The Rest Is Classified

Episode 123: Kim Philby: Communist Double Agent In London (Ep 3)
Release Date: February 2, 2026
Hosts: David McCloskey (former CIA analyst & novelist), Gordon Corera (security correspondent)

Episode Overview

In this third episode of the Kim Philby series, David McCloskey and Gordon Corera dive into Philby's infiltration of British intelligence—specifically MI6—during World War II. The hosts map out Philby's ascent inside the organization, his relationships (both professional and personal), his interactions with American intelligence, and the lingering suspicions—even from his Soviet masters—about his true loyalties. The episode vividly depicts the culture of MI6 during the war, the bureaucratic maneuvering that advanced Philby’s career, and the early Cold War’s shifting landscape, ending with an ominous view of Philby’s growing influence and the devastation in his wake.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Philby’s Arrival at MI6

[03:05 – 07:32]

• Philby’s Background: Recruited by Soviet intelligence during his time at Cambridge; reputation already shadowed by his father’s eccentricity and his own political leanings.
• MI6 in Wartime: Described as “full of slightly posh types and slightly old colonial types. It's a touch amateurish, it's fair to say. Not up to their opponents, I think, in many areas.” (B, 04:41)
• The MI6 Chief (Stewart Menzies): British establishment to the core, doing much of his work at exclusive clubs like White’s.
• “Every night at White's is a big night, Gordon. You haven't lived until you've consumed a cheese board the size of a bed.” (A, 07:10)

2. Culture & Dynamics Inside MI6

[08:55 – 13:01]

• Amateurism and Expansion: The “amateurish” culture left room for new, smart recruits like Philby, especially as the service ballooned during the war.
• Philby’s Section: Placed in Section 5 (Counterespionage), focusing on German operations in global hotspots like Spain and Portugal.
• Colorful Colleagues: Shared office space with figures such as novelist Graham Greene.
• Philby’s Strength: Noted for charm and strategic alliances across MI5, the Foreign Office, and among colleagues.
• “He strikes me as being a pretty solid bureaucratic operator... there’s value to his Soviet handlers if Philby can kind of move in a lot of different circles.” (A, 13:01)

3. Personal Life & Bureaucratic Strategist

[15:20 – 17:10]

• Personal Entanglements: Philby remained married to his first wife Lizzy (separated, not divorced), while living with and having children by his new partner, Aileen.
• Professional Ascent: Philby positioned as a modernizer, socially adept and seen as a rising star within MI6.

4. Collaboration and Tensions with American Intelligence

[17:10 – 21:24]

• OSS Arrives: The American Office of Strategic Services (OSS) sets up next door in Ryder Street. British view Americans as naïve newcomers.
• “Malcolm Muggeridge...describes the arrival of the Americans as like a bunch of innocent young maidens who are about to be deflowered in the old intelligence brothel that was MI6. All too soon they were ravished and corrupted.” (B, 18:50)
• Philby’s Role: Responsible for tutoring American officers (including James Jesus Angleton, future CIA counterintelligence chief)—an ironic and tragic linkage.
• Philby’s Attitude: Masked British resentment of American ascendancy.

5. Espionage Tradecraft & Security Lapses

[21:24 – 27:09]

• Philby’s Access: Shockingly able to walk out of MI6 HQ with a briefcase of classified files; security relies almost entirely on character vetting at recruitment.
• “You could print off documents, you just walk out of the building with them in your bag. We all think of these elaborate security checks...the reality is...you just walk out with stuff.” (A, 22:45)
• Night Duty: Volunteered for overnight shifts, granting even more unsupervised access.
• Moscow’s Concerns: Soviet handlers suspicious about Philby’s “too good” access and lack of info on British anti-Soviet operations; suspect he may be a British double agent.

6. Soviet Suspicion & Mirror Imaging

[25:19 – 34:23]

• NKVD Analysis: Soviet analyst Elena Modzrinskaya (“the female Mini McCloskey”) embodies Soviet unease, highlighting the danger of mirror imaging and analytical bias.
• Internal Debate: Within Soviet intelligence, a split between those who believed Philby was too good to be true and those who saw the Cambridge spies as genuine.
• Agent Surveillance: Eight Soviet surveillance operatives sent to London to determine if the Cambridge spies were double agents—unsuccessfully.
• Eventually, Philby wins back full Soviet trust as the value of the intelligence he delivers outweighs the doubts.

