HN331

 The Inquiry has released reports showing HN331 attended meetings of the Notting Hill branch of the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign (VSC) VSC Notting Hill Notting Hill Vietnam Solidarity Campaign (VSC) was a west London branch of the national VSC organisation. Formed in 1968, the Notting Hill branch split from the national VSC to align with Abhimanyu Manchanda's Britain Vietnam Solidarity Front. It was reported on by several undercover police officers HN68 'Sean Lynch', HN330 'Don de Freitas', HN331, HN323 Helen Crampton, HN328 Joan Hillier, HN338, HN326 'Douglas Edwards', HN332 Cameron Sinclair, HN345 'Peter Fredericks' and HN321 'Bill Lewis'. Full page: VSC Notting Hill  between 18 August and 4 December 1968 and meetings of the Earl’s Court branch VSC Earl's Court Earl’s Court Vietnam Solidarity Campaign (Earl’s Court VSC) was a branch of the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign (VSC). Formed in 1968, Earl's Court VSC was dominated by Maoists and split from the VSC in September 1968 to realign with the British Vietnam Solidarity Front (BVSF). Undercover police officers HN218 Barry Moss 'Barry Morris' and HN335 Michael Tyrrell infiltrated the group and officers HN68 'Sean Lynch', HN318 Ray Wilson, HN322, HN327 David Fisher, HN331, HN334 'Margaret White' reported on it. Full page: VSC Earl's Court  on 1 and 9 September 1968. VSC public meeting at Notting Hill Gate junction, 1 Sept 1968, pp.31-33, 3 Sep 1968, Metropolitan Police Special Branch, MPS-0722099/31-33.View Document Report on a meeting of Earls Court Vietnam Solidarity Campaign, held at redacted address on 9 Sept 1968, 10 Sep 1968, Metropolitan Police Special Branch, MPS-0733965.View Document  He and HN68 'Sean Lynch’ HN68 ‘Sean Lynch’ HN68 ‘Sean Lynch’ was the cover name used by a former Special Demonstration Squad undercover officer deployed between 1968 and 1974 into groups related to political violence in Northern Ireland. He held a managerial position as second-in-command of the SDS between 1981 and 1983 and retired from the Metropolitan Police in 1993. He is dead. Full page: HN68 ‘Sean Lynch’  also attended student meetings on the LSE campus on 17 and 26 October 1968. Telegram on a meeting of LSE Students’ Union which voted to occupy the building in support of the Oct 27 Vietnam War demo, 17 Oct 1968, Metropolitan Police Special Branch, MPS-0733940.View Document Telegram reporting on a 1000 LSE students joining the Oct 27 Vietnam War demo, split over going to US embassy, 27 Oct 1968, Metropolitan Police Special Branch, MPS-0733981.View Document

According to closed evidence given to the Inquiry, HN331 was arrested for fly-posting in November 1968 and appeared at Bow Street Magistrates Court under his cover name, possibly without informing the court of his real identity. Unattributed Excerpts from Closed Officer Evidence, given in the UCPI, Tranche 1, Phase 3, Module 2b, Module 2c, 8 Dec 2021.View Document SDS Undercovers in Court SDS Undercover officers were arrested and taken to court. Most appeared in their cover names. During the Tranche 1 era (1968-82), HN298 'Michael Scott' and HN13 'Desmond Loader' stood trial. Senior Metropolitan Police officers interfered with the court processes to protect the SDS's secrecy. This resulted in the convictions of their co-defendants being belatedly referred to the Court of Appeal.  A report on the Notting Hill VSC branch dated 11 September 1968, records posters being handed out to members to fly-post, but it is not known whether this was connected to HN331’s later court appearance. Report on meeting of Notting Hill VSC inc plans for leaflets, held at Essex Church, Palace Gardens Terrace W8 on 11 Sept 1968, 13 Sep 1968, Metropolitan Police Special Branch, MPS-0735436.View Document  

HN331 spied on the Notting Hill VSC Notting Hill Notting Hill Vietnam Solidarity Campaign (VSC) was a west London branch of the national VSC organisation. Formed in 1968, the Notting Hill branch split from the national VSC to align with Abhimanyu Manchanda's Britain Vietnam Solidarity Front. It was reported on by several undercover police officers HN68 'Sean Lynch', HN330 'Don de Freitas', HN331, HN323 Helen Crampton, HN328 Joan Hillier, HN338, HN326 'Douglas Edwards', HN332 Cameron Sinclair, HN345 'Peter Fredericks' and HN321 'Bill Lewis'. Full page: VSC Notting Hill  and Earl’s Court VSC Earl's Court Earl’s Court Vietnam Solidarity Campaign (Earl’s Court VSC) was a branch of the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign (VSC). Formed in 1968, Earl's Court VSC was dominated by Maoists and split from the VSC in September 1968 to realign with the British Vietnam Solidarity Front (BVSF). Undercover police officers HN218 Barry Moss 'Barry Morris' and HN335 Michael Tyrrell infiltrated the group and officers HN68 'Sean Lynch', HN318 Ray Wilson, HN322, HN327 David Fisher, HN331, HN334 'Margaret White' reported on it. Full page: VSC Earl's Court  branches of the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign (VSC) Vietnam Solidarity Campaign (VSC) The Vietnam Solidarity Campaign (VSC) was formed in 1966 as a collaboration between the International Marxist Group and the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation. Though dominated by Trotskyists, the VSC was able to forge broad coalitions across the left through its use of ad-hoc committees to plan specific actions. The VSC’s campaigning activities went into sharp decline in 1969, ceasing to function from October that year. Full page: Vietnam Solidarity Campaign (VSC)  and on students organising against the Vietnam war at the London School of Economics. 

