Alias Uncle Hugo by Manning Coles (1952)

 

About the author: Manning Coles is the pseudonym of two British writers, Adelaide Frances Oke Manning (1891–1959) and Cyril Henry Coles (1899–1965), who wrote many spy thrillers from the early 40s through the early 60s. The fictional protagonist in 26 of their books was Thomas Elphinstone Hambledon, who works for the Foreign Office. (wikipedia)

Major characters:

• Kaspar Groenwald, a 13-year old prince
• Edward Granger, his tutor
• Tommy Hambledon, British Secret Service
• Charles Denton, British Secret Service

Locale: Germany and Russia

Synopsis: Tommy Hambledon of the British Secret Service has an assignment: Go to Russia, find and rescue a 13-year old boy who is to be the future king of a mid-European country. Tommy and associate Charles Denton enter Russia with Tommy impersonating Comrade Commisar Peskoff, with Denton as his driver. They go to the boy's town of Bereghark under the guise of inspecting a farm implement factory, but find the boy, Kaspar Groenwald gone. His tutor, Edward Granger, reports he has been taken with a group of others to a special leadership school in Poltava - with the Russians unaware of his royal status.

Tommy (as Peskoff) and Denton head to Berlin to provide a ride to Comrade Orzinov. On the way Orzinov determines Peskoff is an imposter, and Denton shoots him. They are stopped en route, and are able to dispose of the body. They arrive in Berlin, and upon entering, find themselves in the middle of a labor uprising. Tommy, lacking identity papers, takes some from a body and assumes his identity of Hugo Britz, unaware Britz was a wanted murderer. 

Tommy, as Britz, manages to get appointed to a job in another farm implement factory in Poltava, close to Kaspar's school. Despite knowing nothing about agriculture, he manages to implement various efficiencies in the factory. As far as Kaspar goes, Tommy poses as his Uncle Hugo, and plans to spirit him out of Russia, but how? He is 1000 miles away from the border. Meanwhile, his impersonation as Britz is beginning to unravel.

Review: Tommy Hambledon stories are always a delight. He manages to get himself into scrapes and extract himself with little or no planning. One aspect that was not clear to me was who/why wanted Kaspar in England? It was mentioned late in the book that Kaspar's unnamed European country had a government-in-exile in England, and it was they who wanted to get Kaspar to a safe, friendly country. 

Kaspar was an interesting and enjoyable character. Mature beyond his 13 years, he assumes quite a different persona when with Tommy (who knows he is royalty) than he does with everyone else - and when he is with his school buddies he is just like any 13 year old.