Jump to content

Airey Neave

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lieutenant Colonel
Airey Neave
DSOOBEMCTD
Neave between May 1940 and May 1941
Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
In office
4 March 1974 – 30 March 1979
Leader
Preceded byFrancis Pym
Succeeded byAlec Jones
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Air
In office
16 January 1959 – 16 October 1959
Prime MinisterHarold Macmillan
Preceded byIan Orr-Ewing
Succeeded byWilliam Taylor
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport
In office
18 January 1957 – 16 January 1959
Prime MinisterHarold Macmillan
Preceded byHugh Molson
Succeeded byJohn Hay
Member of Parliament
forAbingdon
In office
30 June 1953 – 30 March 1979
Preceded bySir Ralph Glyn
Succeeded byThomas Benyon
Personal details
Born
Airey Middleton Sheffield Neave

(1916-01-23)23 January 1916
Knightsbridge,London, England
Died30 March 1979(1979-03-30)(aged 63)
Westminster,London, England
Manner of deathAssassination(car bomb attack)
Political partyConservative
Spouse
​
(m.1942)​
Children3
Parent(s)Sheffield Airey Neave(father)
Alma materMerton College, Oxford
Occupation
  • Politician
  • Soldier
ProfessionBarrister
Military service
AllegianceBritish Empire
Branch/serviceBritish Army
Years of service1935–1951
RankLieutenant colonel
UnitRoyal Artillery
Battles/wars

Lieutenant ColonelAirey Middleton Sheffield Neave,DSO,OBE,MC,TD(/ˈɛəriˈniːv/) (23 January 1916 – 30 March 1979) was a British soldier, lawyer andMember of Parliament(MP) from1953untilhis assassinationin 1979.

During the Second World War he was the first Britishprisoner-of-warto succeed in escaping fromOflag IV-CatColditz Castle,and later worked forMI9.After the war he served with theInternational Military Tribunalat theNuremberg trials.He later becameConservativeMP forAbingdon.

Neave was assassinated in acar bombattack at theHouse of Commons.TheIrish National Liberation Armyclaimed responsibility.

Early life

[edit]

Neave was the son ofSheffield Airey NeaveCMG, OBE (1879–1961),[1]anentomologist,who lived atIngatestone,Essex,and his wife Dorothy, the daughter of Arthur Thomson Middleton. His father was the grandson ofSheffield Neave,the third son of Sir Thomas Neave, 2nd Baronet (seeNeave baronets).

The family came to prominence as merchants in the West Indies during the 18th century and were raised to the baronetage during the life ofRichard Neave,Governor of the Bank of England.Neave spent his early years inKnightsbridgein London, before he moved toBeaconsfield.Neave was sent toSt. Ronan's School,Worthing,and from there, in 1929, he went toEton College.He went on to readJurisprudenceatMerton College, Oxford.[2]

While at Eton, Neave composed a prize-winning essay in 1933 that examined the likely consequences ofAdolf Hitler's rise to supreme power inGermany,and Neave predicted then that another widespread war would break out in Europe in the near future. Neave had earlier been on a visit to Germany, and he witnessed theNazi Germanmethods of grasping political and military power. At Eton, Neave served in the school cadet corps as a cadetlance corporal,and received aterritorialcommission as asecond lieutenantin theOxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantryon 11 December 1935.[3]

When Neave went toOxford University,he purchased and read the entire written works of the general and military theoristCarl von Clausewitz.When Neave was asked why, he answered: "since war [is] coming, it [is] only sensible to learn as much as possible about the art of waging it".[4]During 1938, Neave completed his third-class degree. By his own admission, while at Oxford University, he did only the minimum amount of academic work that was required of him by his tutors.

