14
The Prime Minister looked at the neatly typed list which showed her engagements for that morning. She was in her private room at the House. This was convenient for interviews which might attract public interest, since it could be approached from a door at the back of the Members’ Library and her visitors could sit there inconspicuously until the moment came for them to be summoned. This avoided the scrutiny of public eyes and television cameras in Downing Street.
The first two interviews that morning were about money. Brigadier Pike looked after the constituency agents. He was always wanting money for them. Most of the constituencies were better off than Central Office. They could afford to pay their own agents. The second was Dr. Lovibond, who was in charge of the Central Office staff and maintained that they were underpaid. Perhaps they were. She herself was underpaid. Leading industrialists earned four times her salary.
Her third visitor was different. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Elfe had not come round from Great Peter Street to talk about money. This was something more important than money. It was the security of the realm.
She liked and approved of Elfe and she had a shrewd idea of what he was going to say. It was an inter-departmental argument which had been rumbling on for some months. One advantage of dealing with Elfe was that he always came straight to the point. On this occasion it took him no more than two minutes to outline the difficulty which had arisen.
“Not easy, Assistant Commissioner,” she said. “I fully appreciate the possibilities. I wouldn’t welcome an outburst of terrorism at Christmas time, any more than you would. I’m sure you understand that.”
Elfe said, “Yes,” and waited.
“But if I were to take any personal step in the matter it would amount to my interfering directly in the running of the Metropolitan Police, by countermanding an order given by one of the heads of that force.”
“There is another possible solution,” said Elfe. “As you know it’s not a new idea and logically there’s much to be said for it. It would simply be a matter of internal reorganisation. The directive would have to come from the Home Secretary, of course. But it would be a matter within the normal scope of his office.” He explained what was in his mind.
The Prime Minister thought about it. It would be a slap in the face for Haydn-Smith and she tried not to allow herself to be influenced by the fact that she disliked him and disliked his German wife even more.
She said, “I’ll have a word with the Home Secretary this evening. I’ll let you have an answer tomorrow.”
Professor Meiklejohn of the Home Office Explosives Experimental Unit at Woolwich was a man who considered that care was more important than speed. This was, possibly, why he was still alive and in one piece.
It was forty-eight hours before he telephoned Colonel Every.
He said, “I’ll let you have a report in writing in due course. This is just to let you know that you were right to be careful with that particular packet.”
“I didn’t want to lose another finger.”
“Another finger! You would probably have lost your life and your office into the bargain.”
“As bad as that?”
“Four ounces of compacted torpex can do a lot of damage. It’s incendiary as well as explosive, you know.”
“Then I can tell the Squadron Commander who was standing on the other side of my desk that his powers of observation saved his own life.”
Professor Meiklejohn considered this. He was a man who distrusted extravagant statements.
He said, “If he was on the other side of the desk it might not have killed him. It would have damaged him badly and almost certainly blinded him. The trigger was ingenious. A small spring was held under tension by the flap of the envelope. Did you notice, incidentally, that the flap had been reinforced with a strip of adhesive tape?”
“I don’t think I did, no.”
“Points like that are important.”
“I’ll try to do better next time,” said Every apologetically.
“I can’t tell you a great deal about the explosive until I’ve had time to study it further. From its composition I should say that it was of European manufacture, not English and certainly not American.”
“Belgian, do you think? From AMG Brussels.”
“Possibly. It could equally well be French or German. One thing I did notice. It seems to have been in contact, at one time, with chocolate. Not a usual ingredient of explosives in my experience.”
“I think that’s easily accounted for,” said Every. “It probably came across with or in a slab of chocolate. We know they’ve been experimenting with the postal route. In fact we located one of their accommodation addresses the other day and had it staked out. If they use it again it might give us a real lead.”
“I trust so. I shall be able to give you more accurate details when we’ve finished the chromatographic work. Meanwhile, I can only advise you to be very careful.”
Every thanked the Professor. He promised to be very careful.
Previously, when Haydn-Smith had wanted to have a word with the head of his Anti-Terrorist Squad, he had either telephoned him or dropped into his office. When, on this occasion, he sent a formal note, from his secretary to Commander Salwyn’s secretary, requesting his presence at eleven o’clock that morning, it did not need a very skilful reader of the omens to detect that trouble was brewing.
