Donald Duart Maclean

Donald Duart Maclean (1913- 6 March 1983) was one of the Cambridge Five, members of MI5 and MI6 who acted as spies for Russia in the Second World War. He was the son of the Scottish Liberal politician Sir Donald Maclean.

Life in the Soviet Union

On Maclean's birthday, May 25th, the Friday before the Monday that he was to interrogated, Burgess and Maclean fled to the coast, boarded a ship to France, and disappeared. Had Blunt learned of the impending questioning of Maclean, and warned Burgess that the time had come? Blunt never admitted to that, and it is possible that Burgess and Maclean had selected Friday to flee whatever the current circumstances. Both Modin and Philby assumed that Burgess would deliver Maclean to a handler, and that he would return. For some reason, the Russians insisted that Burgess accompany Maclean the entire way. Perhaps Burgess was no longer useful to the KGB as a spy, but too valuable to fall into the hands of MI5.

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Maclean, unlike the self-indulgent Burgess, integrated himself into the Soviet system, learning Russian, and eventually serving as a specialist on economic policy of the West, and British foreign affairs. However, when living there, he spoke up for Soviet dissidents, and actually gave money to the families of some of those imprisoned. Maclean was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour and the Order of Combat.

Related Topics:
Russian - Order of the Red Banner of Labour

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His American wife, Melinda joined him in Russia, but they were divorced and Melinda married Kim Philby. He died of a heart attack in 1983, was cremated and the ashes interred in the family crypt in London.

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