Second World War

[edit]

Neave transferred his territorial commission to theRoyal Engineerson 2 May 1938[5]and following the outbreak of war he was mobilised. Sent to France in February 1940 with1st Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery,he was wounded and captured by the Germansat Calaison 23 May 1940. He was imprisoned atOflag IX-A/HnearSpangenbergand in February 1941 moved toStalag XX-AnearThornin German-occupied western Poland. Meanwhile, Neave's commission was transferred to theRoyal Artilleryon 1 August 1940.[6]

In April 1941 he escaped from Thorn with Norman Forbes. They were captured nearIlowwhile trying to enterSoviet-controlled Poland and were briefly in the hands of theGestapo.[7]In May, they were both sent toOflag IV-C(often referred to asColditz Castlebecause of its location).[8]

While in Colditz, the French military prisoners asked the Germans to have the Jewish military prisoners separated from the gentile French military prisoners, which resulted in about 80 French Jewish military prisoners being confined in a crowded attic of the castle. Neave and many British officers were appalled at the French prisoners for this request. In demonstration of their solidarity with the French Jews, the British invited the French Jews to dinner in the British mess, where Neave made a speech denouncing the prejudice.[9]

Neave made his first attempt to escape from Colditz on 28 August 1941 disguised as a German NCO. He did not get out of the castle as his hastily contrived German uniform (made from a Polish army tunic and cap painted with scenery paint accompanied with cardboard belt painted silver) was rendered bright green under the prison searchlights.[10]Together with Dutch officerAnthony Luteynhe made a second attempt on 5 January 1942, again in disguise.

Better uniforms and escape route (they made a quick exit from a theatrical production using the trap door beneath the stage) got them out of the prison and by train and on foot they travelled toLeipzigandUlmand finally reached the border to Switzerland nearSingen.Via France, Spain andGibraltar,Neave returned to England in April 1942. Neave was the first British officer to escape from Colditz Castle.[7]On 12 May 1942, shortly after his return to England, he was decorated with theMilitary Cross.[11]He was subsequently promoted to war substantive captain and to the permanent rank of captain on 11 April 1945.[12]A temporary major at the war's end, he was appointed anMBE(Military Division) on 30 August 1945,[13]and awarded theDSOon 18 October.[14]As a result, the earlier MBE appointment was cancelled on 25 October 1945.[15]

After his escape from the Germans, Neave was recruited as an intelligence officer forMI9,supporting underground escape organizations, such as thePat O'Leary LineandComet Linein occupied Europe, with equipment, agents and money; assisting downed Allied airmen and other Allied military personnel evade and escape capture by the Germans. In Western Europe, about 5,000 British and American military personnel were rescued by the escape organizations and repatriated to the United Kingdom, mostly through neutral Spain, beforeD-Day.After D-Day inOperation Marathon,Neave journeyed to France and Belgium and, with help from the Comet Line and the Resistance, rescued more than 300 allied airmen who had taken refuge in forest camps after being shot down.[16][17]While at MI9, he was the immediate superior of the future comedianMichael Bentine,also an Old Etonian.

He also served with the International Military Tribunal at theNuremberg trials,investigatingKrupp.He was supported by the work of his secretary Joan Tutte.[18]As a well-known war hero – as well as a qualified lawyer who spoke fluent German – he was honoured with the role of reading the indictments to theNazileaders on trial.[19]He wrote several books about his war experiences including an account of the trials.[20]

A temporary lieutenant-colonel by 1947, he was appointed anOBE(Military Division) in that year'sBirthday Honours.[21]He was awarded theBronze Starby the US government on 20 July 1948,[22]and was promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 1 April 1950,[23]At the same time, his promotion to acting major was gazetted, with retroactive effect from 16 April 1948.[23]He entered the reserves on 21 September 1951.[24]

Political career

[edit]

Neave stood for theConservative Partyat the1950 electioninThurrockand atEaling Northin 1951.[25]He was elected forAbingdonin a by-election in June 1953, but his career was held back by aheart attackhe suffered in 1959.

