Smith, Ferguson George Donaldson

Date of birth:: October 5th, 1914 (Aberdeen, Scotland)
Date of death:: September 15th, 2013 (Old Malden, United Kingdom)
Nationality:: British

Biography

Smith was educated at Aberdeen Grammar School. He was Head Prefect, and captain of rugby and cricket. On leaving school he entered the Metropolitan Police, after passing out at "Peel House" in 1934, and in 1936 he became a member of Special Branch at Scotland Yard.

In 1941 after the ban preventing police officers joining the forces was lifted, he volunteered for the RAF being trained and commissioned in Canada as a navigator.

The DFC had been awarded for action in the Battle of Berlin in 1944. On 20th January, Flying Officer Smith was one of a flight of No 101 Squadron, which he had joined in August 1943, on a bombing mission to the German capital when his plane was intercepted by German fighters. He was wounded in the back, chest, leg, and bottom by enemy fire, but despite this, he tried to free two of his comrades who were trapped in their turrets. Unfortunately, their wounds were too severe, and it was only after they died, did Smith relinquish his efforts to help them. After the damaged Lancaster successfully landed back at Ludford Manor in Lincolnshire, thanks in no small part to Smith’s navigation, he was taken to hospital where he spent a month having various pieces of shrapnel removed. Attacks on the planes from the squadron were frequent as they were equipped with special antennae that scrambled German radio messages. Smith flew 30 missions into enemy territory during the war. Sometimes, h e used his ability to speak German to act as controller to spread disinformation to the enemy.

In April 1945 he was awarded a bar to his DFC, and after a period in Transport Command, he was later demobbed in February 1946 as a Flight Lieutenant.

BACK IN THE FORCE
He rejoined the Met where he moved swiftly through the ranks in Special Branch. He was heavily involved with the investigation of Dr Klaus Emil Fuchs a nuclear scientist born in Germany, who worked in the United States on the first atomic bomb. Fuchs had been spying for the Russians since 1943. He returned to England in 1946, and in 1950 was arrested and sentenced to 14 years for offences under the Official Secrets Act, after working at the Atomic Energy Establishment at Harwell. After Fuchs arrest, Smith hid in a cupboard at Brixton Prison to overhear an incriminating conversation between Fuchs and another scientist on the telephone, and this enabled the police to secure strong evidence against him.

Smith was posted to protection duties on the infrequent visits of the Duke Of Windsor (late Edward VIII) to this country. He also accompanied the Queen on her visit to Ghana in 1961, where he was responsible for her security.
Smith was also involved in the apprehension of the Portland spy ring. This group removed and copied top secret information from the Admiralty Underwater weapons Establishment in Dorset. Harry Houghton who worked at the base asked his girlfriend Ethel Gee to copy the documents, which were then passed via a go-between Gordon Lonsdale, to a couple in Ruislip called Peter and Helen Kroger who had a front as antiquarian book dealers. Smith followed this path to its conclusion, which involved observation from a neighbour’s (Bill & Ruth Search) spare bedroom. They were all arrested in an operation on 7th January 1961. Houghton and Gee, in London, where Gee’s handbag was found to contain plans of HMS Dreadnought, Britain’s first nuclear submarine. Lonsdale was arrested in Dorset, and Smith went to the Kroger’s house in Ruislip where he asked the couple to accompany him back to London for questioning. Helen Kroger asked whether she could stoke the boiler to keep t he house warm while they were away, but before she could leave Smith examined the contents of her handbag and found it contained information in the form of microdots. These same microdots were found in some of the antiquarian books that had been sent to Russia. A thorough search of the house revealed spying equipment, fake passports, and large amounts of cash, together with a long range transmitter capable of sending messages to Moscow.

The Krogers were in fact Morris and Lona Cohen well known spies in America, and after serving time, they were exchanged for British agent Gerald Brooke in 1969, while Lonsdale who was a Russian, real name Konon Trofimovich Molody, had been exchanged with the Soviets for Greville Wynn in 1966. Houghton and Gee served 10 years of their 15 year sentence, changed their names and married.

Also in 1961, Smith assisted in the arrest of the notorious double agent George Blake. Blake’s betrayals had sent 400 British agents to their deaths overseas. Sentenced to jail for 42 years, he escaped from Wormwood Scrubs in 1966 and fled to Russia

Later in 1961 Smith arrested John Vassall from the Admiralty who had also spied for the Russians. Vassall had become a Russian agent while working at the British Embassy in Moscow during the 1950s. He was identified by a Soviet defector, and Smith helped to verify the allegation. Vassall was sentenced to 18 years, and Smith was promoted to Detective Superintendent in January 1963.

In 1966 Smith was promoted to Deputy Assistant Commissioner and installed as head of Special Branch. At that time, the force consisted of over 300 officers at Scotland Yard, and a unit in each of the 42 regional forces, all under the Special Branch section.

Whilst at Scotland Yard, Smith also kept tags on Oswald Moseley, Laurens Van Der Post and Eddie Chapman together with various members of the British Communist Party, taping some of their meetings. In his early years his targets were the Russians and Eastern Bloc countries, and in later years the IRA.

Smith had moved to Malden Green Avenue in 1952, with his wife Margaret (nee Murphy) who he had married in Hammersmith in 1944, and they lived there for the latter part of his career in the police force, and many years of well deserved retirement. He retired on October 5th 1972 his 59th birthday. He retained his RAF moustache, and with his dapper dress, upright bearing, and old-fashioned charm, he fitted in perfectly with the other residents of Old Malden. His wife died in 2003.

Following Smith’s death in 2013 the tabloids came calling in Malden Green Avenue asking the neighbours what they knew about the man who had lived at number eight. Probably, reflecting on how he would have reacted, they feigned surprise at the heroic exploits of their former friend, letting him take his secrets to the grave.

One final post relates to Smith the local man. When, in 2011 mindless yobs tore down the War Memorial at St John The Baptist Old Malden to get at the lead, the local (and wider) community got together a collection to have the memorial repaired in time for that year’s Remembrance Day. 96 year old Ferguson Smith is recorded as donating £50 towards this worthwhile cause, probably remembering his mortally wounded comrades he tried so valiantly to rescue some 67 years before.

N.B. I wish to acknowledge the unknown person who initially brought to my attention Ferguson Smith’s remarkable life. Without the anonymous advice, I would be ignorant of the great man lately in our midst.

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Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Flying Officer
Unit:: No. 101 Squadron, Royal Air Force
Awarded on:: February 15th, 1944

"Flying Officer Smith was a member of the crew of an aircraft piloted by Flying Officer Knights detailed to attack the German capital. When nearing the target the aircraft was hit by cannon fire from a fighter. Flying Officer Smith sustained severe injuries, being wounded in the back, the chest and the leg, while 2 of his comrades were mortally wounded. Although the aircraft had sustained damage, Flying Officer Knights, displaying great determination, continued to the target and bombed it. In the meantime, Flying Officer Smith, who had refrained from reporting his injuries, worked heriocally in an endeavoar to free his trapped comrades from their turrets. Not until it was apparent that they were beyond human assistance would he relax his efforts. His courage, fortitude and determination were worthy of the highest praise. Throughout the return flight, Flying Officer Knights had to exert considerable pressure on the control column to maintain a level flight. Nevertheless, he succeeded in reaching base where he effected a safe landing. He displayed skill, courage and resolution of a high order."