Paul Dukes

Born in London, England in 1889, the son of a clergyman. Was educated in Surrey and graduated from Charterhouse in 1909. Continued his education at St. Petersburg, Russia, where he studied music at the prestigious observatory and later worked as the assistant to the conductor of the Imperial Marinsky Opera. Took a job in 1916 with the Anglo-Russian Commission, reporting on the Russian press. The Anglo-Russian Commission coordinated the war efforts of the two countries during World War I.

Began working for the British government as a spy in 1918 and met with MI6 head Mansfield Cummings. Was given a brief training in espionage but was hurriedly sent to Russia where he monitored the turbulent activities surround the Russian Revolution and the rise of the Bolshevik party. He employed any number of disguises and covers as he worked from deep within, assessing the strength of the fragile, new Bolshevik government. He recommended the the British government support the White Russians, a group opposing the Bolshevik regimes and working towards its overthrow. Dukes went so far as to row in a small boat into the Baltic Sea where he met with British patrol ships.

Was made a spymaster within Russia, working with the National Center, an organization representing the White Russians. Dukes helped to finance this group and its soldiers with money received from Britain (although much of the money he received from England was counterfeit).