He was a Governor ofImperial Collegebetween 1963 and 1971 and was a member of the House of Commonsselect committeeon Science and Technology between 1965 and 1970. He was on the governing body ofAbingdon Schoolfrom 1953 to 1979.[26]

Edward Heath,whenChief Whip,was alleged to have told Neave that after he suffered his heart attack his career was finished[citation needed]but in his 1998 autobiography, Heath strongly denied ever making such a remark. He admitted that in December 1974 Neave had told him to stand down for the good of the party. During the final two months of 1974, Neave had askedKeith Joseph,William WhitelawandEdward du Cannto stand against Heath, and said that in the case of any of them challenging for the party leadership, he would be theircampaign manager.When all three refused to stand, Neave agreed to be the campaign manager forMargaret Thatcher's attempt to become leader of the Conservative Party, which was eventually successful.[27]

When Thatcher was elected leader in February 1975, Neave was rewarded by becoming head of her private office. He was then appointedShadow Secretary of State for Northern Irelandand, at the time of his death, was poised to attain the equivalent Cabinet position in the event of the Conservatives winning thegeneral election of 1979.In opposition, Neave was a strong supporter ofRoy Mason,who had extended the policy ofUlsterisation.

Neave was author of the new and radical Conservative policy of abandoningdevolutioninNorthern Irelandif there was no early progress in that regard, and concentrating on local government reform instead. This integrationist policy was hastily abandoned byHumphrey Atkins,who becameSecretary of State for Northern Ireland,the role Neave had shadowed.

PoliticianTony Bennrecords in his diary (17 February 1981) that a journalist from theNew Statesman,Duncan Campbell,told him that he had received information two years previously, from anintelligenceagent,that Neave had planned to have Benn assassinated if, following the election ofLabourgovernment, Labour leaderJames Callaghanresigned and there was a possibility that Benn might be elected in his place. Campbell said that the agent was ready to give his name and theNew Statesmanwas going to print the story. Benn, however, discounted the validity of the story, writing in his diary: "No one will believe for a moment that Airey Neave would have done such a thing."[28]The magazine printed the story on 20 February 1981, naming the agent as Lee Tracey. Tracey said he had met Neave, who asked him to join a team of intelligence and security specialists which would "make sure Benn was stopped". A planned second meeting never took place because Neave was murdered with a car bomb.[29]

Assassination

[edit]
Main article:Assassination of Airey Neave
Memorial plaque to Airey Neave at his alma mater,Merton College, Oxford
Memorial stained glass window to Airey Neave inFryerningparish church, Essex

Airey Neave was critically wounded on 30 March 1979 when acar bombfitted with a tilt-switch exploded under hisVauxhall Cavalier[30]at 14:59 as he drove out of thePalace of Westminstercar park.[31]He lost both legs in the explosion and died of his wounds atWestminster Hospitalan hour after being rescued from the wrecked car. He was 63.

TheIrish National Liberation Army(INLA) afterwards claimed responsibility for the assassination. Neave had been pressing within Conservative Party circles and in Parliament throughoutthe Troublesfor theBritish Governmentto abandon its strategy of containment (including "Ulsterisation") ofIrish republican paramilitarismwithinNorthern Ireland,and switch to one of pursuing its military defeat. It is believed that this is what led to his being targeted.[32]

Following his death, Conservative leaderMargaret Thatchersaid of Neave:

He was one of freedom's warriors. No one knew of the great man he was, except those nearest to him. He was staunch, brave, true, strong; but he was very gentle and kind and loyal. It's a rare combination of qualities. There's no one else who can quite fill them. I, and so many other people, owe so much to him and now we must carry on for the things he fought for and not let the people who got him triumph.[33][34]

Labour Prime MinisterJames Callaghansaid: "No effort will be spared to bring the murderers to justice and to rid the United Kingdom of the scourge of terrorism."[35]

The INLA issued a statement regarding the murder in the August 1979 edition ofThe Starry Plough:[36]

In March, retired terrorist and supporter of capital punishment, Airey Neave, got a taste of his own medicine when an INLA unit pulled off the operation of the decade and blew him to bits inside the 'impregnable' Palace of Westminster. The nauseousMargaret Thatchersnivelled on television that he was an 'incalculable loss'—and so he was—to the British ruling class.

