Naval Intelligence Division
Encyclopedia
The Naval Intelligence Division (NID) was the intelligence arm of the British
Admiralty
before the establishment of a unified Defence Staff in 1965. It dealt with matters concerning British naval plans, with the collection of naval intelligence. It was also known as "Room 39," after its room number at the Admiralty.
, who was Director of Naval Intelligence (DNI) during World War I
, was his son.
The NID staff were originally responsible for fleet mobilization and war plans as well as foreign intelligence collection; thus in the beginning there were originally two divisions: (1) intelligence (Foreign) and (2) Mobilization. In 1900 another division, War, was added to deal with issues of strategy and defence, and in 1902 a fourth division, Trade, was created for matters related to the protection of merchant shipping. A coastal defence division was added in 1905 which took over duties related to intelligence on port and coastal defences of foreign powers. The Trade Division was abolished in 1909 in the wake of the Committee of Imperial Defence inquiry into the feud between the First Sea Lord
, Admiral Sir John Fisher and former Commander-in-Chief Channel Fleet
, Admiral Lord Charles Beresford, when it was discovered that the captain heading the Trade Division had been supplying the latter with confidential information during the inquiry.
In 1910, the NID was shorn of its responsibility for war planning and strategy when the outgoing Fisher created the so-called Navy War Council as a stop-gap remedy to criticisms emanating from the Beresford Inquiry that the Navy needed a naval staff—a role the NID had been in fact fulfilling since at least 1900, if not earlier. After this reorganisation, war planning and strategic matters were transferred to the newly created Naval Mobilisation Department and the NID reverted back to the position it held prior to 1887—an intelligence collection and collation organisation.
The importance of the NID early on was recognized to a degree that by 1902, no issue within the Royal Navy
was decided, no matter how trivial, without the NID having its say on the matter.
the NID was responsible for the Royal Navy's highly successful cryptographic efforts, Room 40
.
whose role was information gathering, reconnaissance
and sabotage
. Members of the unit, Ralph Izzard
and Patrick Dalzel-Job
are acknowledged as inspirations for Ian Fleming
(who also worked for the NID) in the creation of his fictional spy, James Bond
.
. For a list see the link below to Geographical Handbook Series.
The Naval Intelligence Division Geographical Handbook Series
was produced between 1941 and 1946 to provide information for the British Armed Forces
.
and the NID and DNI ceased to exist.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
before the establishment of a unified Defence Staff in 1965. It dealt with matters concerning British naval plans, with the collection of naval intelligence. It was also known as "Room 39," after its room number at the Admiralty.
History
The Foreign Intelligence Committee was established in 1882, and renamed the Naval Intelligence Department in 1887. Its first head was Captain William Henry Hall; William Reginald HallWilliam Reginald Hall
Admiral Sir William Reginald Hall, KCMG, CB, RN was the British Director of Naval Intelligence from 1914 to 1919...
, who was Director of Naval Intelligence (DNI) during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, was his son.
The NID staff were originally responsible for fleet mobilization and war plans as well as foreign intelligence collection; thus in the beginning there were originally two divisions: (1) intelligence (Foreign) and (2) Mobilization. In 1900 another division, War, was added to deal with issues of strategy and defence, and in 1902 a fourth division, Trade, was created for matters related to the protection of merchant shipping. A coastal defence division was added in 1905 which took over duties related to intelligence on port and coastal defences of foreign powers. The Trade Division was abolished in 1909 in the wake of the Committee of Imperial Defence inquiry into the feud between the First Sea Lord
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
, Admiral Sir John Fisher and former Commander-in-Chief Channel Fleet
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...
, Admiral Lord Charles Beresford, when it was discovered that the captain heading the Trade Division had been supplying the latter with confidential information during the inquiry.
In 1910, the NID was shorn of its responsibility for war planning and strategy when the outgoing Fisher created the so-called Navy War Council as a stop-gap remedy to criticisms emanating from the Beresford Inquiry that the Navy needed a naval staff—a role the NID had been in fact fulfilling since at least 1900, if not earlier. After this reorganisation, war planning and strategic matters were transferred to the newly created Naval Mobilisation Department and the NID reverted back to the position it held prior to 1887—an intelligence collection and collation organisation.
The importance of the NID early on was recognized to a degree that by 1902, no issue within the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
was decided, no matter how trivial, without the NID having its say on the matter.
World War I
During World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
the NID was responsible for the Royal Navy's highly successful cryptographic efforts, Room 40
Room 40
In the history of Cryptanalysis, Room 40 was the section in the Admiralty most identified with the British cryptoanalysis effort during the First World War.Room 40 was formed in October 1914, shortly after the start of the war...
.
World War II
The NID also initiated the 30th Assault Unit30th Assault Unit
No. 30 Commando was a British Commando unit of the Second World War. It was formed in 1941 to gather intelligence. To this end personnel from the sections operated with forward troops to seize documents and materials and carry out interrogations...
whose role was information gathering, reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
and sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
. Members of the unit, Ralph Izzard
Ralph Izzard
Ralph William Burdick Izzard, OBE, was an English journalist, author, adventurer, and British Naval Intelligence officer ....
and Patrick Dalzel-Job
Patrick Dalzel-Job
Patrick Dalzel-Job , was a distinguished British Naval Intelligence Officer and Commando of World War II. He was also an accomplished linguist, author, mariner, navigator, parachutist, diver and skier....
are acknowledged as inspirations for Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
(who also worked for the NID) in the creation of his fictional spy, James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
.
