born february retired british diplomat career began joined clerical officer years career posted british embassy west_germany years nigeria served latin_america filling necessary staff british missions region served mexico football world cup responsible organising evacuation volcanic eruption latin_america briefly served canberra returning london post foreign earned early promotion second secretary responsible reporting war independence country revolution pro western emperor overthrown completing tour served information officer port spain secretary overseas posting deputy high commissioner persuaded president attend queen birthday party time months later overthrown coup led evacuation foreign citizens kenya high commission remained open present months later second coup took place returned time serving years later appointed governor main issues tenure establishment territory offshore financial centre smuggling drugs waters sudden death chief minister resolved subsequent constitutional crisis appointing deputy chief minister interim replacement term governor expired spent year drugs adviser caribbean appointed high commissioner weeks term president overthrown military coup organised evacuation foreign citizens hotel housing remaining foreign nationals attacked organised evacuation conducted american warship ship transported including neighbouring guinea advised establishing government exile leased disused restaurant government headquarters restored february role private military company assisting created controversy united_kingdom services alleged violate arms investigation parliamentary inquiry select committee investigation allowed return post later year violence began intensify ordered evacuate foreign nationals evacuation career second christmas requested extension term high commissioner request denied left april spent year career working retired retirement spoken issues concerning africa particularly critical support role returning power earned folk hero status early life born alfred florence née green educated stayed left school levels french german geography took casual employment earn money having desire use language qualifications began applying jobs multi national companies applied passed civil service exam keen join took passed second exam join enter lower grade held early career career beginnings diplomatic career began clerical officer london years career posted british embassy west_germany served clerical officer end posting sent nigeria staff admitted able choose posting probably chosen considered africa posting started love affair africa spent years junior staff unlike senior staff diplomatic privilege latin american pool staff sent assist diplomatic missions provide support busy times cover staff leave assignment latin american mexico_city acted vice consul football world cup diplomatic staff english national team based conclusion world cup sent ecuador responsible overseeing renovation work ambassador residence ecuador months sent assist aftermath kidnapping ambassador weeks later ordered british mission staffed single diplomat cover took leave final posting time relied united_kingdom defence foreign policy matters weeks arrival volcano island erupted responsible evacuation royal_navy term latin american stated found variety tasks performed valuable experience later career latin_america immediately sent canberra having told passport officer dying arrived find misunderstanding passport officer health stayed assist months returning london desk officer working responsible small territories pacific tenure turned job inside downing street set prime minister believing position inferior held serving volunteered learn difficult language hope advancing career passing test assigned professional language tutor began learning official language weeks tuition sent continue learning language living shortly posted second secretary british ambassador sir keen speaking second secretary responsible monitoring reporting internal affairs based role required attend report meetings took place africa instruction foreign secretary met leaders independence movement modern day conference met separately believed difficult work later stated obvious come power british government greater effort work tenure coincided war independence responsible monitoring end required meet smuggling british compound boot car date progress war country revolution pro western emperor overthrown faction military sympathetic soviet_union remained sent port spain information officer responsibility editing magazine aimed promoting british trade returned london serving secretary time career streams non graduates faster university graduates time west africa department faster stream promoted posted deputy high commissioner attended conference 1970s pleased posted weeks high commissioner took leave acting high commissioner tasks high commission queen birthday party postponed allow president attend time attended national day months birthday party acting high commissioner informed impending coup notified american french representatives instructed british staff high commissioner residence fighting shooting broke outskirts fled country ministers leaving country chaos following day travelled city centre american representatives determine charge country contact new regime met major expressed concerns security situation explained foreign citizens likely evacuated happened days later led evacuation road kenya foreign citizens left kept open staff remained military began forming government attempted include tribes country end assisted meeting leader refused join government months later led coup declared president appointed officer order british empire returned appointed position responsible caribbean department divided responsible independent nations years tenure british subject diplomatic incidents causing problems british government international community looked resolve problems dependent territories struggled find new governors territories winding historically provided governors civil servants 1960s recommended policy paper considered recruiting pool governors recruited earlier career end identified posts training potential governors including occupied deputy governor posts bermuda government accepted recommendations extent appointed governor age youngest serving governor british territory governor represents monarch british government presiding cabinet required swear oath constitution territory believed complicated governor role representative