Micky Burn
Encyclopedia
Michael Clive "Micky" Burn, MC
(11 December 1912 – 3 September 2010) was an English
journalist
, commando
, writer
and poet
.
becoming a trusted confidant of the King; while his mother's family was instrumental in developing the golf-and-gambling resort of Le Touquet. Initially educated at Winchester College
, Burn spent only one year at New College
, Oxford before the social seductions of Le Touquet won out. As he himself put it, he was not sent down. Having done none of the work expected of him, he simply did not go back, choosing instead to initiate a writing career by ghosting the autobiography of 'Bentley Boy' Sir Henry Birkin
.
Burn spent time in Florence
, befriending Alice Keppel
, the former mistress of Edward VII
. A bisexual man, his lovers included later Soviet Union
spy
Guy Burgess
. On two occasions during the 1930s Burn took himself to the police
, as homosexuality was then a crime
.
A developing interest in bettering the lot of the socially and economically deprived led Burn to a brief dalliance with National Socialism at a time when Hitler
was regarded by many as having cured unemployment and given Germany back her soul. He met the German leader, who signed his copy of Mein Kampf
(lost, shortly thereafter). He also attended a Nazi Party rally at Nuremberg
, standing on the dais just a few feet behind the Führer himself. An unquestioning tour of Dachau crowned a period of which he would later write that he was for a time duped by a combination of his own blindness and the "intensely organized falsehood" that would later be exposed as the engine of the 'New' Germany.
In 1936, Burn joined The Times
newspaper, initially on probation on the Home Editorial desk. Here he remained until the outbreak of war, with but a brief stint in London as Diplomatic Correspondent. In 1937, with Hitler's intentions becoming ever more clear, Burn enlisted in the Queen's Westminsters, a Territorial battalion of the King's Royal Rifle Corps
. Commissioned Second Lieutenant in 1938, he had, by the outbreak of war, wholly abandoned National Socialism as an engine of social change.
came, Burn was at once called up. He volunteered for the independent companies
, formed from men willing to undertake exceptional risks, upon their formation, 1939–40. Having served in Norway
in 1940, as part of the unsuccessful Allied campaign to counter the German invasion, Burn joined a new elite force known as the Commandos. In March 1942, as a Captain in command of number 6 Troop, No. 2 Commando
, he took part in Operation Chariot, the St. Nazaire Raid
, his own 6 Troop contributing 29 men to the overall total of 264 Army personnel taking part. As leader of the starboard column of troop-carrying Motor Launches, Burn's ML192 was one of the first vessels to come under fire, crashing, ablaze, into the Old Mole. Having been hauled ashore by one of his men and in spite of being wounded several times, Burn made his way to his target, the only member of his team to succeed in doing so. Of his 6 Troop contingent, carried in several MLs, 14 were killed and the rest, many of whom had had to take to the water, captured early on. Burn later attempted to escape the tightening German cordon along with two of his men, one of whom was killed in the attempt. Burn, along with his remaining companion, was captured, entering what would be a lengthy period of confinement as a 'guest of the Reich'. For his actions during the raid Burn received the award of the Military Cross. From the total of 609 soldiers and sailors to enter the Loire estuary that fateful night, five would be awarded the Victoria Cross
– the greatest number for any single action during the war.
, a naval POW camp that was the destination of all Charioteers prior to the separation of Commando and Royal Navy personnel. He was then incarcerated in Spangenberg Castle, Oflag 1X A/H, and there began giving lectures to fellow POWs before being sent to Colditz Castle
, Oflag IV-C
. There, shorthand learnt for previous employment in journalism meant Burn acted as scribe to Colditz's secret radio operator, Lieutenant-Colonel Jimmy Yule.
On liberation, Burn sent dispatches to The Times about what had gone on in Colditz, published in newspaper on 19 and 21 April 1945. Burn had written a novel during his stay, which was published as Yes, Farewell in 1946.
While at Colditz, Burn had received a Red Cross parcel from an old Dutch acquaintance, Ella van Heemstra. After his release from Colditz, Burn responded by sending packages with food and cigarettes to van Heemstra. The food helped the manlnourished van Heemstra and her daughter, Audrey Hepburn
, survive the hardships following the end of the war. Van Heemstra was also able to sell the cigarettes for penicillin on the black market to treat the seriously ill Hepburn, perhaps saving her life.
Burn ended the war as a Captain
.
as permanent correspondent, was to Vienna
. After several months of waiting in vain for the visa, he suggested to the editor of The Times that he instead go behind the Iron Curtain
, to Hungary
, to observe the takeover by the Hungarian Communist Party
supported by the Red Army
. As a consequence he became the main British reporter on the political purges, and the faked trial of Cardinal
József Mindszenty.
Burn fell in love with, and eventually married (27th March 1947), Mary Booker, who had divorced from her husband in 1926. The couple moved to North Wales where Bertrand Russell
and his last wife, Edith, became first neighbours and in the years prior to Russell's death in 1970, very dear friends.