Neave's death came two days afterthe vote of no confidencewhich brought down Callaghan's government and a few weeks before the general election, which brought about a Conservative victory and saw Thatcher come to power as Prime Minister. Neave's wife Diana, whom he married on 29 December 1942, was subsequently elevated to theHouse of LordsasBaroness Airey of Abingdon.

Neave's biographerPaul Routledgemet a member of theIrish Republican Socialist Party(the political wing of INLA) who was involved in the killing of Neave and who told Routledge that Neave "would have been very successful at that job [Northern Ireland Secretary]. He would have brought the armed struggle to its knees".[37]

As a result of Neave's assassination the INLA was declared illegal across the whole of the United Kingdom on 2 July 1979.[38]

Media depictions

[edit]

Neave was portrayed by Geoffrey Pounsett inNuremberg(2000),Dermot CrowleyinMargaret(2009),Nicholas FarrellinThe Iron Lady(2011) (in a piece ofdramatic licenceThatcher is shown in that film as an eyewitness to his death) andTim McInnernyinUtopia(2014).

In 2014, 35 years after Neave's death, a fictionalised account of Neave's murder was depicted in theChannel 4dramaUtopia,where he was portrayed as a drinker who colluded with spies and whose assassination was perpetrated byMI5.This led to condemnation of the broadcaster, withNorman Tebbit,a friend and political colleague of Neave, saying "To attack a man like that who is dead and cannot defend himself is despicable".[39]

Works

[edit]
  • 1953 –They Have Their Exits
  • 1954 –Little Cyclone
  • 1969 –Saturday at MI9(U.S. title:The Escape Room)
  • 1972 –The Flames of Calais: A Soldier's Battle, 1940
  • 1978 –Nuremberg(U.S. title:On Trial at Nuremberg)

