naturalist, Country Questions and Nature Parliament. He appeared occasionally on television in Peter Scott
Peter Scott
Sir Peter Markham Scott, CH, CBE, DSC and Bar, MID, FRS, FZS, was a British ornithologist, conservationist, painter, naval officer and sportsman....
's Look and Animal, Vegetable or Mineral and published 34 books and wrote magazine articles. His broadcast career progressed alongside his MI5 work until 1956 when he retired early, from MI5, on the grounds of ill health, suffering from angina. He died in Midgham
Midgham
Midgham is a village and civil parish in the Kennet Valley about east of Newbury, Berkshire. It has a population of 282.The village extends to the Berkshire Arms public house in the west, New Road Hill in the east, Midgham Marsh to the south of the A4 road and Midgham Green to the north...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
from heart failure in 1968. After his death, the Maxwell Knight Memorial Fund was set up and from the proceeds funded the Maxwell Knight Young Naturalists' Library in the education centre of the Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England . Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road...
.
External links
- Maxwell Knight at Spartacus Educational