James Richard Cross
James Richard Cross CMG (born September 29, 1921 in Dublin , Ireland ) is a former British diplomat . In October 1970 he was kidnapped in the Canadian city of Montreal during the October crisis by terrorists from the Front de liberation du Québec (FLQ).
During World War II , Cross served in the British Army and helped liberate France . After the end of the war he entered the diplomatic service and worked as a trade commissioner in India , Halifax , Winnipeg and Kuala Lumpur . In 1968 he was appointed head of the trade delegation in Montreal.
On October 5, 1970, Cross was abducted from his home on Mont Royal by members of the FLQ's Liberation Cell and held hostage for two months . The FLQ tried to blackmail the provincial government into fulfilling various demands. Police found a second hostage, Deputy Prime Minister Pierre Laporte , murdered on October 17th . Cross was released on December 3, in exchange for safe passage of the terrorists to Cuba . Six members of the cell were later charged with deprivation of liberty when they returned to Canada over the next several years.
Cross continued to work for the UK Government, in various departments of the Department of Commerce and Industry and the Department of Energy until he retired. In 1971 he received the Order of St. Michael and St. George .
Web links
- "Cross Free as Kidnappers Fly to Cuba," NYT, December 4, 1970
- Memories of James Richard "Jasper" Cross - Churchill College, University of Cambridge (PDF file; 123 kB)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Cross, James Richard |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British diplomat |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 29, 1921 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Ireland |