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returned to Fleet Street in 1947, where he worked mostly for The Times,
as leader writer and assistant editor. Another fine journalist—Stewart
Perowne’s deputy, Christopher Holme—embarked on a successful career
in broadcasting, joining the BBC Third Programme, where he became a
translator and producer of radio plays, and the first assistant director.
Ultimately the Lloyds (after many successful and important archaeological
digs), ‘CJ’ Edmonds, and Peggy Hackforth-Jones would all end their
careers teaching about the orient at London University.
Freya Stark returned to Asolo and published a score of wonderful books
about her not-so-secret experiences, as well as all of her voluminous
correspondence, including letters exchanged with former members of the
Baghdad Set. She continued to travel, but not so frequently and seldom so
distantly, and not (as far as we know) as a scout anymore. In 1972 she
went to the Palace one day and returned home a dame. Though Stark was
gazetted as a ‘writer and traveller’ rather than for any specific services, one
wonders to what extent her years of secret service played a part in her
receiving so noble a distinction.^16 During and after the war, others of the
Baghdad Set received (mostly) more modest awards; there is no way of
knowing for certain if they were for war service or for later achievements.^17
Stewart Perowne left Iraq in 1947, having succeeded Vyvyan Holt as ori-
ental counsellor in 1944. Accompanied by Freya Stark, he took up a new
appointment in Barbados as colonial secretary, but soon encountered a sea
of troubles and was forced to leave the West Indies amidst such deep con-
troversy that his diplomatic career was done. After serving briefly as a
political adviser (PA) in Libya, Perowne opted for early retirement in
- Single again, he became a prolific author of books on ancient his-
tory and of travel guides, while working in international development and
travelling widely. Perowne was also active in various learned societies and
contributed many scholarly articles to their journals.^18
For four long years the members of the Baghdad Set had all shared the
hot hell of the Iraqi summers; at night they had all slept on the roof under
the stars as most Iraqis do; and they had all endured the omnipresence of
sand flies, snakes, scorpions, and camel spiders. There was a saying: ‘Allah
created Hell ... and then he made Iraq ... and then he added flies.’^19 Life
under duress and very hard war work had bonded them. They all knew
what it was like to go through a sandstorm and be left with gritty grains of
coarse desert sand on every tangible surface and in every imaginable ori-
fice for days after. In summer, they had all witnessed the dazzling, shadow-
less sunlight of early afternoon, when the brilliant arc lamp directly above
EPILOGUE: THE BAGHDAD SET