Major Frederick Alexander Colquhoun Boothby (1 September 1909 – 27 February 1979) was a

Scottish nationalist Scottish nationalism promotes the idea that the Scottish people form a cohesive nation and national identity. Scottish nationalism began to shape from 1853 with the National Association for the Vindication of Scottish Rights, progressing into t ...

military and paramilitary leader.

Early life

The cousin of Conservative MP

Bob Boothby Robert John Graham Boothby, Baron Boothby, (12 February 1900 – 16 July 1986), often known as Bob Boothby, was a British Conservative politician. Early life The only son of Sir Robert Tuite Boothby, KBE, of Edinburgh and a cousin of Rosalind ...

, Frederick Boothby served in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, where he led the No.1 Liaison Team in Kalawsk (now known as Węgliniec). Andrew Murray Scott and Iain Macleay claim that he also served in counter-intelligence. He left the Army in 1953, at the rank of captain, but was granted the honorary rank of major in the Army Reserve. Following the war, Boothby moved to

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...

where he became involved in the local folklore group. However, rumours about rituals taking place on his property involving naked youths and blood rites received publicity in the national press, and he abruptly moved to Broughton in the

Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders ( sco, the Mairches, 'the Marches'; gd, Crìochan na h-Alba) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, Midlothian, South Lanarkshire, West Lothi ...

Scottish nationalism

Boothby became a keen

, and in 1963 launched his own newsletter, ''Sgian Dubh''. He was a founder of the 1320 Club in 1967, initially with the title "organiser",Timothy Neat, ''Hamish Henderson: Poetry Becomes People (1952–2002)'' and was soon appointed as its secretary. The club united radical nationalists, including

Hugh MacDiarmid Christopher Murray Grieve (11 August 1892 – 9 September 1978), best known by his pen name Hugh MacDiarmid (), was a Scottish poet, journalist, essayist and political figure. He is considered one of the principal forces behind the Scottish Rena ...

, Oliver Brown, Wendy Wood and Douglas Young. However, Boothby was unique among its members in calling for a "Scottish Liberation Army", and it was these calls which led the

Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from ...

to prohibit its members from also joining the 1320 Club.Andrew Murray Scott and Iain Macleay, ''Britain's Secret War'', pp.28-32

Tartan Army

Without the knowledge of the 1320 Club's other members, Boothby formed the "Army of the Provisional Government", popularly known as the "Tartan Army".Peter Barberis et al, ''Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations'', p.409 He took advice from

Matt Lygate Matthew (Matt) Lygate (26 December 1938 – 10 January 2012) was a Scottish Marxist revolutionary, political activist, tailor, poet, artist and founder of the Workers Party of Scotland. Convicted of bank robbery in 1972, he served the longest eve ...

of the

Workers Party of Scotland The Workers Party of Scotland or Workers Party of Scotland (Marxist-Leninist) was a small anti-revisionist Marxist-Leninist political party formed in 1966 and based in Scotland. History The Workers Party of Scotland (Marxist-Leninist) was formed ...

; Lygate did not become involved, perhaps because Boothby's other political views tended towards the far right, but Lygate publicly defended the paramilitary activities of Boothby's group.Arnold and Jackie Kemp, ''Confusion to Our Enemies: Selected Journalism of Arnold Kemp (1939–2002)'' Initially, the group had little substance, and confined its activities to hoax bomb threats and throwing bricks through windows, but in 1975 it conducted bombings at electricity pylons and oil pipelines.Fringe terror with a tartan tinge
, '' The Herald'', 11 May 1993 This ran the group's funds dry, and members attempted a bank robbery to obtain more cash. This was a disaster; the bank they attempted to rob was closed, and Boothby was arrested. He was convicted of conspiracy,Christopher Harvie, ''Scotland and Nationalism: Scottish Society and Politics 1707 to the Present'', p.172 and received a sentence of three years, considered surprisingly light. Doubts have arisen over whether Boothby was a double-agent working for the British secret service at the time of his paramilitary activity. As early as 1972, MacDiarmid wrote in the 1320 Club's magazine "...if Boothby is playing a double-game, he must be exposed and got rid of".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boothby, Frederick 1909 births 1979 deaths Members of paramilitary organizations Royal Engineers officers Scottish nationalists