Major Frederick Alexander Colquhoun Boothby (1 September 1909 – 27 February 1979) was a

Scottish nationalist Scottish nationalism promotes the idea that the Scottish people form a cohesive nation and national identity. Scottish nationalism began to shape from 1853 with the National Association for the Vindication of Scottish Rights, progressing into ...

military and paramilitary leader.

Early life

The cousin of

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

MP Bob Boothby, Frederick Boothby served in the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, where he led the No.1 Liaison Team in Kalawsk (now known as

Węgliniec Węgliniec (; ) is a town in Zgorzelec County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland, close to the border with Germany. It is the seat of the administrative district (gmina) called Gmina Węgliniec. It lies approximately north-east ...

). Andrew Murray Scott and Iain Macleay claim that he also served in

counter-intelligence Counterintelligence (counter-intelligence) or counterespionage (counter-espionage) is any activity aimed at protecting an agency's intelligence program from an opposition's intelligence service. It includes gathering information and conducting ac ...

. He left the Army in 1953, at the rank of captain, but was granted the honorary rank of major in the Army Reserve. Following the war, Boothby moved to

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...

where he became involved in the local folklore group. However, rumours about rituals taking place on his property involving naked youths and blood rites received publicity in the national press, and he abruptly moved to Broughton in the

Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by West Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian, and East Lothian to the north, the North Sea to the east, Dumfries and Galloway to the south-west, South Lanarkshire to the we ...

Scottish nationalism

Boothby became a keen

, and in 1963 launched his own newsletter, ''Sgian Dubh''. He was a founder of the 1320 Club in 1967, initially with the title "organiser",Timothy Neat, ''Hamish Henderson: Poetry Becomes People (1952–2002)'' and was soon appointed as its secretary. The club united radical nationalists, including

Hugh MacDiarmid Christopher Murray Grieve (11 August 1892 – 9 September 1978), best known by his pen name Hugh MacDiarmid ( , ), was a Scottish poet, journalist, essayist and political figure. He is considered one of the principal forces behind the Scottish ...

, Oliver Brown, Wendy Wood and Douglas Young. However, Boothby was unique among its members in calling for a "Scottish Liberation Army", and it was these calls which led the

Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party (SNP; ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic party. The party holds 61 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament, and holds 9 out of the 57 Scottish seats in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, ...

to prohibit its members from also joining the 1320 Club.Andrew Murray Scott and Iain Macleay, ''Britain's Secret War'', pp.28-32

Tartan Army

Without the knowledge of the 1320 Club's other members, Boothby formed the "Army of the Provisional Government", popularly known as the "Tartan Army".Peter Barberis et al, ''Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations'', p.409 He took advice from Matt Lygate of the

Workers Party of Scotland The Workers Party of Scotland or Workers Party of Scotland (Marxist-Leninist) was a small anti-revisionist Marxist-Leninist political party formed in 1966 and based in Scotland. History The Workers Party of Scotland (Marxist-Leninist) was formed ...

; Lygate did not become involved, perhaps because Boothby's other political views tended towards the far right, but Lygate publicly defended the paramilitary activities of Boothby's group.Arnold and Jackie Kemp, ''Confusion to Our Enemies: Selected Journalism of Arnold Kemp (1939–2002)'' Initially, the group had little substance, and confined its activities to hoax bomb threats and throwing bricks through windows, but in 1975 it conducted bombings at electricity pylons and oil pipelines.Fringe terror with a tartan tinge
, '' The Herald'', 11 May 1993 This ran the group's funds dry, and members attempted a bank robbery to obtain more cash. This was a disaster; the bank they attempted to rob was closed, and Boothby was arrested. He was convicted of conspiracy,Christopher Harvie, ''Scotland and Nationalism: Scottish Society and Politics 1707 to the Present'', p.172 and received a sentence of three years, considered surprisingly light. Doubts have arisen over whether Boothby was a double-agent working for the British secret service at the time of his paramilitary activity. As early as 1972, MacDiarmid wrote in the 1320 Club's magazine "...if Boothby is playing a double-game, he must be exposed and got rid of".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boothby, Frederick 1909 births 1979 deaths Members of paramilitary organizations Royal Engineers officers Scottish nationalists