Euan Rabagliati
Encyclopedia
Colonel Euan Rabagliati was a pilot, racecar driver and was later recruited by MI6 during World War II serving as head for Holland and Denmark. He shot down the first German plane in World War I by firing with a pistol and his crash at Brooklands
was followed by the banning of mechanics racing alongside their drivers.
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Head of MI6 Danish and Dutch Country Sections 1940-49.
Married Beatrix Oliver 1940 (died 1992).
Served RFC World War I (M.C., A.F.C.)
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He shot down the first German plane during World War I. On 25 August 1914, with Lt C.W. Wilson he forced down a German Etrich Taube which had approached their aerodrome while they were refueling their Avro.
Towards the end of the first days race, Rabagliati and Ted who was his riding mechanic at the time, were chasing the Alfa Romeo of Ivanovsky and Eyston when they came upon Archie Frazer-Nash's Austin 7 which was travelling considerably slower in the center of the track.
As Rabagliati swerved to avoid the Austin he got sideways and was hit by Hebeler in one of the other Talbots. The Rabagliati and Allery Talbot rolled into the infield spectator area causing carnage. Twenty people were injured, many of them seriously. Ted and one of the spectators died at the scene. Rabagliati suffered head injuries but survived as did the other injured spectators.
Rabagliati was left for dead but miraculously survived the crash following surgical insertion of a silver plate cap to the front of his skull. After waking from a coma, his first words was to ask for a bottle of champagne.
The accident gave rise to the legal case: Hall v Brooklands Auto Racing Club, after which the signs "Motor Racing is Dangerous" were displayed at all race meetings.
, Rabagliati's role as head of MI6 in charge of Holland and Denmark is described from interviews with Sneum who met Rabagliati on the 25th June, 1941 at his London home in St. James's close to the offices of MI6.. Rabagliati persuaded Sneum to work as a spy having survived a heroic crossing of the North Sea in a Hornet Moth.
By December of 1941 Rabagliati together with van t'Sant had infiltrated five agents into occupied Holland, but only one, Aart Alblas, was left at liberty. He was arrested as other agents, often as a result of betrayal, and executed at Mauthausen in 1944.
Rabagliati is described as small in stature but tenacious and professional.
During WWII Euan Rabagliati was in charge of a secret operation called Contact Holland. During this operation Dutch secret agents were put ashore in Scheveningen (occupied Holland). One of them was Peter Tazelaar, who went ashore in a tuxedo; this was source of inspiration for the James Bond movie Goldfinger pre-title sequence
. Operation Contact Holland also was the inspiration for another movie, Soldier of Orange (where Euan Rabagliati was played by Edward Fox).
After the war he was British vice-consul in San Francisco, eventually retiring to Cannes in the South of France.
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
was followed by the banning of mechanics racing alongside their drivers.
Biography
Cuthbert Euan Charles Rabagliati (1892-1978), was the son of Andrea RabagliatiAndrea Rabagliati
Andrea Carlo Francisco Rabagliati, born Scotland 1843, died on 7 December 1930, Bradford, was the author of books on dietary practice.Andrea Rabagliati was the son of Giacomo Rabagliati, a political refugee from Italy...
.
Head of MI6 Danish and Dutch Country Sections 1940-49.
Married Beatrix Oliver 1940 (died 1992).
Served RFC World War I (M.C., A.F.C.)
World War One
He had one of the earliest pilot's licences and joined KOYLI (the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry) and ultimately the Royal Flying CorpsRoyal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
.
He shot down the first German plane during World War I. On 25 August 1914, with Lt C.W. Wilson he forced down a German Etrich Taube which had approached their aerodrome while they were refueling their Avro.
1930 Brooklands Crash
During the Easter 1930 Double Twelve Hour Race the car which had been running fourth in Max Aitken’s hands was withdrawn after the other two team cars of Rabagliati and Hebeler collided. Rabagliati was seriously injured, his mechanic and eleven spectators died in what was one of Brooklands’ worst accidents.Towards the end of the first days race, Rabagliati and Ted who was his riding mechanic at the time, were chasing the Alfa Romeo of Ivanovsky and Eyston when they came upon Archie Frazer-Nash's Austin 7 which was travelling considerably slower in the center of the track.
As Rabagliati swerved to avoid the Austin he got sideways and was hit by Hebeler in one of the other Talbots. The Rabagliati and Allery Talbot rolled into the infield spectator area causing carnage. Twenty people were injured, many of them seriously. Ted and one of the spectators died at the scene. Rabagliati suffered head injuries but survived as did the other injured spectators.
Rabagliati was left for dead but miraculously survived the crash following surgical insertion of a silver plate cap to the front of his skull. After waking from a coma, his first words was to ask for a bottle of champagne.
The accident gave rise to the legal case: Hall v Brooklands Auto Racing Club, after which the signs "Motor Racing is Dangerous" were displayed at all race meetings.
Working for MI6
In the book 'The Hornet's Sting' by Mark Ryan (2008) about Danish second world war spy Thomas SneumThomas Sneum
Thomas Christian Sneum was a Danish pilot born May 21, 1917 at Fanø, Denmark. Died February 3, 2007 in RoskildeHe collected information about the German Freya radar that was installed at his home island in Denmark....
, Rabagliati's role as head of MI6 in charge of Holland and Denmark is described from interviews with Sneum who met Rabagliati on the 25th June, 1941 at his London home in St. James's close to the offices of MI6.. Rabagliati persuaded Sneum to work as a spy having survived a heroic crossing of the North Sea in a Hornet Moth.
By December of 1941 Rabagliati together with van t'Sant had infiltrated five agents into occupied Holland, but only one, Aart Alblas, was left at liberty. He was arrested as other agents, often as a result of betrayal, and executed at Mauthausen in 1944.
Rabagliati is described as small in stature but tenacious and professional.
During WWII Euan Rabagliati was in charge of a secret operation called Contact Holland. During this operation Dutch secret agents were put ashore in Scheveningen (occupied Holland). One of them was Peter Tazelaar, who went ashore in a tuxedo; this was source of inspiration for the James Bond movie Goldfinger pre-title sequence
Goldfinger pre-title sequence
The Goldfinger pre-title sequence is the opening to Goldfinger. Based on a scene in Ian Fleming's original novel, the curtain raiser establishes the mood of the film that was quite different to the book...
. Operation Contact Holland also was the inspiration for another movie, Soldier of Orange (where Euan Rabagliati was played by Edward Fox).
After the war he was British vice-consul in San Francisco, eventually retiring to Cannes in the South of France.