George Ronald Richards
George Ronald Richards (born 27 November 1905), known as Ron Richards, was a British-born Australian police officer and intelligence officer. In 1953 he was closely involved in Operation Cabin 12, arranging the defection of [[Vladimir Mikhaylovich Petrov (diplomat)|Vladimir Petrov] from the Soviet Union to Australia. In 1954, he was appointed deputy director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), roughly equivalent to the FBI and MI5. He was appointed OBE in 1957.
Early life and career
Richards was born on the 27th of November, 1905, in Nottingham, England.[1] He first moved to Australia at the age of 21 and joined the Western Australia Police there in 1928. After working at the Criminal Investigation Branch and, from September 1939 to 1942, the Special Bureau and Aliens Office, Richards began his intelligence career with a secondment to the Commonwealth Security Service in November 1945.[1]
Richards was appointed Perth's regional director of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation in 1949 after its formation on the 16th of March and became involved in the Venona project, looking into leaks of information to the Soviet Union, learned of in diplomatic cables intercepted and read by the United States.[1][2] In 1950, Richards became deputy director for Venona and went to work with MI5 in November 1952, after which he became the deputy director for New South Wales in the ASIO.[1]
Petrov Affair
In 1953 and 1954, as deputy director of the ASIO, Richards was in charge of Operation Cabin 12, the arrangement of the defection of USSR spy Vladimir Petrov.[3] He was introduced to Petrov by the dentist of Michael Bialoguski, with whom he met over the course of three days in 1953.[4][5]. On the 21st of Februrary, in Bialoguski's flat, Richards offered Petrov political asylum and on the 19th he added £5000 in cash to the offer [5][6] In all, Richards met with Petrov twelve times, frequently recording him and negotiating both for his defection and for him to share documents with the Autralian government.[7] Petrov's defection ultimately took place on the 3rd of April and was announced on the 13th by then Prime Minister Robert Menzies.[3][8]
Later career
It was after the instigation that May of a royal commission on espionage, as a result of the Petrov affair, that Richards was appointed deputy director-general of the ASIO, in which role he was influential on the progress of the commission. In 1957 he was appointed OBE. He subsequently served on a committee of security experts in the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, and in 1961 was chairman of the counter-subversion expert study group of the same organisation.[1]
After four years as senior liason officer at Australia House, Richards retired in 1965.[1]
Personal life
Richards was married on the 27th of April 1929 to Clarice Edna Counsel, with whom he had one daughter, and a son who died in infancy. Clarice died in 1982.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Cain, Frank. "Richards, George Ronald (Ron) (1905–1985)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
- ^ "National Archives of Australia". Australian Government. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
- ^ a b "The Petrov Affair - The Affair". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
- ^ MacMillan, Margaret; McKenzie, Francine (2003). Parties Long Estranged: Canada and Australia in the Twentieth Century. UBC Press. pp. 194–5. ISBN 978-0-7748-0976-4.
- ^ a b "Museum of Australian Democracy". The Petrov Affair - Spies. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
- ^ Deery, Phillip. "Petrov, Vladimir Mikhailovich (1907–1991)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
- ^ Bernice Morris (1988). Between the Lines. Spinifex Press. pp. 122–. ISBN 978-0-908205-07-3.
- ^ "The Petrov Affiar - Royal Commission". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