british government duties governor purchase assist drug smuggling territory assisting establishing offshore financial centre number registered companies islands rose double population tenure governor increasingly aware growing resentment citizens british rights entry proposed territories renamed british overseas territories citizens given equal rights entry proposals eventually accepted end term constitutional crisis arose chief minister died suddenly constitution territory contained provision chief minister dying office death left governing party majority assembly asked deputy chief minister chief minister interim provide political stability appointed companion order michael service completed term governor struggled find post appointed newly created post special drugs adviser caribbean worked team advisers european_union assisting caribbean governments developing policies combat smuggling illegal drugs military coup evacuation enjoyed posting drugs adviser keen africa applied post high commissioner post downgraded application fell offered posting lower ranking post assured taking position adversely affect career accepted march appointed high commissioner later stated believed previous experience africa particularly stood good events posting country middle bloody civil war weeks tenure president government overthrown military coup coup come surprise timing caught international community guard decade earlier gathered high commission staff families roof evacuated neighbouring guinea soon fighting broke coup makers established chairman following day invited associates representatives nigeria united_states meeting british high commissioner residence found remarkable attended believed esteem office british high commissioner held meeting agreed open country main airport temporarily day allowed organise evacuation foreign nationals men agreed following day meetings continued week diplomatic missions including closed course week leaving british time believed persuaded coup makers stand allow return unbeknownst diplomats invited main rebel group civil war form joint government days arrival june rebels soldiers attacked hotel foreign citizens gathered protection soldiers response naval bombardment able high commission building defence headquarters demand end violence threatening request deployment marines uss anchored offshore defence headquarters promptly ordered end shooting occupants hotel evacuated nearby hotel night uss morning june addition remaining members staff staff families left ordered evacuate despite objections sailed staying beginning coup country recognised military international community continued recognise exiled government legitimate government established government basing chinese restaurant leased british government advised keeping government presence international stage ensuring representative sent international meetings continued run british diplomatic mission high commission continued pay local staff began smuggling food money months government exiled funds assisted setting covert radio station broadcast behalf exiled government affair assisted negotiations private military company led british_army officer intended hire lead counter coup contracted provide assistance led forces sierra time relations nigeria poor personnel provide intelligence february coalition troops local militia assisted restored power transported british warship role sparked political controversy united_kingdom company accused violating international arms ordered investigated allegedly assisting violating customs dropped investigation deciding public interest prosecute anybody foreign secretary ordered parliamentary inquiry knew contract received failing report adequately dealings inquiry led sir recommended better communication high commissioner widely considered hero role restoring giving evidence inquiry people took demonstration demanding return arrival airport appointed honorary paramount chief person granted honour independence greeted large crowds shortly return summoned london face investigation gave evidence televised session stated belief controversy peripheral issue focusing supporting newly restored government committee report expressed concern role regard believed acted thought best interests united_kingdom consider actions went government policy stated retirement felt political football focus distracted issue later problems avoided second evacuation replacement end began northern sierra tensions escalated ordered evacuation british citizens christmas believed evacuation eighth career unnecessary argued objections ruled ordered evacuate staff allowed remain military protection detail royal_air_force evacuated approximately people british people chose stay travelled christmas international summit refused allow return based hotel attacked january days fighting rebels pushed transported british warship flew daily meetings allowed residence temporarily lived ship later government entered negotiations resulted peace agreement opposed power sharing believed excluded talks views agreement hold violence broke early term high commissioner expired april requested british military adviser sent extension term denied left country april succeeded returning applied multiple posts turned asked early retirement keen retire terms eventually took job conflict adviser having developed described good relationship retirement retirement critical attitude africa expressed view high priority continent stated interview felt keen develop experts areas europe middle_east africa place anybody long average intelligence retiring taken roles charities organisations focusing africa including supports sir school blind considered folk hero continues speak issues relating vocal opposition indictment pro militia leader civil war war crimes special court described special court expensive divisive piece judicial machinery served little purpose following deaths prominent defendants believed continuation undermine fragile peace granted freedom city given honorary title paramount chief role written book experiences country atrocities diamonds diplomacy isbn personal life met wife serving latin american planning wedding end term latin_america persuaded postpone urgency required canberra wedding eventually took place later couple children wife enjoy overseas divorced travelled met second wife working married governor making british governor married post wife consider committed christians stated christian felt home africa
Peter Penfold