Barrie Charles Gane CMG OBE (September 19, 1935 – December 10, 2023) was a British spy officer of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS).[1]
Early life and education
editBorn in Birmingham, Gane attended King Edward VI School and later served as a midshipman in the Royal Navy during his national service.[2] He was the first in his family to attend university, studying history at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.[2]
Career
editGane joined the SIS in 1960 and had his first posting in Laos during a period of Laotian Civil War.[2] His career included assignments in Sarawak, Uganda, Hong Kong, and Northern Ireland, where he focused on intelligence diplomacy and planning covert operations.[2][3] Promoted to Controller Far East, he was involved in supporting the mujahideen in Afghanistan against the Soviet invasion in 1979.[2] His subsequent roles included Controller Europe and director of operations, during which he oversaw a reevaluation of SIS operations following the end of the Cold War.[2]
Personal life
editGane was married twice; his first marriage, to Elizabeth Higlett, ended in divorce.[2] He is survived by two daughters from his first marriage and his second wife, Jenny Pitt, with whom he had a lengthy marriage.[2] Gane died of a stroke in 2023.[2]
References
edit- ^ "Barrie Gane: Tribute to MI6 Officer Reveals Remarkable Details of the Spying Game". spyscape.com.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Times, The (July 22, 2024). "Barrie Gane obituary". www.thetimes.com.
- ^ February 22, Date; Nation, 2024-Affairs of the. "BRITISH 'DIPLOMACY' AT WORK". The Phoenix Magazine.
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