Beschreibung:

Sansom got into the spy-catching business because of his proficiency in languages. British, but born and partly educated in Cairo, he spoke Arabic and French like his mother tongue, and was fluent in Greek and Italian. With this background he obtained a commission in the Field Security Service. Cairo was a hotbed of intrigue, espionage, and political unrest during the last war, and it was here that Major Sansom, as Chief Field Security Officer, saw most of his service. His duties brought him in contact with spies, gun-runners, informers, political agitators, and the riff-raff of Cairo's extensive underworld. But the indiscretions of leave-happy British officers also gave him many sleepless nights. Sansom’s biggest success was the capture of Hans Eppler, the secret agent planted in Cairo by Rommel. In addition to counter-espionage work, Sansom was held responsible for visiting V.I.Ps, and Churchill, Maisky, Roosevelt, and Montgomery were among those who owed him a safe sojourn in Cairo. In the immediate post-war years the author was appointed Security Officer to the British Embassy, and he makes some interesting revelations about the infamous Donald Maclean, then Head of Chancery. Major "Sammy" Sansom's experiences were diverse, exciting, and often dangerous. His book is full of inside stories, tense situations, shrewd comments on security measures, and cynical observations on the lapses of human nature. It can be recommended with confidence to a wide circle of readers.’ The explanatory note to I Spied Spies, by Major A.W. ‘Sammy’ Samson, refers. An outstanding ‘spy catcher’s’ M.B.E. group of six awarded to Major A. W. Sansom, Intelligence Corps, a long served Head of British Field Security in Cairo and the author of I Spied Spies - an extraordinary story embracing all manner of cut-throats and the occasional belly dancer, one of the latter - ‘no Mata Hari’ - being blessed with ‘sensational green eyes’ Among other achievements, he was responsible for the capture of Nazi agent Hans Eppler, who had been sent to Cairo by Rommel to infiltrate British Army H.Q., his subsequent reports using a code based on Daphne du Maurier’s pre-war novel Rebecca: Eppler’s desert journey to Cairo was aided by the Hungarian explorer Laszlo Almasy, better known today as the protagonist for Michael Ondaatje’s novel The English Patient and the subsequent film adaption of the same name From the release of the film Foxhole in Cairo - ‘the Greatest Spy Story of the Desert War’ - to a spate of related publications, most recently The Rebecca Code by Mark Simmons (2012), Sansom’s part in the intelligence war continues to impress and entertain an international audience The Most Excellent Order of The British Empire, M.B.E. (Civil Division), 2nd type breast badge; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, with M.I.D. oak leaf; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Malaya, G.VI.R., with M.I.D. oak leaf (Major. A. W. Sansom, Int. Corps.) mounted loose style as worn, together with sets of related dress miniatures (2) and identity bracelets (3), one in gold, dated 15.7.1940’, and two in silver, good very fine (Lot) £2400-2800 Footnote M.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1953. Alfred William Sansom was born in Cairo in December 1909 and was educated at the city’s English School, and at King’s School, Ely in Cambridgeshire. His father was manager of the Egypt office of the Gresham Life Assurance Society and it was upon a similar career in insurance that young Alfred embarked on leaving school: ‘As I had to travel all of Egypt and in other Arab countries selling insurance I was able to indulge my hobby, passion, and almost obsession of learning the various tribal dialects of Arabic.’ On the outbreak of hostilities in September 1939, he was drafted by British Embassy to the Anglo-Egyptian Censorship, dull work that prompted his application for employment in the Military Police on Italy’s entry into the war in June 1940. Having then attended a training course