The Cambridge Five: From Students to Soviet Spies

Campus Files: Scandals, Secrets & Crimes at American Universities

Audacy

Society & Culture, Documentary, True Crime

4.5 • 7.4K Ratings

🗓️ 6 May 2026

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

They were ambitious students at Cambridge University who went on to climb the ranks of British government and intelligence. But they had a secret. All the while, they were working for the Soviet Union.

For a transcript of this episode: https://bit.ly/campusfiles-transcripts

Transcript

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0:00.0	From the trusted team behind 48 hours, welcome to case-by-case.
0:04.1	Your weekly update on the biggest true crime stories unfolding right now.
0:08.7	Nick Ryder remains in custody without bail.
0:11.0	Luigi Mangione accused of stalking and gunning down United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
0:16.0	From high-profile trials and stunning evidence to major breaks in cold cases.
0:22.2	We'll follow it all case by case.
0:24.8	Follow and listen to 48 hours case by case wherever you get your podcasts.
0:36.5	In May 1951, two prominent British citizens vanished.
0:42.7	Their disappearance made headlines around the world,
0:45.9	not just because people had gone missing,
0:48.3	but because of who they were.
0:51.8	These weren't ordinary men.
0:57.0	They were pillars of the British establishment. Both had studied at Cambridge.
0:59.0	Both had gone on to hold powerful positions in government.
1:02.0	One in the foreign office, the other in diplomacy.
1:06.0	The men hadn't been kidnapped or coerced.
1:09.0	They were fleeing Britain and following a carefully planned escape route.
1:13.6	They boarded a night ferry to France.
1:16.6	From there, a train to burn Switzerland, where they picked up false passports.
1:23.6	From Switzerland, they traveled to Prague, where handlers were waiting to guide them across the border to their final destination.
1:31.3	Moscow.
1:33.3	They were defecting to the Soviet Union, racing to disappear before they could be exposed.
	...

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