The real business of life as a secret agent began not quite the glamorous cloak and dagger stuff. He was busy reading files and compiling  and filing intelligence reports for dispatch via diplomatic bag Getting to know the lay of the land. His boss Major Scale was a handsome man with a debonair manner, which endeared him to all.  Conrad; in his company, met many of the main players in the unfolding political drama, which led to World War II.  Litvinoff (Bolshevik appointed Representative to the Court of St James), Litvinoff’s subversive activities while in that role were to lead to the creation of a new MI5. Thus was formalised an intelligence approach which influenced Cold War counter-espionage organisations for a generation. Mannerheim, the Finnish General. Mannerheim had served in the Russian Army. After the Revolution he acted as the Commander of the White Army during Finnish Civil War of 1918. Also the White Russian Generals Yudenich and  Gulkevitch. The British Diplomat Bruce Lockhart, whose subversive activities in cahoots with Sidney Riley S.T.1 while he was Acting British Consul-General in Moscow during the Revolution saw him imprisoned and under sentence of death for an attempt made on Lenin’s life. Recent research seems to have him implicated in the assassination of Rasputin?  Another of Lockhart's cohorts was Arthur Ransome S.T.76  (the author of Swallows and Amazons) was the only western journalist allowed by the Soviets to meet and interview the leaders of the Revolution including Lenin. His cover was that of a Soviet sympathizer and his articles reflected this to the point where there were moves back in Britain to have him censured.  His love affair with Evgenia Schelepina; Leon Trotsky's secretary, had further drawn him into espionage in post revolutionary Russia.  Conrad also met Lieutenant Agar, who won a VC for sinking the Oleg in a mini sub action which sank the best part of the Communist Fleet at Krondstadt. His boss Major Scale was a main player in the planning and execution of Agar’s clandestine assault on the Fleet.  In such company Conrad cut his teeth as an MI6 agent.  A lot of his time was taken handling agents arranging rendezvous and transmitting their reports to the appropriate office in Whitehall.  Conrad remarks that the most important information about Russia had come from an agent who worked under many an assumed name,  but was known to them, as Paul Dukes  Agent S.T.25.  Conrad's designation was S.T.36.  Paul Dukes was the perfect spy.  He had lived in Tsarist Russia as a boy.  He spoke the language like a native.  He was intelligent, courageous and good-looking.  Paul Dukes made his mark in espionage history, later that year he was knighted for services to the Nation. Conrad was in the centre of things. Cummings and Menzies had presented him with a supporting role to the very first cold war spies. 

The actual duties of an assistant military attaché were varied.  Conrad relates the amusing tale concerning to be mobilised British flying officers, who brought with them two Avro planes.  They coaxed him into the passenger seat of one of the planes and Conrad experienced flying from this first time in a spectacular acrobatic display, which left poor Conrad much the worse for little flight.  A few months later, a flotilla of new flying boats, which came to the Swedish capital on propaganda mission.  It was advertised they would fly under the bridge in a deep canyons, near Stockholm.  On the day, however, they decided wind conditions were not ideal, and so cancelled the fly through.  After a lengthy wait a gathered crowds became restless tense with frustration.  Then, all at once, all eyes fixed on two approaching specs.  The Avro's zoomed into view, to crowds delight.  Not content with fly under the bridge, they looped the loop around the bridge before flying off and disappearing as quickly as they had come.  It fell to Conrad to smooth the ruffled diplomatic feathers that the intrepid pilots had stirred with their timely display. The crowd though were pleased with the spectacle.

With Finland in a state of war with the Soviet's, the focus of the political drama had moved from Stockholm to Finland.  Accordingly, Major Scale’s office decamped there in 1920.  Conrad's new base was Helsingfors (Helsinki).  The White Russians offensive against the Communist has all but collapsed, primarily through lack of support from the allies, who did not trust them.  Finland had declared independence, and following Britain's recognition Lord Acton was sent to Helsingfors as Minister plenipotentiary.  Acton was perceived as being of German descent, despite his British credentials.  He was an astute farsighted political thinker; however, his diplomatic skills left something to be desired.  His first public speech was at a banquet in his honour.  He chose to air his views on the inevitability of communism.  The papers were furious! Lord Acton kept to this house on the 27th of February shots were fired as he crossed the way in Helsingfors.  There were other such instances.  Finland's burgeoning independence was threatened by the growth of Communist Russia.  And though the Finns knew this, they were indignant at Lord Acton's presumption.  A month later, he was withdrawn.

Kathleen Ffrench had been at her palatial residence on the Volga when the tide of the revolution swept over her.  She had been dragged off to jail by the rabble who ransacked her property and art objects. Gold, silver, priceless antiquities all were lost.  But she was British.  She was interned by the Russians on the way to repatriation.  In 1920, Lady Marling, the wife of a diplomat, was in charge of Red Cross’ activities concerned with the repatriation of the interned British.  She was based Teroki, close to the Karelian isthmus.  A small river called Siestro, formed the frontier the railway bridge having been blown up. By ruins, a small hut occupied by Finnish border guards.  It was here that Kathleen arrived one cold March morning.  Conrad was there to meet her and accompanied her to Lady Marling's headquarters.  After three years continuous threat of the firing squad Kathleen was the shadow of herself.  She had lost her life and possessions in Russia.  And mourned the loss.  Conrad helped the arrangements to deliver her to her London house, and thence to Monivea and Rozzie, who, having grown accustomed to being the Lady of the house, didn't relish Kathleen's arrival. There was a falling out between them and soon, Kathleen was again travelling across Europe eventually settling in Harbin China near the Russian border.  They were to meet again, though she never returned.

In the spring of 1920 a Russian Trade Delegation was to have secret trade negotiations with the Prime Minister Lloyd George. This was perhaps Conrad's most secret mission to date.  One bright cold morning, Conrad was at Bielostrov station, awaiting the arrival of the Soviet trade delegation headed by M. Krassin. It was 6:30 in the morning, when, after several false alarms, Lt Daniels of the Finnish army came out of the hut of the white flag.  The delegation arrived at the same time. The party came down the snow-covered bank onto the ice of the river Siestro.  Their papers were examined by Finnish officers, and then under heavy guard they were escorted to Bielstrov station and to Conrad Britain’s representative.  They travelled on by train to Abo. Amid the hundreds of refugees, Lady Marling and the helpers tending to the new arrivals the delegation slipped unnoticed into the West only Conrad’s camera caught the scene. There is record of his photographs in war Office files.  There were 25 members of the delegation.  Abo's chief of police was in full ceremonial dress, complete with white plumed hat when he met the train.  He escorted them through passport control they were soon on their way to Sweden. Conrad and Krassin discussed the “Peaceful Revolution” which was ravaging Russia as it changed into the USSR. Conrad was chilled by the absolutism of the Communists version of means justifying the ends. Wherein any act, however murderous or violent was justifiable as peaceful, when it hastened the creation of the utopian Communist State. He quotes Krassin.

 

“The beneficiaries of our Revolution will be those who are three years old. It is Idle to criticise a movement such as ours by its offences against the traditions and concepts we are moving away from…. When the sod it’s turned we are no longer interested in that which was formerly uppermost but that which is brought to light, for in that lies our potential.” dm P64

 

 In Stockholm, Krassin was reunited with his wife and three beautiful daughters.  Then his family and the delegation travelled on to London, where they took up residence in Curzon Square in apartments above Conrad’s brother Alexsis Ffrench the famous interior designer.