Salwyn was sorry. Up to that point, his relations with the Assistant Commissioner had been reasonably friendly. He had been allowed to run his own department without much interference and had achieved, he thought, a modest degree of success in an unquestionably tough assignment. Also he was one of the few senior officers who approved of Haydn-Smith. It would be an exaggeration to say that he liked him. Haydn-Smith was not a man who invited affection from his subordinates; but he respected the competence with which he did his work.
When he went in, the Assistant Commissioner had a letter in front of him and Salwyn, reading the address upside down, saw that it came from the private office of the Home Secretary. Since it was dated that day, it must have been sent round by hand and was therefore important.
Haydn-Smith said, “I have been given a preliminary notification that C13 is to come under the jurisdiction of the Special Branch. I thought it right that you should be informed. Also that I should let you know that the change is contrary to my known views.”
His voice was flat, almost conversational. Salwyn realised that he was in a cold fury. He said, “I see, sir.”
“I don’t suppose you have any idea why our masters have seen fit to make this change?”
Careful, boy, thought Salwyn. Very careful. Easy to provoke an explosion.
He said, “I believe there has been a feeling, sir, for some time that such a change might be logical. Administratively logical, I mean.”
“Explain that.”
“Well, sir, my branch often has to work closely with Special Branch. Guarding of VIPs for instance. That’s almost always a joint job. Then, most of my men came to me from Special Branch originally.”
“And that seems to you to be an adequate reason why they should return to it.”
“I’m afraid it’s all a bit above me, sir. I’m just a plain bobby who does what he’s told.”
Haydn-Smith thought about this, tapping his desk with his pencil. He knew very well that it was not Salwyn who was responsible for the change. He knew, since such matters are difficult to conceal, that Elfe had been to see the Prime Minister.
“All right,” he said, “it’s done and I suppose we have to live with it. There’ll be a lot of administrative details to work out. Change of accommodation and new pay arrangements. ‘A’ branch will see to all that. I’ll have a word with Mortimer this afternoon.”
“Right, sir,” said Salwyn. He half rose from his chair.
“Before you go, there are two things I want to make clear. First, an idea seems to be gaining currency that anyone can call on the SAS to help in police operations.”
“I have used them myself on three occasions, sir. Each time with your consent.”
“Certainly. And each time, before I agreed, I applied to the Ministry of Defence through General Usher. In other words we observed the proper procedure. However, I’m not sure that Special Branch has always been so scrupulous. So you might warn your new masters that the General is getting more than a little restless and that if any further attempt is made to use the SAS as a private police force, without his consent, he is prepared to—well, he is prepared to get unpleasant about it.”
“I quite understand, sir.”
“Good, then one other thing. The administrative moves can be set on foot now, but the change does not become effective until the end of next month.”
“The end of December?” said Salwyn, thoughtfully.
“Midnight on December 31st and until that time any orders which I have given remain in force.”
“Of course, sir.”
“I am making the point because I understand that there was some dissatisfaction about a restriction I placed recently on members of the uniform branches in ‘R’ and ‘K’ Districts being detached from routine duty and used on some special supervision job. I am not suggesting, of course, that it was this dissatisfaction which led to such a radical change as the one we are now faced with.”
It’s exactly what you are suggesting, thought Salwyn. And it’s gall and wormwood to you.
He said, “I think that’s very unlikely, sir. The Prime Minister must have made her mind up on policy grounds, wouldn’t you think?”
“He was in a filthy temper,” said Salwyn, “and what made it worse was that he guessed that he’d precipitated the change himself by being so bloody obstructive about letting us have a few of his bobbies.”
“At least he realised that he’d brought it on his own head,” said Every.
“Gratifying,” said Mowatt, “but it doesn’t solve our immediate problem.”
The three had met, at Mowatt’s suggestion, in his office overlooking St James’s Park station. All of them realised that their affairs had reached crisis point. If the IRA were allowed to succeed in their bloody programme for Christmas, the results could be dramatic. Dissatisfaction with the Anti-Terrorist Branch could even lead to the taking-over of its duties by the Army. If, on the other hand, they disregarded General Usher’s warning and threw the SAS uninvited, into the battle, this would give its enemies in the Ministry of Defence a weapon which would enable them to emasculate their Counter-Revolutionary Warfare Team and neutralise the advantages which had been gained by their dramatic success in the Iranian Embassy siege.
Mowatt was the most level-headed of the three. He had seen a lot of in-fighting and departmental jealousy; he had also experienced unexpected helpfulness and co-operation. So much depended on personalities. He said, “The really awkward thing is the timing of the change. Haydn-Smith is sticking to it, I suppose.”
