Tangled Web UK Review December 2007
The Final Dive: The Life and Death of Buster Crabb by
Don Hale
hbk out December 07
Published by Sutton
at £19.99
In April 1956, Commander Lionel 'Buster' Crabb disappeared during a secret
mission at Portsmouth harbour. An accomplished navy frogman, he swam under the hull of a
Russian warship, surfaced and told his colleagues that he was going in for a closer look. He
never returned.
The authorities claimed that Crabb got into difficulties during his dive as the
forty-eight-year-old was a heavy smoker and drinker. Other factions wondered if the Russians
were involved. Indeed, some of his family were convinced that he'd defected to Russia and
would soon get in touch with them, but he never did.
Fourteen months after Crabb's final dive, a headless and handless body dressed in
frogman gear was washed up in Chichester harbour. The authorities claimed that it was the
Commander's cadaver, but his ex-wife was unconvinced as the toes didn't look sufficiently
splayed. The body had apparently been caught in some marine machinery and was badly
decomposed - but was it that of another diver who had gone missing at around the same time?
For the past fifty years, various conspiracy theories have grown up around the case,
theories that author Don Hale overviews and, in most cases, dismisses. He also offers a
wealth of information about Crabb's family, friends and illustrious career.
Buster Crabb was a fearless diver who carried out numerous World War Two
operations in Gibraltar and Italy. He and the naval intelligence chief Ian Fleming worked
together, and Fleming later based James Bond on him.
The complete file on Crabb's final mission has been sealed until 2057, prompting
Don Hale to ask several questions: 'What do we know about Crabb's final dive, who
sanctioned it, who briefed him and what was expected of him? Perhaps more importantly,
who instigated and maintained a cover-up that has lasted for five decades and looks likely to
continue for five more?'
This is a detailed yet accessible book, a biography of a complex man and wartime
hero. It'll appeal to everyone with an interest in naval history and is a must-have addition to
the library of all Buster Crabb fans.
(
Carol Anne Davis
Author of Children Who Kill)
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