British Ambassador shot by Japanese dive-bomber ...

British Ambassador to China at the time of Pamela's murder, Sir Hughe Knatchbull-Hugessen, had a brief and life-threatening stay in the country.  

Pictured, right, with his wife, he found himself caught in a war-zone when in the summer of 1937 Japan invaded China proper after years of brewing conflict. 

Travelling between Nanking and Shanghai in an embassy car clearly marked with a large union flag, he and his companions were strafed by a Japanese fighter-bomber. "Snatch" was the only one among them hit. 

There then followed a frantic two-hour drive to the nearest hospital where he received emergency surgery. With a bullet passing clean through him and narrowly missing his spine, he was lucky to survive. 
The next day he received a hospital visit from the Japanese ambassador, who merely expressed "his sympathy". There was no apology. "Snatch" replied with some undiplomatic and colourful language. 

The incident was widely reported by newspapers around the world. It was a major diplomatic incident.

The British government's response of merely "sending the Japanese a sharp note" over the matter was seen for what it was - weakness in the face of Japanese aggression. 

Britain's influence in the region was waning, and Japan had no intention of apologising to a fading colonial power it intended to replace.

A recovered Knatchbull-Hugessen was later made ambassador to Turkey (during WW2). The posting marked a low point in his career. His Turkish driver, Elyesa Basna (right) took it upon himself to spy on his employer. Copying a key to Sir Hughe's dispatch box, Basna photographed confidential documents that should have been kept in a safe. Basna then sold the images to the German embassy.
It was a major breach in British security. Thankfully the Nazis were sceptical about Basna (given the code-name Cicero) and failed to appreciate the value of his product. 

After the War the story eventually became public and was made into a 1952 Hollywood film "Five Fingers" with James Mason (left) playing the role of the spy. 

Sir Hughe's career somehow survived the scandal - he later became ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg, but he was forever plagued with the knowledge that he had disclosed secret documents relating to no less than Operation Overlord.  He died in 1971.