Reginald Teague-Jones
Encyclopedia
Reginald Teague-Jones MBE
(1890–November 16 1988, age 97–98) was a British political and intelligence officer. He was active in the Caucasus
and Central Asia
during the Russian Civil War
.
, but left without taking a degree.
, an organization that had trained earlier players in the so-called Great Game, the clandestine struggle for influence in Central Asia between the Russian and British empires during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Here he became involved in intelligence work on the North West Frontier, undertaking missions in disguise and adding Persian to his knowledge of languages.
As 1918 dawned, a reinvigorated Turkish force, the Ottoman Army of Islam under Enver Pasha began advancing on Baku
, much to the alarm of the British, who envisaged Enver's army crossing the Caspian, sweeping through Transcaspia (Russia's southernmost Central Asian possession) and on to India by way of Afghanistan.
Teague-Jones was now despatched on an intelligence-gathering mission to Transcaspia via the British garrison commanded by Wilfrid Malleson
at Meshed to find out what resistance to the Turks could be expected. Crossing the Kopet Dagh mountains in disguise in July, he spent the next six months between Meshed, Baku and the Transcaspian capital Ashkhabad, where he found the Bolsheviks had been overthrown days earlier and replaced by the Transcaspian Government
, claiming allegiance to the Social Revolutionaries.
He was appointed British political representative in Ahskhabad as a small British force, the Malleson Mission
arrived from Persia to aid resistance against the Turks and to fend off attacks by the Bolsheviks from Tashkent
. Here he remained until the withdrawal of this force began early in 1919
. The commissars had escaped across the Caspian after the fall of Baku in September 1918, and had been taken prisoner by White Russians at Krasnovodsk. They had subsequently been shot in the desert between Krasnovodsk and Ashkhabad in mysterious circumstances on September 20.
In 1919, and again in 1922, the Social Revolutionary lawyer Vadim Chaikin, claimed these murders had been carried out under the direct orders of Teague-Jones. In November 1922 Teague-Jones produced a 1,500-word rebuttal of Chaikin's claims which was passed by the British Foreign Office to the Soviet Commissariat for Foreign Affairs.
However, Chaikin's version of events was later endorsed by Trotsky http://marxists.anu.edu.au/archive/trotsky/works/britain/britain/ch03.htm and was upheld by Soviet historians until the collapse of the USSR.
In 1926 he undertook a trip across Persia in a Model A Ford, ostensibly in the interests of a British business consortium. His account of this trip, Adventures in Persia http://books.google.com/books?id=WNDTAAAACAAJ&dq=sinclair,+ronald was published in 1988 just before his death. As Ronald Sinclair, he later served as Vice-Consul in New York from 1941 until his retirement shortly after the war.
It has been suggested that his change of identity was intended either to protect him from Soviet vengeance for the death of the Baku commissars, or to provide cover for future intelligence operations. Evidence that he had worked for M.I.5 was found in his possessions at the time of his death, and it seems likely that both his 1926 Persian trip and his diplomatic position in New York were fronts for intelligence work.
, a historian of the Great Game, who was researching Teague-Jones at the time. As a result, Hopkirk immediately wrote a second obituary for The Times revealing his true identity.
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
(1890–November 16 1988, age 97–98) was a British political and intelligence officer. He was active in the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
and Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
during the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
.
Early life
Teague-Jones was brought up in the former Russian capital, St Petersburg. His father was a language teacher and died when Reginald was still a child. He was educated at a German-run school that specialized in languages where he learned French, German and Russian. He later spent two years studying at King's College LondonKing's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
, but left without taking a degree.
Indian intelligence officer
In 1910, at the age of 21, he joined the Indian Police and was soon transferred to the (British) Indian government's Foreign and Political DepartmentIndian Political Department
The Indian Political Department originated in a resolution passedon September 13, 1783 by the Board of Directors of the East India Company; this decreedthe creation of a department which could help “relieve the pressure” on theadministration of...
, an organization that had trained earlier players in the so-called Great Game, the clandestine struggle for influence in Central Asia between the Russian and British empires during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Here he became involved in intelligence work on the North West Frontier, undertaking missions in disguise and adding Persian to his knowledge of languages.
