Colin Figures

Sir Colin Frederick Figures
Born (1925-07-01)1 July 1925
Birmingham, United Kingdom
Died 8 December 2006(2006-12-08) (aged 81)
Esher, United Kingdom
Alma mater Pembroke College, Cambridge
Occupation British intelligence officer
Spouse(s) Pamela Ann Timmis
Children a son and two daughters
Parent(s) Frederick and Muriel Figures
Spying career
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service Secret Intelligence Service (SIS/MI6)
Active 1951 – 1985
Rank Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service
Operation(s) Suez Crisis
Prague Spring
Falklands War

Sir Colin Frederick Figures KCMG OBE (1 July 1925 – 8 December 2006) was Head of the British Secret Intelligence Service (known as MI6) from 1981 to 1985. He was deputy secretary and Intelligence Co-ordinator of the Cabinet Office from 1985 to 1989.

Career

Figures was born in Birmingham, the son of Frederick Figures, an insurance executive, and his wife Muriel.[1] He was educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham[2] and served in The Worcestershire Regiment from 1945 until 1948,[2] during which time he studied Russian via the Inter-Service Language Course at Cambridge, and served in Romania and Hungary.[2] He read French and Russian at Pembroke College, Cambridge after being demobilised in 1948, and joined the SIS when he graduated in 1951.[2]

After a period in London, he served in Germany, served in Amman during the Suez Crisis, in Warsaw, and in Vienna during the Prague Spring, before returning to London.[2] He moved from Eastern bloc espionage in 1973 to supervise SIS activities in Northern Ireland.[2] He became deputy head of SIS in 1979 and its ninth Chief in 1981.[2] The following year, SIS was involved in the Falklands War, seeking to prevent Argentina obtaining stocks of Exocet missiles to be carried by their Super Etendard attack aircraft.[3] He received an OBE in 1969 and CMG in 1978, and advanced to KCMG in 1983.[2]

He retired from SIS in 1985, and became Intelligence Co-ordinator at the Cabinet Office.[2] He finally retired in 1989.[2]

He married Pamela Ann Timmis in 1956.[1] He suffered from Parkinson's disease in later life, and died in Esher.[1] He was survived by his wife, and their son and two daughters.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Obituary: Sir Colin Figures The Independent, 29 December 2006
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Obituary: Sir Colin Figures The Times, 15 December 2006
  3. ↑ Obituary: Sir Colin Figures Daily Telegraph, 21 December 2006
Government offices
Preceded by
Sir Dick Franks		 Chief of the SIS
1982–1985		 Succeeded by
Sir Christopher Curwen
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