Peter Ramsbotham

Peter Edward Ramsbotham, 3rd Viscount Soulbury (8 October 1919 – 9 April 2010) was a British diplomat and colonial administrator. Vida temprana Born in London, Ramsbotham was the younger son of Herwald Ramsbotham, later the 1st Viscount Soulbury. He was educated at Eton College and at Magdalen College, Oxford. At Oxford he contracted polio in 1938, which left him with a slightly shorter right leg. Segunda Guerra Mundial He was already working for MI5 as a civilian when he joined the army on the outbreak of the Second World War. In April 1941, Ramsbotham was working in B3 Division of MI5 (Communications) with the task of studying the activities of foreign journalists in the UK. In July he was with B3A (Censorship) before moving to E3 (Alien Control – USA citizens in the UK and other territories). By 1943 he was with E2 Division dealing with nationals from the Baltic states, the Balkans and Central Europe. In June 1943, he left MI5 and was later commissioned into the Intelligence Corps on 9 June 1944. As a fluent speaker in French, he continued to work with MI5 on the Continent as a member of 106 Special Counter Intelligence Unit (SCIU), running double agents and acting as a liaison officer to the counter-espionage section of the French Intelligence Service. He also reported to the '212' Committee', the Allied equivalent of MI5's 'XX Committee' ('Double Cross Committee'). At the close of hostilities, he was employed in the Political Division of the Control Commissions for both Germany and Austria and served also in Hamburg and Berlin. In recognition of his exemplary service during the war, he received a Mention in Despatches in August 1945 and was awarded a Croix de Guerre on 1 March 1949 (en bloc). Servicio diplomático In 1948, Ramsbotham joined the diplomatic service on the advice of his superior, Sir Christopher Steel. He failed the Foreign Office exam on his first attempt, due to poor mathematical skill, but passed six months later after some coaching. His first position was in the German Department of the Foreign Office in London.