Quote:Was Kim Philby offered escape to Moscow by MI6 agent?

New letter suggests Soviet agent was encouraged to defect after being uncovered as a master spy

Traitor was one of the Cambridge Five, but avoided detection and escaped
He sent a letter from Moscow to friend Nicholas Elliott, who he had betrayed
It suggested Elliott had wanted to 'do [him] a fade' - slang for defecting

A master double agent famous for escaping the British Establishment to Soviet Russia may have been encouraged to defect by a fellow spy, it has emerged.

In a letter from the USSR to a lifelong friend who he betrayed, Kim Philby - one of the infamous Cambridge Five - suggested MI6 figures wanted to wash their hands of him.

Published for the first time today in The Times, the letter was written by Philby to his colleague Nicholas Elliott soon after he was able to flee to a new life in Moscow despite being accused of treachery in Parliament.

It used the spy slang for defection - 'do me a fade' - to suggest Elliott had encouraged him to defect to Soviet Russia.
'Dear Nick,' he wrote. 'I wonder if this letter will surprise you.

'Our last transactions were so strange that I cannot help thinking that perhaps you wanted me to do a fade. It is invariably with pleasure that I remember our meetings and talks.

'They did much to help one get one's bearings in this complicated world! I deeply appreciate, now as ever, our old friendship, and I hope that rumours which have reached me about your having had some trouble on my account, are exaggerated.'

The letter was uncovered by the journalist and historian Ben Macintyre as he researched a new book, A Spy Among Friends.

Serialised in the Times, the account describes how Philby abused his friendship with Elliott, with whom he had risen through the MI6, passing information to the Russians which led to the deaths of some of Elliott's contacts.

According to the Times, the extraordinary letter asked Elliott to meet him in Finland - and he wanted to go so he could exact revenge on his treacherous friend, who had destroyed his career.

Instead he eventually replied with the words: 'Put some flowers for me on poor Volkov's grave', a reference to would-be defector Konstantin Volkov who was outed through Philby's betrayal.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2571079/Was-Kim-Philby-offered-escape-Moscow-MI6-agent-New-letter-suggests-Soviet-agent-encouraged-defect-uncovered-master-spy.html#ixzz2unoqhA2R