Notting Hill VSC

The Notting Hill VSC branch reflected the ethnic composition of the local area, which contained a large community of Caribbean immigrants, and organised around local issues as well as against the Vietnam war. HN331 initially attended Notting Hill meetings alone, but was soon joined by HN68 'Sean Lynch' HN68 ‘Sean Lynch’ HN68 ‘Sean Lynch’ was the cover name used by a former Special Demonstration Squad undercover officer deployed between 1968 and 1974 into groups related to political violence in Northern Ireland. He held a managerial position as second-in-command of the SDS between 1981 and 1983 and retired from the Metropolitan Police in 1993. He is dead. Full page: HN68 ‘Sean Lynch’ , who shared reporting duties. 

Another officer HN323 Helen Crampton HN323 Helen Crampton Helen Crampton was not a typical SDS undercover officer. Between August and November 1969 she attended a couple of meetings of the Notting Hill branch of the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign, a group that was heavily infiltrated by at least four other undercover officers. Her principal role appears to have been as a witness for planned criminal proceedings against a Black Power activist and VSC supporter. Following his conviction in February 1969, Crampton was transferred back to ordinary Special Branch duties. She is dead and her cover name, if she used one, is not known.  also attended four meetings of the Notting Hill branch in October 1968 to gather evidence against a Black Power activist who occasionally attended. She later revealed herself to be an undercover police officer at his February 1969 trial arising from a leaflet she claimed he had given her at a meeting. Report on meeting of Notting Hill VSC, held at Essex church hall on 9 Oct 1968, 9 Oct 1968, Metropolitan Police Special Branch, MPS-0739187.View Document  A local Black Power activist, Ajoy Ghose, attended Notting Hill VSC meetings regularly and HN331’s reports show he had his own Special Branch registry file. Special Branch Registry The Special Branch Registry is a filing system used by the Metropolitan Police, which contains files on individuals and groups which are in turn divided into political groupings, such as 'communist', 'fascist' and 'IRA'. It is normally referred to simply as 'Registry Files' (RF) system. Its oldest files date from 1880. Full page: Special Branch Registry

HN331 reported discussion of violent tactics proposed for use at the 27 October 1968 march at a private meeting on 4 September 1968 Report of Notting Hill VSC at Essex Church, 4 September 1968, pp.44-45, 6 Sep 1968, Metropolitan Police Special Branch, MPS-0722099/44-45.View Document  and again on 16 and 23 October. Report on film screening and meeting of Notting Hill VSC, held at Essex Church Hall W8, 16 Oct 1968, inc detailed group manifesto leaflet, 16 Oct 1968, Metropolitan Police Special Branch, MPS-0730070.View Document Report on Notting Hill VSC at Essex Church Hall, 23 October 1968, pp.198-199, 23 Oct 1968, Metropolitan Police Special Branch, MPS-0722099/198-199.View Document  Posters advertising the 27 October demonstration were handed out at a meeting on 11 September 1968, as mentioned above, with the instruction that members should fly-post them. Report on meeting of Notting Hill VSC inc plans for leaflets, held at Essex Church, Palace Gardens Terrace W8 on 11 Sept 1968, 13 Sep 1968, Metropolitan Police Special Branch, MPS-0735436.View Document  A BBC TV crew filmed one public meeting on 15 October. Report on public meeting of Notting Hill VSC on the subject of American aggression in Vietnam, filmed by BBC, held at juntion of Westbourne Grove and Queensway W2 on 15 Oct 1968, 15 Oct 1968, Metropolitan Police Special Branch, MPS-0733941.View Document  

A report on a post-mortem meeting about the 27 October mass demonstration noted that a large number of International Socialist (IS) International Socialists/Socialist Workers Party The International Socialists (IS)/Socialist Worker Party (SWP) is a Trotskyist political party. It started life in 1950 as the Socialist Review Group, changing its name to the International Socialists in 1962 and then to the Socialist Workers Party in 1977. The IS/SWP was of significant interest to the policing and security apparatus, spied on by at least 35 undercover officers. This profile is a stub that will updated. Full page: International Socialists/Socialist Workers Party  members had attended, as well as four SDS undercovers including HN331. Report on meeting of Notting Hill VSC, with members of the International Socialists present, held at Essex Church Hall W8, 30 Oct 1968, 30 Oct 1968, Metropolitan Police Special Branch, MPS-0730758.View Document  The report’s author, Helen Crampton, suspected the IS was hoping to take over the Notting Hill VSC branch in the wake of what was considered to have been the failure of the 27 October demonstration. 

