Brian Patchett (born 1941) was a British corporal of the
Intelligence Corps who defected to
East Germany
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
in July 1963.
[Matthias Heisig: "You Can't Miss Gatow" Die Geschichte eines Flugplatzes. Ed. by the Militärhistorisches Museum Flugplatz Berlin-Gatow, Berlin 2021, p. 96-100.]
Patchett was an intercept operator at
RAF Gatow
Royal Air Force Gatow, or more commonly RAF Gatow, was a British Royal Air Force station (military airbase) in the district of Gatow in south-western Berlin, west of the Havel river, in the borough of Spandau. It was the home for the only kno ...
in
West Berlin
West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under mi ...
, and as a consequence he had a comprehensive knowledge of the deployment of British signals units in
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
.
Patchett took part in propaganda broadcasts following his defection, in which he condemned British espionage.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Patchett, Brian
1941 births
Living people
British defectors to East Germany
Intelligence Corps officers