About a year ago, NW Bay Probus member Bob Popple received a message from an old Midland Ontario friend whom he hadn’t seen since high school. The friend connected Bob with Lawrence Fox, whose army career at one time had been as an MI-6 espionage courier during the Cold War. Soon after Lawrence’s release from those duties, and while the memories were still fresh, he had written details of his dangerous experiences. Now Lawrence was looking for an author to transform those notes into a book.
Bob Popple, who had already published two biographies of Canadian unsung heroes (Northern Belle, about artist Ethel Currie and John Arpin: Keyboard Virtuoso) was the perfect person for the job. He received an electronic version of Lawrence’s notes and then the two met in person for discussions. An amazing story unfolded: Lawrence had undertaken five missions behind the Iron Curtain: Poland twice, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Russia. His first mission to Budapest in 1956 occurred amid fierce action only hours after 1000 Russian tanks had invaded the city. He and his partner had to virtually shoot their way out of the city en route to their pickup in Austria.
Popple spoke with Fox many times for clarification and details and in March his espionage thriller Cold War Warrior: Canadian MI-6 Agent Lawrence Fox was published.
Everyone is welcome to the Book Launch to be held at Fairwinds Clubhouse on Sunday, May 15th between 3:00 and 6:00 p m. Copies are $25 each; Bob is generously donating $10 from each sale to our Nanoose Community Services.