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370 INTO THE THATCHER ERA
regular service was of no consequence to him, since he hoped
to gain professional qualifications. Excelling at Russian, he was
soon an acting sergeant. He was then sent to London University
on an advanced Russian course, but he did not fit in well and
failed the course after three months. His rank and privileges
were taken from him, and he returned to a mundane life in
the stores. s
Still only twenty-one, Prime secured a posting to Kenya, and
was promoted back to corporal. He filled his spare time by
learning Swahili, becoming fluent and speaking with the native
labour force at his airbase. He was shocked by the poverty and
what he saw as the colonial exploitation of Kenya. He also
disliked the racist attitudes of the long-term European settlers,
and on one occasion reported an officer for treating a Kenyan
badly. It was at this point in his life that Prime began to take
an interest in Communist radio broadcasts and to read the magazine
Soviet Weekly. By the time he returned to Britain in April
1962 he was more mature, and confident enough to apply for
training in languages again. He spent a year at the Joint Technical
Services Language School at Tangmere in Surrey, and in May
1964 was posted to the large sigint unit at RAF Gatow in Berlin,
although he was not vetted until May 1966. He carried out his
function as a wireless operator on the monitoring of Russian
voice transmissions well enough to resume the rank of sergeant
in May 1968. 9
West Berlin was in effect a rather small, inhospitable island
surrounded by East Germany. Most Allied troops arrived by
sealed train, and this was how Prime came to the notice of the
Soviets. As his train moved slowly through a checkpoint, he
threw a message offering his services as a spy at the feet of a
nearby Soviet sentry. The KGB followed it up, and eventually
placed a mysterious magnetic cylinder under the handle of the
door of Prime's car. Hidden inside were instructions telling him
to travel on the underground train to Friedrichstrasse station
in East Berlin. After several meetings he persuaded the KGB
that he was sincere in his desire to work for them. Prime insisted