“Midnight on December 31st. Not a minute earlier.”
“And I take it he realises that the danger period is December?”
“I’m not sure he’s convinced that there is a danger period. At that conference his general line was that the whole thing was a fantasy dreamed up by the security services.”
There was a pause. Then Every said, “You know, there is a way round this.” He was studying the map which he had brought with him. “What we have to cover, is a limited part of the East End of London, on either side of the river, for a limited period. Say six weeks at the outside.”
The other two nodded.
“A good deal of it is still open country. Greenwich Marshes and Plumstead Marshes on the south bank. Plaistow Marshes, Eastbury Level and Dagenham Marshes on the north. What’s to prevent the SAS setting up a training exercise in that area? The object of the exercise would be – let me see – to practise stopping suspected characters from leaving London by the river route.”
“Operation Cork-in-Bottle,” said Salwyn. “I believe you’ve got something there, Ludo.”
“We could set up a temporary camp on each bank—”
“Just for the purpose of the exercise.”
“Of course. Patrols are sent out from those camps to various points on the river and on the main roads, communications established, both by wireless and by line, and co-operation with the Thames Division could be practised.”
“Hold your horses,” said Mowatt. “Aren’t you going to run into trouble if you involve any part of the police?”
“I don’t see why. After all, it’s only a training exercise. Not for real.”
Every said, “I think Superintendent Groener would be willing to co-operate. And to keep the whole thing at a fairly informal level. You know I had a day down the river with him. When we were talking afterwards it transpired that he knew one of my Squadron Commanders, David Musgrave. It seems they were both at Michael Williamson’s school, at the Oval. In the course of a difference of opinion David knocked out one of his teeth and he gave David a black eye.”
“Sounds like the basis of a real solid friendship,” agreed Salwyn.
“I’ll get out a written order. I’ll make it a Squadron show and put David in charge. If we do it that way we shan’t have to bring Brigade in on it. Then, if something should happen while we’re carrying out this piece of training, well it’s just a lucky chance that our chaps should have been in the neighbourhood and able to lend the police a hand if the party gets rough. You follow me?”
“I follow you entirely,” said Mowatt.
Later, when Salwyn had departed, he said, “I suppose you realise that what you’re erecting is a fairly thin screen between you and trouble.”
“Thinnish,” agreed Every.
“Bad trouble.”
“Possibly.”
“If Haydn-Smith or the General heard about this and felt vindictive they could raise a stink which might blow you right out of the Army.”
“Then I shall take all possible steps to see that they don’t hear about it. And let me tell you this, Reggie. If I had to weigh the chances of wrecking my career in the Army against the chance of a settlement with Liam, you might be surprised if I told you which side the scales would come down.”
“Other people might be surprised,” said Mowatt sadly. “Not me.”
The ripples caused by Haydn-Smith’s directive had already spread in many directions: to Great Peter Street, to the House of Commons, to Petty France. Now they reached Reynolds Road Police Station and caused an unexpected reaction from Chief Superintendent Brace.
The manner in which the news had reached him had, admittedly, been unfortunate. He had been discussing the morning personnel slate with his second in command, Superintendent Wynn-Thomas, when the telephone call had come from Tancred at District. Tancred had said, “As you probably know, there was an idea, at one time, that you’d have to detail eighteen of your men for a supervision job. You’ll be glad to hear that it’s now reduced to six. I’m sending round the details this morning. Something to do with suspected IRA activities. You’ll be able to manage six easily enough.”
When Brace had put down the receiver, with calculated deliberation, he said, “You heard that, Tommo? District is of the opinion that we can spare – that we can easily spare – six men on detachment.”
Wynn-Thomas, who had been listening on an extension, said, “IRA? That’s not our job, surely.”
“Whether it’s our job or not, we’ve got to do it.” He looked at the list on his desk. “Easy,” he said bitterly. “Would you describe it as easy?”
“We are a bit pressed in other directions just at this moment. Eight on the sick list. Five with ‘flu. One suspected malaria. Johnson, a broken wrist. He collected that trying to stop a punch-up at closing time. Swindlehurst, broken leg.”
“What was he trying to stop? A football match?”
“Got it jumping out of a squad car when it was going rather fast.”
“Silly young ass.”
