ship ▁to ▁Ori el ▁College , ▁Oxford , ▁reading ▁French ▁and ▁German . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁he ▁was ▁commission ed ▁into ▁the ▁Int elligence ▁Corps , ▁using ▁his ▁language ▁ab ilities ▁to ▁inter rog ate ▁prisoners ▁of ▁war ▁in ▁the ▁" Lond on ▁C age ". ▁He ▁also ▁took ▁part ▁in ▁Operation ▁Arch ery , ▁a ▁comm ando ▁ra id ▁on ▁port ▁V å gs ø y , ▁Norway ▁and ▁helped ▁support ▁Greek ▁resistance ▁f igh ters ▁in ▁liber ating ▁Kal am ata . ▁ ▁Diplom atic ▁career ▁After ▁the ▁war , ▁Co ate ▁joined ▁the ▁UK ▁Foreign ▁Office ▁with ▁diplom atic ▁post ings ▁to ▁Sal on ika , ▁Os lo , ▁Leopold ville , ▁Rome , ▁The ▁H ague , ▁Buenos ▁Aires , ▁Stockholm ▁and ▁finally ▁Br uss els ▁at ▁which ▁point ▁he ▁took ▁early ▁ret irement ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 . ▁ ▁Maz e ▁designer ▁Having ▁had ▁a ▁long - standing ▁interest ▁in ▁art ▁and ▁history , ▁Co ate ▁took ▁to ▁design ing ▁ma zes ▁and ▁completed ▁over ▁ 5 0 ▁new ▁ma zes ▁in ▁Britain ▁and ▁around ▁the ▁world . ▁Co ate ' s ▁ma ze ▁designs ▁are ▁particularly ▁noted ▁for ▁their ▁symbol ism . ▁Although ▁it ▁is ▁rarely ▁possible ▁to ▁see ▁a ▁large ▁ma ze ▁in ▁plan ▁view , ▁Co ate ' s ▁designs ▁would ▁often ▁incorpor ate ▁hidden ▁shapes ▁and ▁references ▁of ▁significance ▁to ▁the ▁clients ▁who ▁had ▁commission ed ▁the ▁ma ze . ▁ ▁Co ate ' s ▁first ▁ma ze ▁commission