The Suffolk Golding Mission: A Considerable Service - Tapa blanda

Early in 1940 a swashbuckling aristocrat and a member of Military Intelligence, with their secretaries, went to Paris as agents of the British Government. They left on 10 June, when Paris was declared an ‘open city’; taking with them many records and details of scientists who wished to continue their work in the UK. At Bordeaux staff at the British Embassy introduced them to the Master of a tramp steamer, one of 180 merchant ships standing by to evacuate troops and civilians in the three weeks after Dunkirk. Thirty three scientists were embarked, many with their immediate family. Two Belgians joined with a fortune in gem diamonds packed in two wooden crates. Two more French scientists boarded; bringing all of the ‘heavy water’ (deuterium oxide – a nuclear moderator) that then existed. Six hundred tons of machine tools were also loaded. The ship escaped from Bordeaux three days before the city fell and carried the passengers and cargo to safety at Falmouth, where there were ninety six other refugee ships. A special train took the passengers, and the most valuable items, to London. The diamonds were put into the vaults of a bank controlled by De Beers and most of the heavy water was stored beneath the library of Windsor Castle, with the Crown Jewels and with the King’s knowledge. The House of Commons was only told of the ‘Mission’ when in secret session; there was no publicity and no awards were made. The Earl, his secretary and their driver, formed a successful bomb disposal team. They lost their lives in May 1941, when their thirty fifth bomb detonated prematurely. The Earl was awarded the George Cross and his companions were ‘Commended for Bravery.’ Much of the rescue was witnessed by a young naval lieutenant on his first overseas assignment. After the war he became an author and it is probable that the colourful characters involved in this mission first gave him the idea for one of the most famous fictional agents of the twentieth century. In 1943 Twentieth Century Fox wanted to make a film about ‘The Incredible Earl of Suffolk’, but were prevented from doing so by Lady Suffolk and the British government. Fox would have first heard of the story when a brief mention of the Earl's exploits appeared in press reports of his death. In 1973 the BBC made a four part series about him; they do not seem to have obtained copies of the official records, which were released at about that time. Much of the material for this book came from the British National Archives at Kew, near London; from the descendants of several of those involved and from researchers elsewhere in Europe.

The writer is a Master Mariner, he spent much of his working life in the marine salvage industry based in Southampton and Singapore. Since leaving Singapore in 1986 he has managed projects across the world. In recent years he has concentrated on maritime research, writing three books on various maritime subjects. He became aware of the story of the Suffolk Golding Mission while researching the evacuations and landings carried out by merchant ships in World War Two.