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| Anthony Cavendish obituary | Anthony Cavendish obituary |
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| Anthony Cavendish, who has died aged 85, was a flamboyant MI6 officer turned foreign correspondent and merchant banker. He was a bon vivant whose adventurous spirit led him to break his back twice – once in a racing-car crash, once tobogganing on the Cresta Run at St Moritz in Switzerland. | Anthony Cavendish, who has died aged 85, was a flamboyant MI6 officer turned foreign correspondent and merchant banker. He was a bon vivant whose adventurous spirit led him to break his back twice – once in a racing-car crash, once tobogganing on the Cresta Run at St Moritz in Switzerland. |
| Cavendish was also a close friend and colleague of Maurice Oldfield, the former head of MI6 smeared by elements in the security services and Northern Ireland's Orange Order after it emerged he had not declared youthful homosexual encounters when he first joined Britain's Secret Intelligence Service (as MI6 is officially called). | Cavendish was also a close friend and colleague of Maurice Oldfield, the former head of MI6 smeared by elements in the security services and Northern Ireland's Orange Order after it emerged he had not declared youthful homosexual encounters when he first joined Britain's Secret Intelligence Service (as MI6 is officially called). |
| Cavendish defied the authorities to publish Inside Intelligence, an account of his exploits as a secret agent in the Middle East in the years after the second world war and subsequently in cold-war Europe. He was determined to defend Oldfield, who became the target of smears soon after Margaret Thatcher appointed him her security supremo in Belfast in 1980. | Cavendish defied the authorities to publish Inside Intelligence, an account of his exploits as a secret agent in the Middle East in the years after the second world war and subsequently in cold-war Europe. He was determined to defend Oldfield, who became the target of smears soon after Margaret Thatcher appointed him her security supremo in Belfast in 1980. |
| Inside Intelligence first appeared in 1987, as a slim, privately published volume that Cavendish described as a "Christmas card". For two years, he revelled in a cat-and-mouse game with Whitehall censors. Bit by bit, they allowed the media to publish more of Cavendish's material. Cavendish gave an account of how MI6 engineered a coup to get rid of the Iranian nationalist leader Muhammad Mossadeq in 1953, and how Oldfield once told Harold Wilson there was "a section of MI5 which was unreliable" – a reference to a rightwing group out to destabilise the Labour prime minister. | Inside Intelligence first appeared in 1987, as a slim, privately published volume that Cavendish described as a "Christmas card". For two years, he revelled in a cat-and-mouse game with Whitehall censors. Bit by bit, they allowed the media to publish more of Cavendish's material. Cavendish gave an account of how MI6 engineered a coup to get rid of the Iranian nationalist leader Muhammad Mossadeq in 1953, and how Oldfield once told Harold Wilson there was "a section of MI5 which was unreliable" – a reference to a rightwing group out to destabilise the Labour prime minister. |
| Government lawyers began to pass passages that they had earlier strenuously objected to. These included a reference to Oldfield's success in Northern Ireland in establishing a network of "supergrasses", mainly, according to Cavendish, as a result of Oldfield's secret contacts with Catholic priests. Eventually, in 1989, the law lords dismissed the government's attempts to block Inside Intelligence, which was published in full by HarperCollins in 1990. | Government lawyers began to pass passages that they had earlier strenuously objected to. These included a reference to Oldfield's success in Northern Ireland in establishing a network of "supergrasses", mainly, according to Cavendish, as a result of Oldfield's secret contacts with Catholic priests. Eventually, in 1989, the law lords dismissed the government's attempts to block Inside Intelligence, which was published in full by HarperCollins in 1990. |
| Cavendish won widespread support in his struggle. He was defended by many who did not share his views because the principles of freedom of information at stake overrode party political divisions. However, there is no doubt that he also attracted support because of his warm and generous character. He was an immensely clubbable man and loved to entertain, beckoning people, cigar in hand, to join him in lively conversation. | Cavendish won widespread support in his struggle. He was defended by many who did not share his views because the principles of freedom of information at stake overrode party political divisions. However, there is no doubt that he also attracted support because of his warm and generous character. He was an immensely clubbable man and loved to entertain, beckoning people, cigar in hand, to join him in lively conversation. |
