David Petrie
David Petrie | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 9 September 1879 Inveravon, Banffshire |
| Died | 7 August 1961 (aged 81) Sidmouth, Devon |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Aberdeen University |
| Occupation | Police officer |
| Espionage activity | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom  |
| Service branch | MI5 |
| Rank | Director General of MI5 |
Sir David Petrie KCMG CIE CVO CBE KPM (9 September 1879 – 7 August 1961) was Director General (DG) of MI5, the United Kingdom's internal security service, from 1941 to 1946.[1]
Biography
[edit]Petrie worked in the Indian Imperial Police from 1900 serving in a variety of police intelligence roles. He headed the Delhi Intelligence Bureau of the Indian Police and served as the Chairman of the Indian Public Service Commission until 1936. After the outbreak for the World War II he joined the Army Intelligence Corps.[2]
His highest level in British India was to chair the Union Public Service Commission. In April 1941, he was appointed Director General of MI5. His task was to reorganise the service so that it could improve its efficiency. In the spring of 1946, Petrie retired.[3]
He was awarded Order of the Yugoslav Crown and other decorations.[4]
References
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ The Times, Obituary, 8 August 1961
- ^ "Sir David Petrie | MI5 - The Security Service". The Security Services. Archived from the original on 23 May 2024.
- ^ "Sir David Petrie (1879–1961)". MI5. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
- ^ Acović, Dragomir (2012). Slava i čast: Odlikovanja među Srbima, Srbi među odlikovanjima. Belgrade: Službeni Glasnik. p. 592.
Sources
[edit]- R. Popplewell, Intelligence and imperial defence: British intelligence and the defence of the Indian empire, 1904–1924, 1995, ISBN 0-7146-4580-X
- F. H. Hinsley and C. A. G. Simkins, British intelligence in the Second World War, 4: Security and counter-intelligence, 1990
- D. Petrie, Communism in India, 1924–27, 1972
- T. Bower, The perfect English spy: Sir Dick White and the secret war, 1935–90, 1995
- 1879 births
- 1961 deaths
- Directors General of MI5
- Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
- Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order
- Companions of the Order of the Indian Empire
- Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
- Indian Police Service officers in British India
- Intelligence Corps officers
- British military personnel of the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine
- People from Banffshire
- Officers of the Order of Orange-Nassau
- Knights of Grace of the Order of St John
- Colonial recipients of the Queen's Police Medal
- Scottish recipients of the Queen's Police Medal
- Recipients of the Order of the Yugoslav Crown