Alexander "Sandy" Glen

Sir Alexander (Sandy) Glen, (April 18 1912 - 2004), was an Arctic explorer and wartime Intelligence officer. He later invested in the shipping industry, pioneered package holidays, and became chairman of the British Tourist Authority.

He was appointed CBE in 1964 and KBE in 1967.

Early life

He was the son of a Glasgow shipowner, and educated at Fettes College and Balliol College, Oxford.

Arctic exploration

He first travelled to the Arctic as crew on a fishing boat owned by a Cambridge law don, and spent two months surveying in the mountains.

The next year, he led his own a 16-man Oxford University summer expedition, in the winter spent some months with the Lapps of northern Sweden, then in the following summer, returned to Spitsbergen for a few weeks.

In 1935 the 23-year-old Glen led an Oxford University expedition which established a station on the ice cap of North East Land and carried out research in glaciology, geology and radio propogation in high latitudes, He wrote "Under the Pole Star" in 1937.

War service

In January 1940 Glen was posted to Belgrade as assistant naval attache at the British legation, but when in March, 1941 the 17-year old Peter II of Yugoslavia participated in a British-supported coup d'état opposing the Tripartite Pact German retribution was swift, and Belgrade was bombed within three days. The British legation left and made their way home via Albania, Italy, unoccupied France and Spain.

He later served with distinction in dangerous clandestine operations in Yugoslavia in support of Tito; and in Albania and Bulgaria.

Glen was awarded the DSC - and later a bar - the Norwegian War Cross, the Czechoslovak War Cross and was appointed a Knight of St Olav.

He knew Ian Fleming and is often given as one of the inspirations for James Bond.

Travel industry

He joined a syndictate to buy H Clarkson & Co, which later became a pioneer of package holidays in conjunction with Court Line, a charter airline.

Glen was a director of British European Airways and chairman of the British Tourist Authority from 1969 to 1977.

Writing

* "Under the Pole Star", 1937
* "FOOTHOLDS AGAINST A WHIRLWIND", Hutchinson, London 1975
* "Target Danube", 2002

References

* http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1456343/Sir-Alexander-Glen.html