7. Philby's Promotion: Head of Section IX

[34:52 – 41:54]

• Section IX: Created in 1943 to spy on the Soviets themselves—Philby’s Soviet handlers immediately push him to secure this role.
• Career Maneuvering: Philby subtly sabotages his boss (Felix Cowgill)’s chances at the job by leveraging poor relationships with MI5, the Foreign Office, and the FBI.
  • “Philby arranges to make sure everyone making the appointment knows how bad Cowgill’s relationship with MI5 is, without Philby’s fingerprints being on that. So he does it quite subtly.” (B, 36:10)
• Tim Milne’s Reflection: Highlights the cultural normalcy of youthful communism at Cambridge and rationalizes not alerting superiors to Philby’s past.
• Bureaucratic Irony: The man now running all British operations against the Soviets was himself a Soviet agent.

8. The Cold War Looms & Philby’s Damage

[41:54 – 46:18]

• Integrated Intelligence Sharing: The Americans are eventually informed about Section IX, and astonishingly, are told to coordinate all anti-Soviet operations through Philby.
• Human Cost: The hosts discuss the delicate balance Moscow had to achieve in using Philby’s intelligence without exposing him, acknowledging the very real deaths of agents—at that moment mainly Germans, but foreshadowing greater future losses.
• Recognition: Philby receives both the Soviet Order of the Red Banner and the British OBE, as well as a medal from Franco—an unmatched collection.
• End of WWII: Philby and Tim Milne’s visit to ruined Berlin, nearly poisoned by insecticide on Eva Braun’s cooker, receive news of Hiroshima being bombed, symbolizing a shift into the Cold War and Philby’s continued ascension.
  • “You get this sense of the Second World War closing, but also the dawn of what will be and become known as the Cold War, in which Kim Philby is going to play this absolutely pivotal role in its early years.” (B, 46:17)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kim Philby (from his own reflections):
  “I have always operated at two levels, a personal level and a political one. When the two have come into conflict, I've had to put politics first. This conflict can be very painful. I don't like deceiving people, especially friends, and contrary to what others think, I feel very badly about it.” (A, 02:39)

• On MI6's culture:
  “It's full of slightly posh types and slightly old colonial types. It's a touch amateurish, it's fair to say. Not up to their opponents, I think, in many areas.” (B, 04:41)

• On office camaraderie and the “old guard” vs. “new guard”:
  “Philby is part of a new generation... and will be amongst the best of them.” (B, 09:09)

• On security “vetting”:
  “A lot of the security is done at the front end, where you figure out if you can trust somebody and then… it becomes this system of, well, everyone inside has sort of been vetted.” (A, 22:45)

• On mirror imaging:
  “It's a mindset and analytical trap that is very easy to fall into... you just think, well, we're doing this, the other side must be doing the same thing. And here it just wasn't true.” (A, 28:58)

• On the absolute triumph of Soviet penetration:
  “You don't get better than that, do you? Their man is running operations against them.” (B, 41:54)

• On the ominous aftermath:
  “You get this sense of the Second World War closing, but also the dawn of what will be and become known as the Cold War, in which Kim Philby is going to play this absolutely pivotal role.” (B, 46:17)

Key Segment Timestamps

• Philby enters MI6 and the inner workings of the Service: 03:05 – 08:55
• MI6 internal dynamics and Philby’s early rise: 09:04 – 13:37
• Philby’s blend of work and social life, and his friendships: 13:01 – 17:10
• Arrival of OSS and British–American intelligence dynamics: 17:10 – 21:24
• Security practices and Philby’s unrestricted access: 21:24 – 27:09
• Soviet suspicion, mirror imaging, and internal debates: 25:19 – 34:23
• Philby’s manipulation to become head of Section IX: 34:52 – 41:54
• The beginning of the Cold War and evaluation of Philby’s legacy: 41:54 – 46:18

Tone & Style

The conversation blends sharp wit, dry British humor, and deep historical context. The hosts leap between clever asides, personal anecdotes (e.g., White’s cheese boards, Aileen from Marks & Spencer), and lucid analysis—maintaining both intellectual rigor and an accessible, conversational tone.

Next Time

The episode closes with the promise of a thrilling finale, exploring the dangers and human cost of Philby’s infiltration during the early Cold War—his increasingly precarious tightrope walk as a Soviet double agent at the heart of British intelligence.

Listeners gain a vivid sense not only of Philby’s spycraft and psychological burdens, but of the tragic impact and almost farcical, bureaucratic lapses that made his betrayal possible.