World War I and the Russian Civil War
In 1917 he was moved to military intelligence at G.H.Q. Delhi and given responsibility for the Persian Gulf. The war in the Middle East was now entering a critical stage with the collapse of Russian forces following the October Revolution and the creation of a power vacuum in the Caucasus.As 1918 dawned, a reinvigorated Turkish force, the Ottoman Army of Islam under Enver Pasha began advancing on Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
, much to the alarm of the British, who envisaged Enver's army crossing the Caspian, sweeping through Transcaspia (Russia's southernmost Central Asian possession) and on to India by way of Afghanistan.
Teague-Jones was now despatched on an intelligence-gathering mission to Transcaspia via the British garrison commanded by Wilfrid Malleson
Wilfrid Malleson
Sir Wilfrid Malleson was a Major-General in the British Army who led a mission to Turkestan during the Russian Civil War. Malleson joined the Royal Artillery in 1886. In 1904 he transferred to the Indian Army and accompanied Sir Louis William Daneon on his mission to Kabul, Afghanistan, 1904–1905...
at Meshed to find out what resistance to the Turks could be expected. Crossing the Kopet Dagh mountains in disguise in July, he spent the next six months between Meshed, Baku and the Transcaspian capital Ashkhabad, where he found the Bolsheviks had been overthrown days earlier and replaced by the Transcaspian Government
Transcaspian Government
The Transcaspian Government was set up by Railway workers of the Trans-Caspian Railway in 1918 and lasted until July 1919. It was based at Ashgabat.-Origin:...
, claiming allegiance to the Social Revolutionaries.
He was appointed British political representative in Ahskhabad as a small British force, the Malleson Mission
Malleson Mission
The Malleson Mission was a military action by a small autonomous force of British Soldiers, led by General Wilfred Malleson, operating against Bolshevik forces over large distances in Transcaspia between 1918 and 1919.- Background :...
arrived from Persia to aid resistance against the Turks and to fend off attacks by the Bolsheviks from Tashkent
Tashkent
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and of the Tashkent Province. The officially registered population of the city in 2008 was about 2.2 million. Unofficial sources estimate the actual population may be as much as 4.45 million.-Early Islamic History:...
. Here he remained until the withdrawal of this force began early in 1919
The 26 Baku Commissars
As a result of his involvement in Transcaspian politics, his name became linked to the murder of the 26 Baku Commissars26 Baku Commissars
The 26 Baku Commissars were Bolshevik and Left Socialist Revolutionary members of the Baku Soviet Commune. The commune was established in the city of Baku...
. The commissars had escaped across the Caspian after the fall of Baku in September 1918, and had been taken prisoner by White Russians at Krasnovodsk. They had subsequently been shot in the desert between Krasnovodsk and Ashkhabad in mysterious circumstances on September 20.
In 1919, and again in 1922, the Social Revolutionary lawyer Vadim Chaikin, claimed these murders had been carried out under the direct orders of Teague-Jones. In November 1922 Teague-Jones produced a 1,500-word rebuttal of Chaikin's claims which was passed by the British Foreign Office to the Soviet Commissariat for Foreign Affairs.
However, Chaikin's version of events was later endorsed by Trotsky http://marxists.anu.edu.au/archive/trotsky/works/britain/britain/ch03.htm and was upheld by Soviet historians until the collapse of the USSR.
Change of identity
Teague-Jones changed his name in 1922 and all reference to him in Foreign Office files ceased after the end of 1922. For the next 66 years until his death, he was known as Ronald Sinclair.In 1926 he undertook a trip across Persia in a Model A Ford, ostensibly in the interests of a British business consortium. His account of this trip, Adventures in Persia http://books.google.com/books?id=WNDTAAAACAAJ&dq=sinclair,+ronald was published in 1988 just before his death. As Ronald Sinclair, he later served as Vice-Consul in New York from 1941 until his retirement shortly after the war.
It has been suggested that his change of identity was intended either to protect him from Soviet vengeance for the death of the Baku commissars, or to provide cover for future intelligence operations. Evidence that he had worked for M.I.5 was found in his possessions at the time of his death, and it seems likely that both his 1926 Persian trip and his diplomatic position in New York were fronts for intelligence work.
Death
He died on November 16 1988, as Ronald Sinclair at a private nursing home in Plymouth, England. An obituary appeared in The Times on November 22, alerting Peter HopkirkPeter Hopkirk
Peter Hopkirk is a British journalist and author who has written six books about the British Empire, Russia and Central Asia.-Biography:Hopkirk attended the Dragon School in Oxford....
, a historian of the Great Game, who was researching Teague-Jones at the time. As a result, Hopkirk immediately wrote a second obituary for The Times revealing his true identity.