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Possibly one of the least competent entrants to the diplomatic service, Maclean was largely accepted on his Cambridge background and the fact that his father was a Liberal Member of Parliament. Maclean was an alchoholic, a homosexual and frequently mixed drunkenness, sex and violent behaviour in even for those rather libertarian circles, depraved orgies. In addition he was a committedCommunist and a Soviet spy.
Despite all of this, and quite a lot was known or suspected by his colleagues, Maclean was thought of as a future Ambassador. Maclean was frequently discovered to be inadequate, irrational, violent, drunk remarkably indiscreet and outspokenly anti-American even at official functions during his various diplomatic postings including both Paris and
Cairo. To the surprise of many, Maclean was appointed First Secretary at the Washington Embassy. It was from this position that he was able to pass ever more vital intelligence to his Soviet controllers on nuclear research and much more. The CIA was suspicious of Maclean long before the penny dropped in Britain. Soon after his return to Britain, Maclean was warned by Burgess that he was about to be arrested and the two fled to Moscow.
Maclean by then a compulsive alcoholic, lived on unhappily in Moscow separated from his family, his wife had an affair with Philby before returning temporarily to Maclean and finally died in 1983 |
