Terence Airey
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-General
Sir Terence Sydney Airey, KCMG
, CB
, CBE
(9 July 1900 – 26 March 1983) was an officer in the British Army
.
, Holt
, and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst
.
Airey was married on 1 November 1933 in Egypt
to Constance Hedley, who bore him a son named John Francis St George Airey. This marriage was dissolved in 1947, when he married for a second time to Bridget Georgiana Vesey, daughter of Colonel the Hon. Thomas Eustace Vesey and Lady Cecilia Kathleen Browne, daughter of the 5th Earl of Kenmare
. Lady Airey died in 2006.
. He later passed the Staff College and went on to serve as a staff officer in the Sudan
in 1929 and on the British Military Mission to the Egyptian Army
.
. In 1941, he was serving under General Sir William Platt
in Abyssinia
, after which he returned to General Headquarters in Cairo
: there he was appointed Director of Special Operations and later Director of Military Intelligence. During the latter part of the Tunisia
n campaign, Airey served as a Brigadier (General Staff) in the 18th Army Group.
In June 1944, Airey was promoted Major General
and was later appointed Assistant Chief of Staff to General Harold Alexander. In this capacity, he flew to Switzerland
with Lyman Lemnitzer
, both disguised as Irish business men, to meet Allen Dulles. Airey's cover was as a Mr MacNeilly who claimed to be on a business trip to buy a German dachshund
called Fritzel.
The three met the SS General Karl Wolff
, with Airey trying to negotiate a meeting between Wolff and General Alexander to discuss the surrender of German
forces in Italy
. Airey did not succeed in arranging the meeting, and when the Soviets found out about the meeting, the US and UK
were accused of going behind their allies' backs. Wolff was later protected by Dulles and Lemnitzer, much to the disdain of Airey. The Karl Wolff affair would latter become known as Operation Crossword
, but at the time was codenamed Operation Fritzel.
In 1947, he was appointed Commander and Military Governor of the Anglo-American Zone, Trieste
, which was later handed over to the Italians
and Yugoslavs
. The position was originally temporary, but Airey continued in it until 1951. He helped restore stability to the war-battered area, particularly in the harbour and in re-opening trade routes. Before Airey arrived, the area had been under the power of a Communist 'shadow government' which assassinated its political opponents. He is said to have been dearly missed by the people of Trieste
.
After his service at Trieste, Airey was appointed Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence, to General Dwight Eisenhower at Supreme Allied Headquarters.
His last military appointment was as Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong
from February 1952 to 1954. He retired from military service in 1954, although he served as Colonel of the Durham Light Infantry until 1956.
Airey is known to have attended early meetings of the Bilderberg Group
and was a member of the Group's European Steering Committee.
Lieutenant-General (UK)
Lieutenant-general is a senior rank in the British Army and the Royal Marines, although the highest ranking officer in the Royal Marines at present is major general...
Sir Terence Sydney Airey, KCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(9 July 1900 – 26 March 1983) was an officer in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
.
Family and education
Airey was the son of Sydney Airey. He was educated at Gresham's SchoolGresham's School
Gresham’s School is an independent coeducational boarding school in Holt in North Norfolk, England, a member of the HMC.The school was founded in 1555 by Sir John Gresham as a free grammar school for forty boys, following King Henry VIII's dissolution of the Augustinian priory at Beeston Regis...
, Holt
Holt, Norfolk
Holt is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The town is north of the city of Norwich, west of Cromer and east of King's Lynn. The town is on the route of the A148 King's Lynn to Cromer road. The nearest railway station is in the town of Sheringham where access to the...
, and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
.
Airey was married on 1 November 1933 in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
to Constance Hedley, who bore him a son named John Francis St George Airey. This marriage was dissolved in 1947, when he married for a second time to Bridget Georgiana Vesey, daughter of Colonel the Hon. Thomas Eustace Vesey and Lady Cecilia Kathleen Browne, daughter of the 5th Earl of Kenmare
Earl of Kenmare
The title of Earl of Kenmare was created in the Peerage of Ireland in 1801. It became extinct upon the death of the 7th Earl in 1952.All of the Earls bore the subsidiary titles of Viscount Castlerosse , Viscount Kenmare , and Baron Castlerosse in the Peerage of Ireland...
. Lady Airey died in 2006.
Before World War II
In 1919, Airey received a commission in the Durham Light InfantryDurham Light Infantry
The Durham Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1968. It was formed by the amalgamation of the 68th Regiment of Foot and the 106th Regiment of Foot along with the militia and rifle volunteers of County Durham...
