Ep. 6: Irish Imperial Lives. Charles Tegart, Imperial Policeman and Intelligence Agent.
Born in Derry, Charles Tegart abandoned his studies in Trinity College Dublin, to pursue a very different career in imperial policing and military intelligence. This decision was perhaps an early indicator of his impatience and fearlessness. His work would take him from revolutionary Bengal to War of Independence Ireland; from British mandate era Palestine back to the West coast of Ireland during the Second World War. A keen linguist and master of disguise, Tegart frequently met his contacts at night, dressed in turban and beard as a Sikh taxi driver. His reputation for respecting his Indian subordinates helped him to thwart multiple assassination attempts. At a time when Bengali nationalists took inspiration from the success of Ireland’s independence movement, Tegart’s story provides a foil to the anti-imperialist nexus of Empire.
