New evidence has emerged about the naval intelligence officer who became the template for Ian Fleming’s James Bond spy character and his connection with Cambridge.
The officer, Commander Alan Hillgarth – who bears a remarkable resemblance to Sean Connery, who made the 007 role his own starting with Dr No in 1962 – was at King’s College in 1919.
George Hugh Jocelyn Evans, who changed his name to Alan Hillgarth in 1928. Picture: John Creedy
But what was this spymaster – an advisor to Winston Churchill during and after the war, who latterly served as chief of intelligence for the Eastern Fleet in Ceylon – doing in Cambridge 15 years before the notorious Cambridge spy ring of the1930s that included Philby, Burgess and Maclean?
In last week’s Cambridge Independent we reported on Linton resident John Creedy’s treasure trove of letters that included a rare first-hand account of the sinking of the troop ship HMT Leasowe Castle in the Mediterranean on 27 May, 1918.
HMT Leasowe Castle
Soon after being torpedoed with 2,900 men on board, the Leasowe Castle was moored by the bows to the HMS Lily and a daring rescue was under way, with some men jumping directly from the Castle to the Lily. A young sublieutenant, Jocelyn Evans, cut the hawsers that joined the two ships shortly before the Leasowe Castle sank with the loss of 102 lives. In 1928, Evans changed his name to Alan Hillgarth, and his remarkable career in naval intelligence began.
In 2012 Alan Hillgarth, Man of War, written by Duff Hart-Davis, was published. In the book, Hart-Davis described Hillgarth’s time at King’s College.
“At the beginning of 1919 he [Hillgarth/ Evans] was temporarily released from the Navy to go on a course at King’s College, Cambridge,” Hart-Davis wrote.
Jocelyn Evans, who changed his name to Alan Hillgarth in 1928. Picture: John Creedy
“Before he left [HMS] Lily he indented for a half-pay job on his return, on the grounds that he wanted to go to Switzerland for two months and then to France to learn French properly… King’s has no record of his attendance, because students who joined for post-war courses did not matriculate – that is, enter the university formally – and they sat no exams, so that there is no account of what he studied, but his presence in Cambridge is confirmed by the survival of a few documents with the college shield embossed at the head of the writing paper.
“On 31 January, 1919, the Honorary Secretary of the King’s College Amalgamation Club sent a card inviting him [Hillgarth/Evans] to become a member – everyone joining the College was thus invited – and in February he was elected a member of the Walpole Society… his family believe his main subject was either English or history. He was up at King’s for two terms, spring and summer.”
Ian Fleming with Sean Connery
What can be stated with certainty is that by September 1919 the seafaring officer was back on board the battleship HMS Barham, his famed career at the heart of naval intelligence – and as the yardstick for James Bond 007 – far ahead of him.
But could it be that Hart-Davis was looking for records of Alan Hillgarth, rather than Jocelyn Evans as he was in 1919?
Following a request to King’s College, the College archivist reported that “neither name appears in our registers”.
John Creedy, a retired scientist who has been making a treasure trove of letters – mainly from WWI, found in his mother’s house – public. Picture: Keith Heppell
The College archivist states: “Hillgarth/Evans was a sublieutenant resident in College, he was never a King’s student.
“At the Walpole (College debating) Society meeting of 7 February 7, 1919, it was ‘decided that naval officers resident in the College should be eligible as ordinary members’. At the next meeting (14 February) ‘The following spoke against [that meeting’s proposition]:…and Evans (a guest)…’ And then later that meeting ‘The following were elected…as ordinary members…Subl[ieutenan]t Evans,…’ Evans is mentioned in subsequent meetings as well.
“LP Wilkinson, in his A Century of King’s: 1874-1974 writes: ‘With the outbreak of war half the entry expected for October 1914 enlisted, and there were only 64 men in residence in the Michaelmas Term. In the next four years only 35 came up altogether…and by 1918 there were only 16 students.’
Lt Norman Howard, MC, served in WW1. Picture: John Creedy
“Michaelmas 1919 had 186 students in residence [at King’s]. So we had a few extra rooms during the war. The 1919 annual report states that ‘At the beginning of the Lent Term 23 Naval Officers and at the beginning of the Easter Term 10 American Officers came into residence. The latter left at the end of term, the former on July 1st. There is now a second group of 10 Naval Officers in residence.’”
The archivist notes suggests that “Hillgarth/Evans was [probably] one of that first group of officers”, adding: “Their presence at the Colleges was apparently purely accommodationary.”
The archivist also pointed out that “the normal residence requirement for a degree was nine terms”. Due to the 1914-1918 war, however, the University allowed some students who had “passed one part of a tripos or general/special and resided at least six terms” to graduate.
‘A Century of King’s: 1874-1974’ was authored by LP Wilkinson
But “that doesn’t seem to have been the case with Hillgarth/Evans, as he appears in none of our registers – war degrees were awarded to actively matriculated students. Again, I believe the Navy was simply hiring the facilities for Naval training.”
There is a King’s connection to the James Bond series, however, via 007’s arch-enemy Blofeld.
“It is commonly believed that the name Blofeld was inspired by the English cricket commentator Henry Blofeld’s father, Thomas Blofeld, with whom Fleming went to school,” says the King’s College archivist, adding that “‘Blowers’ was a Kingsman”.
Hillgarth became Britain’s most important intelligence officer in Spain during World War II, and worked with Ian Fleming. Fleming was the personal assistant to Rear Admiral John Godfrey, the director of naval intelligence, from 1939 to 1945. One of the projects the duo worked on was the successful attempt to convince the Germans that the Allied invasion of Italy would start in Sardinia rather than Sicily. The first James Bond book, Casino Royale, was published in 1952, with the derring-do of Alan Hillgarth still doubtless uppermost in Ian Fleming’s imagination…
– Read the full story in this week’s print edition of the Cambridge Independent, on sale now.