Roger Hollis

Born the son of a Church of England bishop in 1905.

Attended Oxford University where he befriended a fellow student named Claud Cockburn but left the school without graduating. Obtained a job with the British American Tobacco Company and was sent to Shanghai. While in Shanghai was believed to have come in contact with Richard Sorge, a top Soviet spy as well as Communist agents Agnes Smedley and Ruth Kuczynski (Kuczynski developed several Soviet spy rings in Europe and the Far East).

Developed a case of tuberculosis in 1934 and traveled to Switzerland for medical treatment, passing through Moscow first by way of the Trans-Siberian railroad. After being cured, returned to England and sought employment with the SIS in 1938. Although he was rejected due to his poor health, he joined MI5 in 1939. Within MI5, worked with the Branch that focused on the Communist Party and the Soviet Union. Would later help to set up the Australian Security and Intelligence Organization and then served as the head of MI5's C division that handled internal security issues.

Was sent to Canada in 1945 for his first important mission. Was to debrief Igor Gouzenko, a former cipher clerk within the Russian Embassy in Ottawa, Canada who had defected to the West (MI6 officer Kim Philby should have handled the matter but was busy trying hush up another Soviet defector). Was told by Gouzenko of a major Soviet penetration of MI5 and specifically about the existence of a high level mole within (codenamed "Elli"). Hollis failed to report Gouzenko's allegations.