Duncan Scott-Ford

Duncan Alexander Croall Scott-Ford (4 September 1921 – 3 November 1942) was a British merchant seaman who was hanged for treachery after giving information to an enemy agent during the Second World War.

Early life Scott-Ford was born in Plymouth, Devon, with the name Duncan Alexander Croall Smith. He was the son of Duncan Scott Smith who worked as a sick berth orderly in the Royal Navy. His father died on 23 March 1933 after catching pneumonia from the effects of taking an overdose of morphine in a suicide attempt, and Smith changed his surname to Scott-Ford in an attempt to improve his social status. He was educated at the Royal Hospital School in Holbrook from 1933 to 1937, and then on turning 16 enlisted in the Royal Navy and joined the shore establishment HMS Impregnable in Devonport in December 1937.

Service career Royal Navy In June 1939 Scott-Ford was serving on the light cruiser when she called at Dar-es-Salaam in the Tanganyika Territory on a goodwill visit. He met and became infatuated with a German girl; the Security Service (MI5) later came to believe that he may have given her secret naval codes. Later in 1940 his ship was stationed in Egypt, and Scott-Ford became obsessed with a prostitute whom he often visited. He was discovered to have altered the book of his Post Office Savings Bank account and sent to a court martial, which convicted him. He was sentenced to two years' imprisonment and dismissed from the service with ignominy but, after a successful appeal by his mother, the sentence was remitted to six months' imprisonment and an honourable discharge.

Merchant Navy Repatriated to the United Kingdom to serve his sentence, Scott-Ford was released in July 1941 and stayed briefly with his mother. They quarreled over his mother's use of the allowance from his Royal Navy pay which he sent home, with Scott-Ford accusing his mother of using it to buy a fur coat. Shortly afterwards he joined the Merchant Navy. He was on board the merchant ship when she arrived in Lisbon, Portugal, on 10 May 1942.

Camp 020 were asked for their recommendation on whether Scott-Ford should be reprieved. The commandant wrote that there were no reasons for a reprieve: "Indeed, there may well be many who will agree that death by hanging is almost too good for a sailor who will encompass the death of thousands of his shipmates without qualm." Scott-Ford was hanged by Albert Pierrepoint at 9:00 am local time on 3 November 1942 at Wandsworth Prison in London.

The details of his trial were kept secret until Scott-Ford was dead. The next day's papers reported that he had betrayed his country for £18, and died in consequence, as a warning to other Merchant Navy sailors who might have been approached.