Mary had been in love with Richard Hillary
from December 1941 until Hillary was killed in January 1943. Following Mary's death in August 1974 Burn discovered her love letters to Hillary and subsequently wrote his book Mary & Richard (1988) as a commemoration.
Burn wrote nine books of non-fiction, four novels and six books of poetry. He enjoyed reading his poetry aloud at regional poetry events.
He also wrote a play, The Night of the Ball, which opened in Londons' West End
in 1954 starring Gladys Cooper
.
His autobiography, Turned Towards the Sun, was published in 2003.
A documentary about the life of Micky Burn, titled "Turned Towards the Sun", began production in 2008, and is currently in post-production. The film's director, Greg Olliver, also co-directed LEMMY, the documentary about Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead.
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(11 December 1912 – 3 September 2010) 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...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
.
Early life
By his own admission, in earlier life he "had been drawn to three autocracies: German National Socialism, Communism, and the Roman Catholic Church." Burn's father was secretary and solicitor to the Duchy of CornwallDuchy of Cornwall
The Duchy of Cornwall is one of two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Lancaster. The eldest son of the reigning British monarch inherits the duchy and title of Duke of Cornwall at the time of his birth, or of his parent's succession to the throne. If the monarch has no son, the...
becoming a trusted confidant of the King; while his mother's family was instrumental in developing the golf-and-gambling resort of Le Touquet. Initially educated at Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
, Burn spent only one year at New College
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
, Oxford before the social seductions of Le Touquet won out. As he himself put it, he was not sent down. Having done none of the work expected of him, he simply did not go back, choosing instead to initiate a writing career by ghosting the autobiography of 'Bentley Boy' Sir Henry Birkin
Henry Birkin
Sir Henry Ralph Stanley "Tim" Birkin, 3rd Baronet was a British racing driver, one of the "Bentley Boys" of the 1920s.-Background and family:...
.
Burn spent time in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, befriending Alice Keppel
Alice Keppel
Alice Frederica Keppel, née Edmonstone was a British socialite and the most famous mistress of Edward VII, the eldest son of Queen Victoria. Her formal style after marriage was The Hon. Mrs George Keppel. Her daughter, Violet Trefusis, was the lover of poet Vita Sackville-West...
, the former mistress of Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
. A bisexual man, his lovers included later Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
Guy Burgess
Guy Burgess
Guy Francis De Moncy Burgess was a British-born intelligence officer and double agent, who worked for the Soviet Union. He was part of the Cambridge Five spy ring that betrayed Western secrets to the Soviets before and during the Cold War...
. On two occasions during the 1930s Burn took himself to the police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
, as homosexuality was then a crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
.
A developing interest in bettering the lot of the socially and economically deprived led Burn to a brief dalliance with National Socialism at a time when Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
was regarded by many as having cured unemployment and given Germany back her soul. He met the German leader, who signed his copy of Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf is a book written by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. It combines elements of autobiography with an exposition of Hitler's political ideology. Volume 1 of Mein Kampf was published in 1925 and Volume 2 in 1926...
(lost, shortly thereafter). He also attended a Nazi Party rally at Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, standing on the dais just a few feet behind the Führer himself. An unquestioning tour of Dachau crowned a period of which he would later write that he was for a time duped by a combination of his own blindness and the "intensely organized falsehood" that would later be exposed as the engine of the 'New' Germany.
In 1936, Burn joined The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
newspaper, initially on probation on the Home Editorial desk. Here he remained until the outbreak of war, with but a brief stint in London as Diplomatic Correspondent. In 1937, with Hitler's intentions becoming ever more clear, Burn enlisted in the Queen's Westminsters, a Territorial battalion of the King's Royal Rifle Corps
King's Royal Rifle Corps
The King's Royal Rifle Corps was a British Army infantry regiment, originally raised in colonial North America as the Royal Americans, and recruited from American colonists. Later ranked as the 60th Regiment of Foot, the regiment served for more than 200 years throughout the British Empire...
. Commissioned Second Lieutenant in 1938, he had, by the outbreak of war, wholly abandoned National Socialism as an engine of social change.
St. Nazaire Raid
When 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...
came, Burn was at once called up. He volunteered for the independent companies
Independent Company
An Independent Company was a formation of the British Army during the Second World War. Initially there were 10 independent companies, who were raised from volunteers in second line Territorial Army divisions in April 1940. They were intended for guerrilla style operations in Norway following the...
, formed from men willing to undertake exceptional risks, upon their formation, 1939–40. Having served in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in 1940, as part of the unsuccessful Allied campaign to counter the German invasion, Burn joined a new elite force known as the Commandos. In March 1942, as a Captain in command of number 6 Troop, No. 2 Commando
No. 2 Commando
No. 2 Commando was a battalion-sized British Commando unit of the British Army during the Second World War. The No. 2 Commando unit was reformed three times during the Second World War. The original No. 2 Commando, unlike the other commando units, was formed from volunteers from across the United...
, he took part in Operation Chariot, the St. Nazaire Raid
St. Nazaire Raid
The St Nazaire Raid or Operation Chariot was a successful British amphibious attack on the heavily defended Normandie dry dock at St Nazaire in German-occupied France during the Second World War. The operation was undertaken by the Royal Navy and British Commandos under the auspices of Combined...
