The below article appeared online shortly after the announcement of Max Vernon Passing To The Grand Lodge above on 15th February 2021 after a short illness:
Excerpt from Mail Online Report:
Chief negotiator and ‘true hero’ of the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege has died: Tributes are paid to Met Police superintendent Max Vernon who helped the SAS save the lives of 19 hostages
Chief Superintendent Max Vernon was part of a six-man team charged with negotiating with six armed terrorists who besieged the diplomatic building in South Kensington, West London and took 26 people hostage. The gunmen, all Arab separatists demanding autonomy for Iran-held Khuzestan following a regime crackdown in 1979, demanded the release of 91 prisoners and their own safety in return for handing over the hostages. His smooth-talking, brought to the big screen by actor Mark Strong in the 2017 film 6 Days, bought the SAS B Squadron time they needed to storm the Embassy, with millions watching on TV with baited-breath. During the 11-minute raid the SAS rescued all but one of the remaining hostages and killed five of the six hostage-takers. An inquest cleared the SAS of any wrongdoing while the sole remaining gunman served 27 years in British prisons. Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan led tributes to Mr Vernon, whose cause of death has not yet been revealed.
Appended by Heritage Lodge
W.Bro. Max, as he was known to us at Heritage Lodge, was quite a character and unbeknown by us, until the release of the film “6 days”, depicting his role in the Iranian Embassy Siege which was at the time, headline news.
W.Bro. Max started his professional career as a Police Cadet in Central London and upon appointment served in the West End. He went on to serve in the Criminal Investigation Department at Scotland Yard and at various Police Stations in Central and South London. Max also served in the Uniform Branch and ended his Police Career as Chief Superintendent at Woolwich Police Station. Max was trained as a hostage negotiator and called upon to be Lead Negotiator during the Iranian Embassy Siege. This event is well documented and publicised. Nearing the end of the siege, Max’s main part was to keep the terrorist talking whilst the SAS made plans to storm the building and liberate the hostages. Max and his SAS counterpart made several appearances on TV describing the events. He was also involved in controlling the Brixton Riots as the commander and during the war years involved in the military police as security to a high ranking British officer.
Retiring from the Police Service Max went on to serve at the Home Office.
Masonry
Max was proposed into the Earl Roberts Lodge 3151 whilst he was working at the Fraud Squad. He later joined The T Square Lodge 3269, Earl Roberts Chapter 3151 and The Manor of St.James Lodge. He held the office of S.L.G.R. and S.L.G.C.R.
Later Years
In his later years Max was confined to a wheelchair as his legs began to fail and further on his eyesight which also began to fail, meant that he relied on audio books and other assistance to continue as active a life as possible.
During the Covid lockdown he and his wife Lucy did not venture out at all from about February 2020 up to the time of his passing.
Throughout the Lockdown period however Max was always upbeat and had come to accept his disabilities and cheerfully exchanged more details of his colourful life, which as mentioned above we were all somewhat blissfully unaware of the heroic part that he undertook in the Embassy Siege.
Piers Morgan was also in awe of his part, and the SAS officer, Rusty Firmin, in charge on the ground, both of whom he interviewed on his Breakfast show after release of ‘6 Days’ and sent a fitting tribute himself when he learnt of Max’s passing.
Max will be sadly missed by us all at Heritage Lodge and I am no doubt in several other circles in which he moved and would have left the same legacy.
He certainly lived up to our Masonic expectation of having lived respected and died regretted.
May He Rest In Peace,
Tony Saunders
Secretary
Heritage Lodge No 5572