David Petrie

Not to be confused with Dave Petrie.

Sir David Petrie KCMG CIE CVO CBE KPM
Born	9 September 1879 Inveravon, Banffshire
Died	7 August 1961(1961-08-07) (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

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

Notes

1. The Times, Obituary, 8 August 1961
2. "Sir David Petrie | MI5 - The Security Service". The Security Services. Archived from the original on 23 May 2024.
3. "Sir David Petrie (1879–1961)". MI5. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
4. Acović, Dragomir (2012). Slava i čast: Odlikovanja među Srbima, Srbi među odlikovanjima. Belgrade: Službeni Glasnik. p. 592.

Sources

• 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

Government offices
Preceded by Jasper Harker	Director General of MI5 1941–1946	Succeeded by Sir Percy Sillitoe