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Of all the atomic spies working for the Soviets, probably the most important and dangerous was the naturalized British scientist Klaus Fuchs. He did not become a spy for any of the usual reasons, money, revenge or blackmail. His motive was purely ideological. Fuchs was a dedicated Communist and moved to England in 1933. When Fuchs'file was reviewed in 1940 his pronounced anti-Nazi sentiments convinced British officials that he was not a risk as an enemy alien. Moreover, Fuchs a brilliant physicist was soon recruited to work on various projects and moved to Glasgow. A short time later, Fuchs was sent to the Birmingham University to work with Professor Rudolf Peierls who was also a German refugee and who was a friend of Fuchs. It is likely that Peierls personally requested that Fuchs join him in his research for the 'Tube Alloy Project' (cover name for the atom bomb research program). Rudolf Peierls, many years later, had accusations made against him of being a Soviet spy, in part because of his close connection with Klaus Fuchs. Fuchs required and received a security clearance after being vetted by MI5 Officers. He was also required to become a British citizen, which he did, again without protest, early in 1942.
In December 1943, Fuchs was sent to America, to continue his atomic research at Columbia University in New York.. However, in 1949 the FBI conducted sweeping investigations in the US and uncovered a network of Soviet agents. One of the Soviet spies admitted to FBI that he had been passed secret material by a British physicist working at Los Alamos. Fuchs was the immediate suspect but neither the FBI or MI5 could obtain sufficient hard evidence to arrest him.
However by a strange twist of fate, Fuchs asked to see the security officer at Harwell in 1949 to discover whether his fathers recent appointment to a teaching position at the Leipzig University in East Germany would compromise his security clearance. MI5 informed of this request promptly sent one its best investigating officers, William Skardon, a former detective to visit Fuchs. Having quietly established a friendly and sympathetic relationship with the suspected spy, Skardon persuaded Fuchs to confess. Following Fuchs' conviction, he received fourteen years in prison, the maximum sentence. Fuchs was sent to Wormwood Scrubs Prison where he soon became the librarian. After nine years, Fuchs was released and immediately left for East Germany where he was appointed by the Soviets to head the Nuclear Research Institute at Dresden. Fuchs died of natural causes in 1988. |