“Then we’ve got twelve on leave. And another twelve going next week. It’s always heavy in the month before Christmas.” He was about to add that he could have done with a spot of leave himself, but the glint in Brace’s eye warned him that this might not be the best moment. He said, “Then we’ve got four away on technical courses and there are the special attachments, at the Observatory and the docks.”
“That’s something I’ve never understood. Why do we have to operate this explosive detector? It takes one man almost permanently off his routine work. Surely it’s something the PLA boys ought to be handling?”
“It’s a job we could do without,” agreed Wynn-Thomas.
“And talking of specialist jobs, that reminds me.” He grabbed the internal telephone. “Is Sergeant Ames in the building? Good. Then send him up.”
Sergeant Ames had had some of his hair cut off, but he still managed to look more like an undergraduate than a police officer. Realising that he had not been called up for commendation he stood sloppily to attention in front of Brace’s desk.
“Did you see a report from the brigade about a fire at Azam Kahn’s garage, Sergeant?”
“Yes, sir. I think I did.”
“What did you do about it?”
“Do, sir?”
“That was my question.”
“I don’t think any official complaint was made, sir. At least, if it was made, I wasn’t instructed to take any action about it.”
“Do I understand then, that until you receive actual instructions, you don’t feel obliged to do your job?”
“Well—no—sir. Not exactly.”
“You were made Community Liaison Officer to keep an eye on minority groups in this division. With particular reference to West Indian and Asian groups.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You get a report that premises belonging to a gang of Pakistani youths have been set on fire. No question of accident. The report’s quite clear about that. It was a deliberate piece of arson.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Also you know, if you’ve kept your eyes and ears open, that the leader of a rival gang of white boys has been going about looking as though he’d run into two lamp posts at once. Well?”
“I did hear about that.”
“And you didn’t possibly connect the two things?”
“It seemed to me that the fire might have been in revenge for the assault, but—”
When Sergeant Ames paused, Brace said, in his smoothest voice, “But what, Sergeant?”
“Well, sir, as we’d had no official complaint about either incident, I thought it might be premature to take any step in the matter.”
“That’s what you thought is it? Then let me tell you what I think.” Brace’s voice was rising with each word. Mezzo-piano at the start. Fortissimo at the finish. “I think you should hoist yourself off your backside and get out into the street and find out what’s happening. Keep an eye on these Asians. That’s what you’re paid for. Right?”
“Right, sir,” said Sergeant Ames unhappily and ambled out.
“That man gets on my tits,” said Brace. “He’s so wet he lays his own dust.”
“I did wonder,” said Wynn-Thomas, “if we are in for black-and-white trouble, whether it mightn’t be a sound idea to give someone else Sergeant Ames’ job. It’s an important assignment.”
“Now I suppose you’re going to tell me that I can easily find someone.”
“Nothing’s easy when you’re under-staffed and over worked,” said Wynn-Thomas pacifically.
‘B’ Squadron Orders Training Operation ‘Cork-in-Bottle’
1. All four troops will be engaged in this operation which will commence p.m. on November 14th and continue for an initial period of fourteen days.
2. Area of operation. Troops 1 and 3: OS map Essex No. 138, squares 041/043. Troops 2 and 4: OS map Greater London No. 142, squares 001/002.
3. The objects of the exercise are to practise:
4. Narrative. Two suspect Redland agents, arrested in London, subsequently effected an escape and are believed to be hidden by sympathisers in the dockland area. Intelligence sources have suggested that an attempt will be made to evacuate these agents down river in some form of river craft and to have them picked up by ocean-going craft in the area Gravesend/Tilbury. The Squadron will take up Observation Points selected by the Squadron Commander and observe and report on all movements of craft. Should the police find it necessary to stop and/or search any craft, Squadron personnel are to be so positioned that they can assist them if called upon to do so.
5. Administration. Rations for three days will be carried by troops. ‘Q’ will organise delivery of further rations to Troop HQs as required. Establishment of HQs and OPs and all movement to and from them will take place after dark.
6. Troop Commanders to hand in copies of their own orders (preliminary reconnaissance; start-time of main body; routes; transport; signal nets) to Squadron Commander by 09.00 hours tomorrow.
7. Important Note. In view of the possibility (see paragraph 4) of the existence of persons sympathetic to the agents, the greatest possible care will be taken to avoid civilian personnel having any sight of SAS activities. The exercise will be adjudged a success if it can take place without drawing the attention of the public to the operation or, if such attention cannot be avoided, by keeping it to a minimum.
D. Musgrave OC ‘B’ Squadron.