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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: s58roads on Sunday 26 November 17 14:54 GMT (UK)
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As scholars we always believed our Headmaster, W B P Aspinall OBE MA, had been in Military Intelligence during and perhaps after WW2.
Can anyone verify this and if true perhaps enlarge upon it?
I understand he died in Dec.1988.
s58roads
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The Times states that he was Lt Col. with the Intelligence Corps
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Good afternoon,
It appears he worked for the British Forces Education Service for a time. He was headmaster at Queens school, Rhiendalen, Germany from 1960 to 1972.
Couldn't find any other info as yet.
John915
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A 2 Lt WBPP Aspinall was transferred from the Territorial Army Officer Training Corps to the Intelligence Corps on 14 August 1940 (London Gazette). His OBE was awarded in the New Year's honours 1946 when he was a Lieutenant Colonel, still in the Intelligence Corps.
The only way to find out what he did and where would be to see his service record and, given the corps he was in, the likelihood of being any the wiser is I suggest not great!
MaxD
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When he was appointed headmaster in 1950 he was age 37 -educated at the Royal Masonic School & St Johns College, Cambridge - assistant master at Ashford School & St Pauls School. For the past 2 years Senior master at St Alfreds School, Plon, B.A.O.R.
The article only indicates that he was in the Intelligence Corps during the war.
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Many thanks for these contributions. I have now narrowed my interest to the period 1945 to 1948 before he joined the staff of King Alfred School at Plon on the Baltic coast of Germany.
Can anyone fill this gap please?
Geoff
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MI 14 was the most interesting and important of the sections. In 1940 it was headed by Lieutenant Colonel K Strong, later its deputy commander was Lieutenant Colonel W B P Aspinall, of the Corps. At its peak strength MI 14 totalled 58 officers ...
https://goo.gl/9iWLJD
The commandant was Lieutenant-Colonel W.P.B. Aspinall. In his late forties, he had a background in MI 14 (responsible for information about the German order of battle).
https://goo.gl/DxfuXR
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Well done Shaun just what I am after!
Geoff
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William Briant Philip Pryce Aspinall
service no 95924 Intelligence Corps 1946
Cathy
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Hi Steve,
Let me supplement your worthy efforts on WBP with the following to complete the picture:
Service No 95924 Intelligence Corps
OBE, New Year Honours List 1946
Forearmed: a history of the Intelligence Corps . Anthony Clayton. Brassey's(UK) 1993 page 85
"MI 14 was the most interesting and important of the sections. In 1940 it was headed by K. Strong* later its deputy commander was Lt Col WBP Aspinall of the Corps"
Closely Guarded: A life in Canadian Security & Intelligence. James Starnes. Univ. of Toronto Press 1998 page 11
"The commandant was Lt Col WBP Aspinall. In his late 40s he had a backgound in MI 14 (responsible for the German order of battle)
*Kenneth Strong (later DG of Intelligence at the MOD) was educated at Montrose Academy in Angus. I attended Montrose Academy from 1946 to 1953 prior to attending Windsor School.
Regards.
Geoff