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Pampered with an upper-class education and a comfortable lifestyle, Anthony Blunt embraced espionage as easily as he would later accept the honours of the country he later betrayed. At the outbreak of World War II. Blunt applied for and received a commission in the British Army. Following the fall of France Blunt joined the Security Service (MI5). Already a Communist agent from his days at Cambridge, he was now in a position to obtain and pass on secrets to the Soviet Union. From 1940 to 1945, Blunt was a dedicated NKVD double agent, passing secrets regularly to Soviet contacts in London. Blunt served in F Branch and was in charge of 'The Watchers' by the end of 1940. He later became Guy Liddells personal assistant, then to B1(b) where he was responsible for checking the diplomatic pouches of neutral countries till 1944. He also represented MI5 at meetings of the JIC.
At the end of the war, Blunt was discharged from MI5 and immediately began to pursue his passion for the History of Art. Within three decades he had become one of the foremost authorities in the field. The honours early heaped upon him paved the way to becoming the pre-eminent art historian in Europe.
Blunt had come under suspicion following the defection to Moscow of his close friend Guy Burgess, but had persuaded his interrogators of his non-involvement. However, the search continued for the "Third Man" who had warned Burgess and Maclean. When 'Kim' Philby was identified as being responsible, rumours began to circulate about a "Fourth Man" who had actually passed the warning to Philby and perhaps had even co-ordinated the escape of Burgess and Maclean with KGB agents. The intelligence community never gave up its search for the evidence that Blunt was the "Fourth Man," and finally in 1963 this was provided by Michael Whitney Straight, a wealthy American who had known Blunt at Cambridge in the early 1930's.
When Blunt was shown the testimony of his American friend, he promptly confessed. Blunt stated that he was the man they were looking for, the "Fourth Man," openly admitting that he had warned his friends, Philby, Burgess and Maclean. Blunt then struck a bargain with MI5. He would tell them everything in exchange for not being exposed and prosecuted. Though Blunt thought himself safe, he was dogged by journalists and authors writing about the "Fourth Man.". Finally, Andrew Boyle's book, 'The climate of Treason' identified the "Fourth Man" as Blunt even though it was under the alias of "Maurice". Blunt's treachery was later confirmed by the Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher in 1979. Stripped of his Knighthood Blunt retreated from public life and died in disgrace in 1983. |
