From the trenches to the shadows

[dante]

1914 Star and Bar Trio to Harry Wilson Reid-Brown. Acting Corporal 1/9th (Glasgow Highlanders) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry, later Lieutenant Mi6 (c) and Intelligence Corps.

Harry Wilson Reid Brown born 1892, Joined as a private soldier who gave his occupation as an "explosive agent", he enlisted 2 September 1914, he served in France and Flanders with the 9th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry from 5 November 1914 , seeing action in the Winter Operations 1914-15 and in 1915 saw action at The Battle of Festubert and The Battle of Loos. 
On the 30th of January 1916 they left the Division and became GHQ Troops.

At some point he was wounded (possibly at Loos) and received his discharge from the army on the 4 April 1916 due to wounds received, aged 24.

On the 18 November 1916 he was commissioned and joined joined Mi6 (c) as a Staff Lieutenant 3rd class to fill the vacancy of Deputy Assistant Censor (replacing Captain Basil Somerset Long, in Boulogne (he was noted as a fluent German speaker) and in 1918 received his commission in the Intelligence Corps firstly in the Army of the Rhine and later as a member of the Inter-allied Rhineland High Commission, Cologne.

"The Inter-Allied Rhineland High Commission was created by the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919, to supervise the occupation of the Rhineland and "ensure, by any means, the security and satisfaction of all the needs of the Armies of Occupation"

He was demobilised 11 January 1920. He was also entitled to a Silver War Badge numbered B81615. His address was given as Caversham, Reading.

In June 1920 he joined HM Consular Service as a Vice Consul—

Serving as His Majesty’s Consul Republic of Nicaragua (1939); Zambia and Nyasaland; the Argentine portion of Tierra del Fuego and the Territory of Santa Cruz south of the River Coyle; and Spanish provinces of Castellon, Valencia and Alicante, to reside at Valencia; 
Portugal, Oporto in 1942; and lastly the Kingdom of Sweden from 1946.

Foreign Office,30th May, 1946.
The KING has been graciously pleased to appoint the undermentioned gentlemen to be Officers of the Seventh Grade of His Majesty's (Foreign Service (with effect from the dates respectively indicated): —Harry Wilson Reid-Brown, Esquire (17th January,1946).

He had retired by around 1950.

Given the locations during WW2 was he still working in the shadows?

 

Edited January 12, 2016 by dante

[dante]

[Tony]

Did you know his service history before buying the group? If not what a great surprise it must have been.

Tony

[dante]

No not at all...I have a formula before I purchase which works...so able to find "interesting people" and bring them back to life!!

[azyeoman]

Wonderful!  Keep up the good work and posts.