Editing Colin Figures (section)

==Career==
Figures was born in [[Birmingham]], the son of Frederick Figures, an insurance executive, and his wife Muriel.<ref name=inde>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/sir-colin-figures-430065.html Obituary: Sir Colin Figures] The Independent, 29 December 2006</ref> He was educated at [[King Edward's School, Birmingham]]<ref name="times">{{Cite news|date=15 December 2006|title=Sir Colin Figures obituary|page=78|work=[[The Times]]|issue=68884}}</ref> and served in [[The Worcestershire Regiment]] from 1943 until 1948,<ref name=times/> during which time he studied Russian via the Inter-Service Language Course at Cambridge, and served in [[Romania]] and [[Hungary]].<ref name=times/> He read French and Russian at [[Pembroke College, Cambridge]] after being demobilised in 1948.<ref name="times" /> While there, he also founded the Woodpeckers, a combined Oxford and Cambridge touring rugby team.<ref name="inde" /> He joined the SIS when he graduated in 1951.<ref name=times/><ref>{{Cite ODNB|title=Figures, Sir Colin Frederick (1925–2006), intelligence officer|url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-97524|access-date=2021-08-05| year=2004 |language=en|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/97524| isbn=978-0-19-861412-8 }}</ref>

After a period in London, he served in Germany, served in [[Amman]] during the [[Suez Crisis]], in [[Warsaw]], and in [[Vienna]] during the [[Prague Spring]], before returning to London.<ref name=times/> He moved from Eastern bloc espionage in 1973 to supervise SIS activities in [[Northern Ireland]].<ref name=times/> He became deputy head of SIS in 1979 and its ninth Chief in 1981.<ref name=times/>  The following year, SIS was involved in the [[Falklands War]], seeking to prevent Argentina obtaining stocks of [[Exocet]] missiles to be carried by their Super Etendard attack aircraft.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1537476/Sir-Colin-Figures.html Obituary: Sir Colin Figures] Daily Telegraph, 21 December 2006</ref>  He received an [[OBE]] in 1969 and [[Order of St Michael and St George|CMG]] in 1978, and advanced to [[Order of St Michael and St George|KCMG]] in 1983.<ref name=times/>

He retired from SIS in 1985, and became Intelligence Co-ordinator at the [[Cabinet Office]].<ref name=times/>  He finally retired in 1989.<ref name=times/>

He married Pamela Ann Timmis in 1956.<ref name=inde/> He suffered from [[Parkinson's disease]] in later life, and died in [[Esher]].<ref name=inde/> He was survived by his wife, and their son and two daughters.<ref name=inde/>