, his own 6 Troop contributing 29 men to the overall total of 264 Army personnel taking part. As leader of the starboard column of troop-carrying Motor Launches, Burn's ML192 was one of the first vessels to come under fire, crashing, ablaze, into the Old Mole. Having been hauled ashore by one of his men and in spite of being wounded several times, Burn made his way to his target, the only member of his team to succeed in doing so. Of his 6 Troop contingent, carried in several MLs, 14 were killed and the rest, many of whom had had to take to the water, captured early on. Burn later attempted to escape the tightening German cordon along with two of his men, one of whom was killed in the attempt. Burn, along with his remaining companion, was captured, entering what would be a lengthy period of confinement as a 'guest of the Reich'. For his actions during the raid Burn received the award of the Military Cross. From the total of 609 soldiers and sailors to enter the Loire estuary that fateful night, five would be awarded the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
– the greatest number for any single action during the war.
Colditz
Following his capture Burn was sent to Marlag und Milag NordMarlag und Milag Nord
Marlag und Milag Nord was a German Prisoner-of-war camp in Military District X, located near Westertimke, Germany.There were over 5,000 Allied Merchant seamen captured by the German forces during World War II...
, a naval POW camp that was the destination of all Charioteers prior to the separation of Commando and Royal Navy personnel. He was then incarcerated in Spangenberg Castle, Oflag 1X A/H, and there began giving lectures to fellow POWs before being sent to Colditz Castle
Colditz Castle
Colditz Castle is a Renaissance castle in the town of Colditz near Leipzig, Dresden, and Chemnitz in the state of Saxony in Germany. Used as a workhouse for the indigent and a mental institution for over 100 years, it gained international fame as a prisoner-of-war camp during World War II for...
, Oflag IV-C
Oflag IV-C
Oflag IV-C, often referred to as Colditz Castle because of its location, was one of the most famous German Army prisoner-of-war camps for officers in World War II; Oflag is a shortening of Offizierslager, meaning "officers camp"...
. There, shorthand learnt for previous employment in journalism meant Burn acted as scribe to Colditz's secret radio operator, Lieutenant-Colonel Jimmy Yule.
On liberation, Burn sent dispatches to The Times about what had gone on in Colditz, published in newspaper on 19 and 21 April 1945. Burn had written a novel during his stay, which was published as Yes, Farewell in 1946.
While at Colditz, Burn had received a Red Cross parcel from an old Dutch acquaintance, Ella van Heemstra. After his release from Colditz, Burn responded by sending packages with food and cigarettes to van Heemstra. The food helped the manlnourished van Heemstra and her daughter, Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn was a British actress and humanitarian. Although modest about her acting ability, Hepburn remains one of the world's most famous actresses of all time, remembered as a film and fashion icon of the twentieth century...
, survive the hardships following the end of the war. Van Heemstra was also able to sell the cigarettes for penicillin on the black market to treat the seriously ill Hepburn, perhaps saving her life.
Burn ended the war as a Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
.
After the Second World War
When the war ended Burn returned to The Times. His first assignment, while waiting for a visa to go on to MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
as permanent correspondent, was to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. After several months of waiting in vain for the visa, he suggested to the editor of The Times that he instead go behind the Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
, to Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, to observe the takeover by the Hungarian Communist Party
Hungarian Communist Party
The Communist Party of Hungary , renamed Hungarian Communist Party in 1945, was founded on November 24, 1918, and was in power in Hungary briefly from March to August 1919 under Béla Kun and the Hungarian Soviet Republic. The communist government was overthrown by the Romanian Army and driven...
supported by the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
. As a consequence he became the main British reporter on the political purges, and the faked trial of Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
József Mindszenty.
Burn fell in love with, and eventually married (27th March 1947), Mary Booker, who had divorced from her husband in 1926. The couple moved to North Wales where Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, and social critic. At various points in his life he considered himself a liberal, a socialist, and a pacifist, but he also admitted that he had never been any of these things...
and his last wife, Edith, became first neighbours and in the years prior to Russell's death in 1970, very dear friends.
Mary had been in love with Richard Hillary
Richard Hillary
Flight Lieutenant Richard Hope Hillary was a Battle of Britain pilot who died during World War II...
from December 1941 until Hillary was killed in January 1943. Following Mary's death in August 1974 Burn discovered her love letters to Hillary and subsequently wrote his book Mary & Richard (1988) as a commemoration.
Burn wrote nine books of non-fiction, four novels and six books of poetry. He enjoyed reading his poetry aloud at regional poetry events.
He also wrote a play, The Night of the Ball, which opened in Londons' West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
in 1954 starring Gladys Cooper
Gladys Cooper
Dame Gladys Constance Cooper, DBE was an English actress whose career spanned seven decades on stage, in films and on television....
.
His autobiography, Turned Towards the Sun, was published in 2003.
A documentary about the life of Micky Burn, titled "Turned Towards the Sun", began production in 2008, and is currently in post-production. The film's director, Greg Olliver, also co-directed LEMMY, the documentary about Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead.