166 • EAST GERMAN INTELLIGENCE SERVICE
EAST GERMAN INTELLIGENCE SERVICE.The foreign intelli-
gence branch of the East German Ministry of State Security, known
as the HVA, ran operations against Britons visiting the German Dem-
ocratic Republic and maintained an office in the East German em-
bassy in London. The HVA, headed by the legendary Markus Wolf,
specialized in the development of illegals, such as Reinhard Schultze,
and the cultivation of academics invited to study at East German uni-
versities.
EASTON, SIR JAMES.Born in Winchester in 1908, James Easton
graduated from the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell, was commis-
sioned in 1928, and flew amphibious bombers. Later he served on
the northwest frontier of India. In October 1939, he joined the Air
Ministry’s Directorate of Intelligence and was appointed deputy di-
rector in September 1941 and director two years later. He served on
theCrossbowcommittee researching V-2 rockets. After the war,
Easton joined theSecret Intelligence Service(SIS) when the resig-
nations of Lousy Payne andFred Winterbothamprovided a va-
cancy. When Stewart Menzies retired in 1952, Easton was
appointed vice chief on the understanding that he would succeedSir
John Sinclair, but in May 1956Anthony Eden, infuriated by the
BusterCrabbaffair, instead appointedSir Dick Whiteas chief. Eas-
ton remained in SIS as White’s deputy for a further two years but in
1958 accepted the post of consul-general in Detroit, where he re-
mained for 10 years. He died in Michigan in October 1990, having
played an active role in trade development in the Great Lakes area.
EASTWOOD, DAVID.Director of intelligence in Northern Ireland
from 1971 to 1973, David Eastwood was a graduate of St. Edmund’s
College, Oxford, and was decorated with the Military Cross in 1944.
His subsequent career was in the Security Service, and his retirement
from Belfast was marked by his award of a CBE.
ECHELON.A joint U.S.National Security AgencyandGCHQcom-
puterized discrimination program intended to assist in the identifica-
tion of target signal traffic.echelonallows intercept operators to
screen satellite voice and data circuits so as to focus on, and record,
specific channels.