Catalogue description Roland BERGER, aliases Roy SHEPHERD, Sam JOHNSON, Arnold JOHNSON, 'WATCHA', BIRKETT:...

Roland BERGER, aliases Roy SHEPHERD, Sam JOHNSON, Arnold JOHNSON, 'WATCHA', BIRKETT: British. BERGER first came to notice in 1933 when he visited the Soviet Union and in 1934 was described as an avowed communist active in the National Council for Civil Liberties. Originally employed in local government, in 1944 he was appointed to a post in UNRRA and at the same time was responsible in the Party for coordinating a number of undercover groups. In 1952 he became Secretary of the British Council for the Promotion of International Trade while remaining a secret member of the Party. In 1962 to 1963 his sympathies were with the Chinese in the Sino-Soviet split