Information on Miles Radcliffe

Born on July 10, 1895, Miles Radcliffe's life unfolded during a period when societal attitudes towards homosexuality were markedly different from today's more accepting standards.

Radcliffe was a company manager, known to be homosexual, who worked in Wellington at a chocolate factory. His personal life was marked by a degree of solitude, though he was known for his generosity and for hosting parties for servicepeople during World War II at his Kelburn luxury flat. Later in life, Radcliffe moved to a smaller flat in Oriental Bay and led a more solitary existence, often eating alone and returning to work in the evenings.

The circumstances surrounding his death on February 6, 1946, were both tragic and emblematic of the challenges faced by gay men during that era. Radcliffe was found brutally murdered, battered, and strangled in his office. The police investigation revealed that his sexual orientation was an open secret among his factory staff. The staff knew about his practice of entertaining men in his office and one clerk even accused him of attempted seduction. The murder scene suggested a violent attack, with Radcliffe having suffered almost every possible injury to his head, ultimately dying of throttling. Notably, the pathologist determined that he had been sexually aroused at the time of his death, and foreign matches found near his body suggested the killer was likely a pipe-smoker.

The investigation into Radcliffe's murder led to inquiries focused on the crews of ships docked in port at the time, particularly the crew of the ship "Themistocles." However, despite international and thorough investigations, the murderer was never found.