Colin Crowe

Sir Colin Tradescant Crowe (7 September 1913 – 19 July 1989) was a British diplomat who was stationed in Egypt at a critical period, and afterwards was ambassador to Saudi Arabia, high commissioner to Canada and permanent representative at the United Nations. Early life Colin Tradescant Crowe was born in Yokohama, Japan, where his father, Edward Crowe (later Sir Edward), also a diplomat, was commercial attaché at the British Embassy. Crowe was educated at Stowe School. Education Crowe earned a first-class degree in modern history from Oriel College, Oxford. Career Crowe joined the Diplomatic Service and served as in Peking 1936–38 and at Shanghai 1938–40. After postings in Washington, D.C., Paris and Tel Aviv he served again in Peking (Beijing) 1950–53. Chinese 'volunteers' were fighting the Korean War and, although Britain had recognised the People's Republic of China, the communists harassed British diplomats. Crowe's brother-in-law, Antonio Riva, was executed in August 1951 on a charge of conspiring to murder chairman Mao Zedong.