He is the former head of MI6 and one of the most celebrated spymasters in British history. Yet little was known about the intelligence career of Sir Richard Dearlove — until now.

Newly declassified files today paint a detailed portrait of Dearlove’s time in Eastern Europe during the 1970s, where he established himself as one of Britain’s top spies behind the Iron Curtain.

Dearlove was only the second MI6 chief to be publicly named on his appointment, in 1999. Even then, the man known as “C” pulled out at the last minute from a news conference with Tony Blair and George Bush after 9/11, saying that he did not wish to be photographed. He has always refused to discuss his career: information on his postings