Only two further reports on the Notting Hill VSC have been disclosed by the Inquiry, concerning meetings on 14 November and 4 December as, after the 27 October demonstration, the group lost direction. Report on public meeting of Notting Hill VSC discussing future activities, held at All Saints Church hall, Clydesdale Road W11 on14 Nov 1968, 15 Nov 1968, Metropolitan Police Special Branch, UCPI0000005793.View Document Report on private meeting of Notting Hill VSC, held at redacted address on 4 Dec 1968, 5 Dec 1968, Metropolitan Police Special Branch, UCPI0000007754.View Document  

Earl’s Court VSC

Like the Notting Hill VSC, the Earl’s Court branch was one of the more radical VSC groups and contained Maoist activist Abhimanyu Manchanda. HN331 reported on only two meetings of the Earl’s Court branch but others were infiltrated by several undercover officers including Sean Lynch,  HN318 Ray Wilson HN318 Ray Wilson Raymond ‘Ray’ Wilson was a Special Branch officer from 1956 to 1984. He joined the SDS in 1968 and reported on groups during the build-up to the 27 October 1968 anti-Vietnam war demonstration. In 1980 he became chief superintendent of S Squad with oversight of the SDS. He is dead. Full page: HN318 Ray Wilson , HN334 'Margaret White' HN334 'Margaret White' 'Margaret White' was the cover name of Woman Detective Constable HN334, who was an SDS undercover officer between August and November 1968. She attended meetings of various branches of the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign (VSC) and International Socialists before infiltrating the Havering branch of the VSC alongside HN330 'Don de Freitas'. To do so, White and de Freitas posed as a couple. Full page: HN334 'Margaret White' , HN322 HN322 HN322 was born in the late 1940s, joined the Metropolitan Police in the early 1960s and served in the SDS for five weeks between October and December 1968, but was never deployed into any group. After leaving the SDS he continued his career in Special Branch. He retired in 1998 at the rank of detective inspector. Full page: HN322  and HN327 Dave Fisher. HN327 David Fisher HN327 Dave Fisher joined the Metropolitan Police on 30 June 1952 aged 20, and Special Branch as a Police Constable on 10 October 1955. Already involved in surveilling the Notting Hill branch of the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign branch before the creation of the SDS, he spied on various anti-Vietnam war groups and on activist Tariq Ali between August and October 1968. He is dead and his cover name is not known, but his real name and photo have been released by the Inquiry. Full page: HN327 David Fisher

The first meeting HN331 reported on was a joint public event with the Notting Hill VSC on 1 September 1968. VSC public meeting at Notting Hill Gate junction, 1 Sept 1968, pp.31-33, 3 Sep 1968, Metropolitan Police Special Branch, MPS-0722099/31-33.View Document  The second was a meeting in a private residence on 9 September 1968 at which four of the 24 attendees were undercover SDS officers: HN331, Sean Lynch and HN218 Barry Moss ‘Barry Morris’. HN218 Barry Moss 'Barry Morris' HN218 is the nominal given to SDS officer Barry Moss 'Barry Morris', who spied on the October 27th Committee for Solidarity with Vietnam and Vietnam Solidarity Campaign during his short deployment in 1968. He later returned as Detective Chief Inspector in charge of SDS operations in February/March 1980, eventually rising to become Commander of Special Branch in October 1996. He retired in 1999. Full page: HN218 Barry Moss 'Barry Morris' Report on a meeting of Earls Court Vietnam Solidarity Campaign, held at redacted address on 9 Sept 1968, 10 Sep 1968, Metropolitan Police Special Branch, MPS-0733965.View Document  At the meeting, Manchanda and the other members voted to target the American embassy at the 27 October 1968 march and to use their own slogans rather than the ones agreed by the national VSC.

London School of Economics (LSE)

On 17 October 1968, HN331 sent a telegram that he and Sean Lynch had been at a student meeting at LSE earlier in the day where a vote was taken to occupy the union on 25 October in support of the 27 October VSC anti-Vietnam war demonstration. Telegram on a meeting of LSE Students’ Union which voted to occupy the building in support of the Oct 27 Vietnam War demo, 17 Oct 1968, Metropolitan Police Special Branch, MPS-0733940.View Document  A later report from a Notting Hill VSC meeting makes it clear that at least one of the branch members had been at the LSE student meeting too and was probably a student at the university. Report on Notting Hill VSC at Essex Church Hall, 23 October 1968, pp.198-199, 23 Oct 1968, Metropolitan Police Special Branch, MPS-0722099/198-199.View Document  A further telegram from HN331 at the LSE students union, sent in the early hours of 27 October 1968, reported that around a thousand students had gathered to join the anti-Vietnam war march later that day. Telegram reporting on a 1000 LSE students joining the Oct 27 Vietnam War demo, split over going to US embassy, 27 Oct 1968, Metropolitan Police Special Branch, MPS-0733981.View Document  

The Metropolitan Police applied to restrict HN331’s real name on 17 October 2017. Mitting published a notice on 14 November 2017 that he was ‘Minded To’ restrict HN331’s real name on the grounds that, although it has been around 50 years since HN331’s death, it would cause distress to his widow.