References

[edit]
  1. ^"The London Gazette, 23 February 1962".
  2. ^Levens, R. G. C., ed. (1964).Merton College Register 1900–1964.Oxford: Basil Blackwell. pp. 257–258.
  3. ^"The London Gazette, 10 December 1935".
  4. ^Paul Routledge (2002).Public Servant, Secret Agent: The elusive life and violent death of Airey Neave.Fourth Estate. p. 35.ISBN9781841152448.Archivedfrom the original on 25 July 2020.Retrieved16 March2016.
  5. ^"The London Gazette, 24 May 1938".Archivedfrom the original on 1 February 2014.Retrieved6 November2013.
  6. ^"The London Gazette, 1 April 1941".Archivedfrom the original on 1 February 2014.Retrieved6 November2013.
  7. ^abRichards, Lee."IS9 Historical Report – Airey Neave Escape Report – Arcre".Archived fromthe originalon 7 February 2015.
  8. ^"Home – Yesterday Channel".Archivedfrom the original on 22 April 2020.Retrieved24 March2017.
  9. ^MacIntyre, Ben(2022).Colditz: Prisoners of the Castle.New York: Penguin Random House. p. 47-48.ISBN978-0241408520.
  10. ^Airey Neave,They Have Their Exits(Beagle Books, Inc., 1971) pp. 69–76.
  11. ^"The London Gazette, 8 May 1942".Archivedfrom the original on 13 January 2014.Retrieved6 November2013.
  12. ^"London Gazette, 6 November 1945".Archivedfrom the original on 13 January 2014.Retrieved6 November2013.
  13. ^"Page 4371 – Supplement 37244, 28 August 1945 – London Gazette – The Gazette".Archivedfrom the original on 13 January 2014.Retrieved6 November2013.
  14. ^"The London Gazette, 18 October 1945".Archivedfrom the original on 13 January 2014.Retrieved6 November2013.
  15. ^"The London Gazette, 25 October 1945".Archivedfrom the original on 13 January 2014.Retrieved6 November2013.
  16. ^Neave, Airey (1970),The Escape Room,New York: Doubleday, pp. viii-xiv, 288-295
  17. ^Clutton-Brock, Oliver (2009),RAF Evaders,London: Grub Street, pp. 424-426.
  18. ^thewomenwhomademe (4 July 2017)."Joan T's story".The Women Who Made Me.Archivedfrom the original on 20 November 2020.Retrieved20 November2020.
  19. ^Sereny, Gitta(1995).Albert Speer: His Battle With Truth.London: Macmillan. p. 567.ISBN0333645197.
  20. ^Neave, Airey (1 October 1982).Nuremberg.Hodder & Stoughton Ltd.ASIN0340254505.
  21. ^"The London Gazette, 12 June 1947".p. 2579.
  22. ^"The London Gazette, 20 July 1948".p. 4190.
  23. ^ab"The London Gazette, 4 July 1950, supplement 38958".pp. 3442–3.Archivedfrom the original on 9 August 2014.Retrieved26 July2014.
  24. ^"The London Gazette, 20 November 1951".p. 6041.
  25. ^Catton, Jonathan (29 February 2016)."Down Memory Lane - Our famous candidate".Thurrock Gazette.Retrieved21 November2023.
  26. ^"Mrs Thatcher's visit to Abingdon School"(PDF).The Abingdonian.Archived(PDF)from the original on 19 October 2018.Retrieved1 March2019.
  27. ^Campbell, JohnMargaret Thatcher: The Grocer's Daughter(2000)
  28. ^Tony Benn,The Benn Diaries(Arrow, 1996), pp. 506–507.
  29. ^Routledge, pp. 299–300.
  30. ^Pallister, David; Hoggart, Simon (31 March 2009)."From the archive: Airey Neave assassinated".The Guardian.London.Archivedfrom the original on 27 August 2018.Retrieved16 December2016.
  31. ^"From the archive, 31 March 1979: Car bomb kills MP Airey Neave".The Guardian.31 March 2014.Retrieved3 September2023.
  32. ^Interview withNorman Tebbit,'The Victoria Derbyshire Programme',British Broadcasting Corporation,21 March 2017.
  33. ^Wharton, Ken (19 August 2014).Wasted Years, Wasted Lives Volume 2: The British Army in Northern Ireland 1978–79.Helion and Company. p. 164.ISBN978-1909982178.
  34. ^"Margaret Thatcher speaking to the press immediately after the assassination of Airey Neave".iconic. 8 November 2010.Archivedfrom the original on 12 August 2015.Retrieved4 February2016– via YouTube.
  35. ^"BBC ON THIS DAY – 30 – 1979: Car bomb kills Airey Neave".30 March 1979.Archivedfrom the original on 7 March 2008.Retrieved14 October2007.
  36. ^Holland, Jack; McDonald, Henry (1996).INLA Deadly Divisions.Poolbeg. p. 221.ISBN1-85371-263-9.
  37. ^Routledge, p. 360.
  38. ^Wharton, Ken (2014).Wasted Years Wasted Lives: British Army in Northern Ireland 1978–79 v. 2.Helion & Company. p. 214.ISBN978-1909982178.
  39. ^"Utopia: Channel 4 'will not change' drama depicting MP's death".BBC News.13 July 2014.Archivedfrom the original on 25 September 2015.Retrieved4 February2016.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Bishop, Patrick (2019).The Man Who Was Saturday: The Extraordinary Life of Airey Neave.London: Collins.ISBN978-0-00-830904-6.
[edit]
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament forAbingdon
1953–1979 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Airey_Neave&oldid=1233123366"