Soviet repatriations
Sir: I entirely agree with Lord Ports- mouth's regret (Letters, 17 December) that successive British Governments have failed to hold any inquiry into the repatria- tions of 1945. As a matter of interest, I first heard about the repatriations — not from Lord Bethell or Mr Tolstoy — but in 1948 from my late godmother, Kitty Atholl, unkindly nicknamed The Red Duchess'. I well remember her telling me how, as Chairman and co-founder of the League for European Freedom, she had repeatedly badgered the Attlee Labour Government of the day to set up an inquiry.
She had no more success 30 years ago than anyone else has with subsequent governments. I must point out, however, that in my official biography of Harold Macmillan, it was not my brief to reprove HMG for its delinquency here, but simply to explore the extent of Macmillan's re- sponsibility.
Alistair Home
21 St Petersburgh Place, London W2
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