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Christopher Alfred Herbert, C.B. (15 June 1913 - 22 November 1988) was a District Magistrate with the Indian Civil Service and later a Senior MI5 Director

Early life
C. A. Herbert was born June 15, 1913 in Cork City, Co Cork, Ireland to Alfred Abbott Herbert, a telegraphist with the Post Office in Cork City, Ireland, and Maria Fetherston, a Post Mistress from Kanturk, Co Cork, Ireland. Herbert's family descended from the Herberts of Muckross in Killarney, Co. Kerry, Ireland.

The eldest of 4 children, his father died in 1922 when he was 9 years old, and his mother moved the family back to Kanturk to reside with her parents and continue her duties at the family business as the Kanturk Post Mistress.

"Freddie" as his friends and family called him, was raised in the Church of Ireland (Anglican) and firstly educated at Mountjoy School in Dublin as a "Scholar" (aka Scholarship) and went on to attend Trinity College Dublin also as a "Scholar", where he became Secretary and then President of the University Philosophical Society in 1935. Herbert presented a speech as President of the Society, entitled "New Deals" which was broadcast by the BBC and attended by the University Provost, Irish politicians and authors. In 1936 he earned a first class Degree (B.A.) in Experimental Science as a Scholar.

Career
After passing the Civil Service Exam, Herbert joined the Indian Civil Service in 1937 as a Deputy Magistrate in India until he retired in 1950 as a District Magistrate.

In 1950, he became a Security Intelligence Officer for the Far East Colonial Office, residing first in Trinidad for approximately 4 years overseeing the British Colonial Caribbean offices before relocating to the London office in 1954.

He served as Senior Security Liaison Officer in Singapore in the early 1960s, to Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew until the mid 1960's and was highly regarded by the leader who provided many accolades regarding Herbert's abilities.

In 1967, he was named Department Head of A1 section of A Branch of the MI5 in London, responsible for technical operations.

Records also show Herbert as a Security Advisor to the Maltese Government in the late 1960's and early 1970's during their transition into Independence and negotiations within NATO.

As of 1970, Herbert was responsible for Soviet Investigations within K Branch as head of KY, overseeing the recruitment of Oleg Lyalin by agents Harry Wharton and Tony Brooks. Ex MI5 Principal Scientific Officer, Peter Wright, described him as, "a calm dependable officer", in his auto-biographical expose novel, ''Spycatcher]].

By 1972, he is referred to as Director and Coordinator of Intelligence in Northern Ireland, then under cover as a high ranking military Officer during negotiations with the IRA assisting in the official IRA Cease Fire of May 30th, 1972.

Companion of the Order of the Bath
For his exemplary service within MI5, Herbert was awarded a Companion of the Order of the Bath, Civil Division, by HRM Queen Elizabeth II on June 2, 1973 at the Queen's Birthday Honours of 1973. Herbert retired c.1978 from the MI5 at the age of 65 and died November 22, 1988 in the UK.

Memoirs
Herbert wrote his memoirs in the early 1980's for his grand children, after retiring from the MI5 and his daughter, Margaret Thornes, transcribed the notes and self-published the book, My Life by C A Herbert on Lulu.com in 2012.

Category:MI5 personnel Category:MI5 Category:Irish Anglicans Category:Indian Civil Service