. He later passed the Staff College and went on to serve as a staff officer in the Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
in 1929 and on the British Military Mission to the Egyptian Army
Egyptian Army
The Egyptian Army is the largest service branch within the Egyptian Armed Forces and holds power in the current Egyptian government. It is estimated to number around 379,000, in addition to 479,000 reservists for a total of 858,000 strong. The modern army was created in the 1820s, and during the...
.
World War II
Airey was still involved in military affairs at the outbreak of 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 1941, he was serving under General Sir William Platt
William Platt
General Sir William Platt GBE, KCB, DSO was an officer in the British Army, the Australian Army, and the New Zealand Army during World War I and World War II.-Early years:...
in Abyssinia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, after which he returned to General Headquarters in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
: there he was appointed Director of Special Operations and later Director of Military Intelligence. During the latter part of the Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
n campaign, Airey served as a Brigadier (General Staff) in the 18th Army Group.
In June 1944, Airey was promoted Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
and was later appointed Assistant Chief of Staff to General Harold Alexander. In this capacity, he flew to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
with Lyman Lemnitzer
Lyman Lemnitzer
Lyman Louis Lemnitzer was a United States Army General, who served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1960 to 1962. He then served as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO from 1963 to 1969.-Biography:...
, both disguised as Irish business men, to meet Allen Dulles. Airey's cover was as a Mr MacNeilly who claimed to be on a business trip to buy a German dachshund
Dachshund
The dachshund is a short-legged, long-bodied dog breed belonging to the hound family. The standard size dachshund was bred to scent, chase, and flush out badgers and other burrow-dwelling animals, while the miniature dachshund was developed to hunt smaller prey such as rabbits...
called Fritzel.
The three met the SS General Karl Wolff
Karl Wolff
Karl Friedrich Otto Wolff was a high-ranking member of the Nazi Schutzstaffel , ultimately holding the rank of SS-Obergruppenführer and General of the Waffen-SS. He became Chief of Personal Staff to the Reichsführer and SS Liaison Officer to Hitler until his replacement in 1943...
, with Airey trying to negotiate a meeting between Wolff and General Alexander to discuss the surrender of German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
forces in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Airey did not succeed in arranging the meeting, and when the Soviets found out about the meeting, the US and UK
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...
were accused of going behind their allies' backs. Wolff was later protected by Dulles and Lemnitzer, much to the disdain of Airey. The Karl Wolff affair would latter become known as Operation Crossword
Operation Crossword
During World War II, Operation Crossword or Operation Sunrise was a series of secret negotiations conducted in March 1945 in Switzerland between representatives of Nazi Germany and the Western Allies to arrange a local surrender of German forces in northern Italy...
, but at the time was codenamed Operation Fritzel.
Postwar service
After the war, Airey served for a year as Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief of Central Mediterranean Forces and was for a time Acting Deputy Supreme Allied Commander in the Mediterranean Theatre.In 1947, he was appointed Commander and Military Governor of the Anglo-American Zone, Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, which was later handed over to the Italians
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Yugoslavs
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. The position was originally temporary, but Airey continued in it until 1951. He helped restore stability to the war-battered area, particularly in the harbour and in re-opening trade routes. Before Airey arrived, the area had been under the power of a Communist 'shadow government' which assassinated its political opponents. He is said to have been dearly missed by the people of Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
.
After his service at Trieste, Airey was appointed Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence, to General Dwight Eisenhower at Supreme Allied Headquarters.
His last military appointment was as Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong
Commander British Forces in Hong Kong
The Commander British Forces in Hong Kong was a senior British Army officer who acted as Military Advisor to the Governor of Hong Kong.-Structure:...
from February 1952 to 1954. He retired from military service in 1954, although he served as Colonel of the Durham Light Infantry until 1956.
Retirement
In August 1956, he was appointed delegate-general of the European Foundation of Culture, which sought to revive the idea of Europe as a single cultural community.Airey is known to have attended early meetings of the Bilderberg Group
Bilderberg Group
The Bilderberg Group, Bilderberg conference, or Bilderberg Club is an annual, unofficial, invitation-only conference of approximately 120 to 140 guests from North America and Western Europe, most of whom are people of influence. About one-third are from government and politics, and two-thirds from...
and was a member of the Group's European Steering Committee.
Honours
- Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George 1 January 1951
- Companion of the Order of the Bath 16 June 1944
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire 5 August 1943, OBE 30 December 1941
- Mentioned in Despatches 30 December 1941, 24 June 1943, 23 May 1946
- Officer, Legion of MeritLegion of MeritThe Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
(United States) 4 April 1946 - Officier, Légion d'HonneurLégion d'honneurThe Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
(France) 1947/48 - Croix de GuerreCroix de guerreThe Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
(France) 1947/48