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The Treason Trial in South Africa, 1956–1961
In June 1955, a multi-racial group came together to write the Freedom Charter, demanding racial equality and democracy in South Africa. They were put on trial.
Piece
Brian GOOLD-VERSCHOYLE, alias FRIEND: British. GOOLD-VERSCHOYLE was identified by...
Catalogue reference: KV 2/817
What’s it about?
This record is about the Brian GOOLD-VERSCHOYLE, alias FRIEND: British. GOOLD-VERSCHOYLE was identified by... dating from 1932 Nov 10-1950 May 15 in the series The Security Service: Personal (PF Series) Files. It is held at The National Archives, Kew.
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Full description and record details
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Reference (The unique identifier to the record described, used to order and refer to it)
- KV 2/817
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Date (When the record was created)
- 1932 Nov 10-1950 May 15
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Description (What the record is about)
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Brian GOOLD-VERSCHOYLE, alias FRIEND: British. GOOLD-VERSCHOYLE was identified by the Russian intelligence agents Gen. Walter KRIVITSKY and Henri PIECK as having been used as a courier for delivering secret intelligence from agents in the UK, predominantly the Foreign Office cypher clerk John KING. KRIVITSKY said GOOLD-VERSCHOYLE, who was an ardent and exceptionally naive supporter of the Soviet Union, was unaware that he was assisting in espionage. GOOLD-VERSCHOYLE left the UK in 1936 to travel under alias to Moscow to undergo radio training. He was sent by the Russians to Spain during the Civil War, and was reportedly kidnapped by the OGPU and transported back to Russia following a fall-out with the Russian Ambassador in Valencia for whom he was working. Official Russian sources reported him killed on a railway journey in Russia in 1941 as a result of German bombing
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Held by (Who holds the record)
- The National Archives, Kew
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Former department reference (Former identifier given by the originating creator)
- PF605115
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Legal status (A note as to whether the record being described is a Public Record or not)
- Public Record(s)
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Language (The language of the record)
- English
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Physical description (The amount and form of the record)
- file(s)
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Access conditions (Information on conditions that restrict or affect access to the record)
- Retained Until 2002
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Closure status (Whether the record is ‘open’ (available to the public) or ‘closed’ (not available due to a legal exemption))
- Open Document, Open Description
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Subjects (Categories and themes found in our collection (our subject list is under development, and some records may have no subjects or fewer than expected))
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Record URL
- https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C11050138/
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Series information
KV 2
The Security Service: Personal (PF Series) Files
See the series level description for more information about this record.
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Brian GOOLD-VERSCHOYLE, alias FRIEND: British. GOOLD-VERSCHOYLE was identified by...
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