Always Glad to Help (Sandbaggers)
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Always Glad to Help is an episode of The Sandbaggers television series. It is episode 5 of season 1, and first aired on ITV on 16 October 1978.
[edit] Cast
- Neil Burnside (Roy Marsden)
- Willie Caine "Sandbagger 1" (Ray Lonnen}
- Laura Dickens "Sandbagger 2" (Diane Keen)
- Prince Hamad (Peter Miles)
- Sir James Greenley "C" (Richard Vernon)
- Sir Geoffrey Wellingham (Alan MacNaughton)
[edit] Plot
The Ministry of Defense asks Burnside to supply specialist divers from the SIS Special Projects Team to investigate the hull of the Soviet merchant ship Karaganda which is visiting a French port. Burnside voices his suspicions that the MoD are asking SIS to conduct the reconnaissance, instead of the Special Boat Service, in case something goes wrong with the operation. There is a possible allusion to Lionel Crabb's 1956 intelligence operation against the Soviet cruiser Ordzhonikidze. Burnside refuses to endorse the MoD's request for assistance.
Meanwhile, Hamad, the prince of an unnamed Middle East sheikdom, has made a clandestine approach to Sir Geoffrey Wellingham at the Foreign Office, asking for British assistance in staging a coup to oust his pro-Soviet father. Hamad has promised Wellingham that he will ensure the country is pro-Western (pro-British?) after the coup. Wellingham contacts SIS and requests a favourable intelligence report that will support a decision to use the Special Air Service to conduct the coup. Burnside urges caution.
Peele wants the coup to go ahead. SIS is under budget review, and a successful operation will ensure future funding. While Burnside conducts an investigation into Hamad's motives, Peele goes to the MoD to ask for SAS commitment to the coup. Peele negotiates a backroom deal without Burnside's knowledge - Peele will ensure that SIS co-operates with the Karaganda operation, and the MoD will ensure that the SAS are available for the coup.
Laura is assigned to get close to Hamad and find out what his real motivations are. Laura fakes a car crash so that she can be "rescued" by Hamad. He seems to be smitten with her, and they have several dates. Laura reports to Burnside that Hamad has asked her to marry him. She believes that Hamad is neither pro-Western or pro-Soviet, but that he is pro-Arab. Burnside guesses that Hamad is trying to entrap the British Foreign Office into staging a coup that he will betray to neighbouring Arab countries. Burnside believes Hamad will ensure the coup is defeated with the assistance of his Arab neighbours - removing his pro-Soviet father, but bringing the country back into the Arab camp. Burnside delivers his report and prevents the Foreign Office from supporting the coup.
SIS divers conduct the operation against the Karaganda. Burnside is furious that Peele has doctored the operational paperwork to make it seem that the operation has full SIS support. The operation is successful and Peele is able to take credit. Burnside tells him that he was "lucky" this time.