| Cavendish was born in London. When he was five, the family settled in Pontresina, near St Moritz, in south-east Switzerland. His father died in a mountaineering accident in 1932 but Anthony and his mother remained there until the outbreak of the second world war. During one of their regular trips to London, he sang in the choir at George VI's coronation. He grew up speaking English, French, German and Swiss German fluently. | Cavendish was born in London. When he was five, the family settled in Pontresina, near St Moritz, in south-east Switzerland. His father died in a mountaineering accident in 1932 but Anthony and his mother remained there until the outbreak of the second world war. During one of their regular trips to London, he sang in the choir at George VI's coronation. He grew up speaking English, French, German and Swiss German fluently. |
| He went to the Polytechnic secondary school, renamed the Quintin school in 1948, and now part of the Quintin Kynaston community academy. During the war the school was evacuated from London to Minehead, Somerset. | He went to the Polytechnic secondary school, renamed the Quintin school in 1948, and now part of the Quintin Kynaston community academy. During the war the school was evacuated from London to Minehead, Somerset. |
| At the age of 17, he joined the army, and from 1945 to 1948 served in the Intelligence Corps. He first met Oldfield when posted to the Cairo headquarters of Britain's Secret Intelligence Middle East. From 1948 to 1953 he was an MI6 officer, mainly in Germany and Austria, and then joined the US-owned United Press International as a foreign correspondent based in eastern Europe and the Middle East. | At the age of 17, he joined the army, and from 1945 to 1948 served in the Intelligence Corps. He first met Oldfield when posted to the Cairo headquarters of Britain's Secret Intelligence Middle East. From 1948 to 1953 he was an MI6 officer, mainly in Germany and Austria, and then joined the US-owned United Press International as a foreign correspondent based in eastern Europe and the Middle East. |
| His eyewitness reports of the Soviet repression of the Hungarian revolution in 1956 won him great praise. He was arrested on suspicion of espionage as he tried to leave Hungary but, he said, mistakenly released before a KGB major-general, sent by Moscow to interrogate him, arrived. | His eyewitness reports of the Soviet repression of the Hungarian revolution in 1956 won him great praise. He was arrested on suspicion of espionage as he tried to leave Hungary but, he said, mistakenly released before a KGB major-general, sent by Moscow to interrogate him, arrived. |
| For the next two years he was a commentator on the BBC's Panorama and other political and current affairs programmes, then he took up a number of appointments in the private sector – in pipeline manufacturing, container shipping, an Oman-based marine equipment company, and BAE Systems. But he mainly used his international contacts in the field of merchant banking. | For the next two years he was a commentator on the BBC's Panorama and other political and current affairs programmes, then he took up a number of appointments in the private sector – in pipeline manufacturing, container shipping, an Oman-based marine equipment company, and BAE Systems. But he mainly used his international contacts in the field of merchant banking. |
| In 1972 he was a Conservative parliamentary candidate. In later years he became a trustee of the Gorbachev International Nuclear Safety Foundation. | In 1972 he was a Conservative parliamentary candidate. In later years he became a trustee of the Gorbachev International Nuclear Safety Foundation. |
| His first marriage ended in divorce. He leaves his second wife, Elspeth – Oldfield was his best man at their 1980 wedding – their daughter, Charlotte, and son, Julius. | His first marriage ended in divorce. He leaves his second wife, Elspeth – Oldfield was his best man at their 1980 wedding – their daughter, Charlotte, and son, Julius. |
| • Anthony John Cavendish, intelligence agent and businessman, born 20 July 1927; died 12 January 2013 | • Anthony John Cavendish, intelligence agent and businessman, born 20 July 1927; died 12 January 2013 |
| • This article was amended on 29 January. The original had said that Cavendish went to the Quintin school. However, the school adopted that name only in 1948. Before then, it was known as the Polytechnic secondary school. | • This article was amended on 29 January. The original had said that Cavendish went to the Quintin school. However, the school adopted that name only in 1948. Before then, it was known as the Polytechnic secondary school. |
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