George Hill (intelligence officer) facts for kids

George Alexander Hill (1892–1968) was a brave British intelligence officer during both the First and Second World Wars. He was known for his amazing language skills and his clever ways of gathering information.

Biography

Early Life and Skills

George Hill was born in 1892 in Estonia. His father was a timber merchant with business connections in many countries. George was taught by private teachers and became very good at languages. He could speak six different languages, including Russian!

First World War Adventures

When the First World War started in 1914, George Hill was on a fishing trip in Canada. He quickly joined the army and fought bravely in Belgium. He was seriously injured but then joined the War Office. After special training, he became an intelligence officer. His first job was to fly secret agents behind enemy lines in Greece.

In 1917, he went to Russia during a time of great change called the Bolshevik Revolution. In his stories, he claimed to have done many exciting things. He said he helped move the Romanian crown jewels and even worked with Leon Trotsky to set up an air force. He also mentioned using clever tricks instead of guns. He found that giving people things like chocolate or silk stockings could open doors that money couldn't.

When British forces landed in Russia, George had to escape to Finland with the Soviet secret police, called the Cheka, chasing him. He later worked in the Middle East. For his brave service, he received several important awards: the Distinguished Service Order (DSO), the Order of the British Empire (MBE), and the Military Cross (MC).

After the war, George Hill tried different jobs. He worked for an oil company, managed a theater in London, and helped a famous show producer. He also wrote two books about his adventures, called Go Spy the Land and The Dreaded Hour.

Second World War Service

When the Second World War began, George Hill was called back to duty. He became a major and helped train new agents in how to use explosives. One of his students was Kim Philby, who later became a famous spy.

In 1941, George, now a colonel, led a secret mission to Russia called Sam. He arrived in Moscow and helped sign agreements between British and Soviet intelligence groups. The goal was to work together on things like spreading information and stopping enemy plans. They also tried to help each other get agents into enemy territory.

However, working together was difficult. There were problems on both sides, and not much was achieved. British officials became frustrated, but George Hill said the problems were due to issues back in London. By 1944, the Soviets felt they didn't need British help anymore. George Hill, now a brigadier, returned to London in 1945.

After the Wars

After the Second World War, George Hill became a director for a German mineral water company. He passed away in 1968.

Works

• G. Hill, Go Spy the Land (1933)
• G. Hill, The Dreaded Hour (1936)

Dramatic representations

George Hill was shown in six episodes of the popular 1983 TV show Reilly, Ace of Spies. This series told the story of his friend and colleague, Sidney Reilly. Actor Hugh Fraser played George Hill in the show.

Sources

• G. Hill, Go Spy the Land (1933) and The Dreaded Hour (1936)
• Giles Milton Russian Roulette: How British Spies Thwarted Lenin's Global Plot, Sceptre, 2013. ISBN: 978 1 444 73702 8
• Service, Robert. (2011). Spies & Commissars: Bolshevik Russia And The West. MacMillan. London. ISBN: 978-1-4472-0200-4