Geographical section
The Geographical Section of the Naval Intelligence Division, Naval Staff, Admiralty, produced a series of Geograhical Handbooks from 1917-1922 to provide information for the British Armed ForcesBritish Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
. For a list see the link below to Geographical Handbook Series.
The Naval Intelligence Division Geographical Handbook Series
Naval Intelligence Handbooks
The British Naval Intelligence Division Geographical Handbook Series was produced between 1941 and 1946. At 31 titles, encompassing 58 volumes, this is the largest single body of geographical writing ever published. The books were written to provide information for the Allied war effort. They...
was produced between 1941 and 1946 to provide information for the British Armed Forces
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
.
Amalgamation
In 1965, the three service intelligence departments were amalgamated in the new Ministry of DefenceMinistry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
and the NID and DNI ceased to exist.
List of Directors of Naval Intelligence
- Captain William Henry HallWilliam Henry HallCaptain William Henry Hall was the first Director of Naval Intelligence of the Royal Navy.Hall was thought of highly by John A. Fisher, who had requested him to act as Commander in HMS Inflexible, which Fisher was to captain and which was under construction at the time. Hall had to decline the...
, 1887–1889 - Rear-Admiral Cyprian BridgeCyprian BridgeAdmiral Sir Cyprian Arthur George Bridge GCB was a British Royal Navy officer towards the end of the era of Pax Britannica. He was Commander-in-chief of both the Australian Squadron and the China Squadron.-Early life:...
, 1889–1894 - Rear-Admiral Lewis BeaumontLewis BeaumontAdmiral Sir Lewis Anthony Beaumont KCB KCMG was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth.-Naval career:Beaumont joined the Royal Navy as a boy and was engaged in operations in Malaya by 1875....
, 1895–1899 - Rear-Admiral Reginald Custance, 1899–1902
- Rear-Admiral Prince Louis of Battenberg, 1902–1905
- Captain Charles Ottley, 1905–1907
- Rear-Admiral Sir Edmond SladeEdmond SladeAdmiral Sir Edmond John Warre Slade KCVO, KCIE was a British rear-admiral and a director of the Naval Intelligence Division...
, 1907–1909 - Rear-Admiral Alexander BethellAlexander BethellAdmiral The Hon. Sir Alexander Edward Bethell GCMG KCB was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth.-Naval career:...
, 1909–1912 - Captain Thomas JacksonThomas Jackson (Royal Navy officer)Vice Admiral Sir Thomas Jackson KBE CB MVO was a senior Royal Navy officer during World War I.-Naval career:Born the son of Admiral Sir Thomas Sturges Jackson, Jackson joined the Royal Navy being promoted to Captain in 1905...
, 1912–1913 - Rear-Admiral Henry OliverHenry OliverAdmiral of the Fleet Sir Henry Francis Oliver, GCB, KCMG, MVO was a British naval officer.-Naval career:...
, 1913–1914 - Rear-Admiral Sir Reginald 'Blinker' HallWilliam Reginald HallAdmiral Sir William Reginald Hall, KCMG, CB, RN was the British Director of Naval Intelligence from 1914 to 1919...
, 1914–1919 - Rear-Admiral Hugh 'Quex' SinclairHugh SinclairAdmiral Sir Hugh Francis Paget Sinclair KCB , nicknamed "Quex", was a British intelligence officer. Between 1919 and 1921, he was Director of British Naval Intelligence, and helped to set up the Secret Intelligence Service before the Second World War.-Career:Sinclair joined the Royal Navy in the...
, 1919–1921 - Rear-Admiral Maurice FitzmauriceMaurice Swynfen FitzmauriceSir Maurice Swynfen Fitzmaurice CB, KCVO, CMG, was an officer of the Royal Navy, who rose to the rank of vice-admiral....
, 1921–1924 - Rear-Admiral Alan Hotham, 1924–1927
- Rear-Admiral William FisherWilliam Wordsworth FisherAdmiral Sir William Wordsworth Fisher, GCB, GCVO was a Royal Navy officer who captained a battleship at the Battle of Jutland and became Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet...
(Acting), 1926–1927 - Rear-Admiral Barry DomvileBarry DomvileAdmiral Sir Barry Edward Domvile KBE CB CMG was a distinguished Royal Navy officer who turned into a leading British Pro-German anti-Semite in the years before the Second World War....
, 1927–1930 - Rear-Admiral Cecil Usborne, 1930–1932
- Rear-Admiral Gerald DickensGerald Charles DickensAdmiral Sir Gerald Louis Charles Dickens, KCVO, CB, CMG, RN, was a senior Royal Navy officer and the grandson of Victorian novelist Charles Dickens.-Early career:...
, 1932–1935 - Vice-Admiral James Troup, 1935–1939
- Vice-Admiral John GodfreyJohn Henry GodfreyAdmiral John Henry Godfrey CB was an officer of the Royal Navy and Royal Indian Navy, specializing in navigation....
, 1939–1943 - Rear-Admiral Edmund Rushbrooke, 1943–1946
- Vice-Admiral Edward Parry, 1946–1948
- Rear-Admiral Eric Longley-Cook, 1948–1951
- Rear-Admiral Sir Anthony BuzzardSir Anthony Buzzard, 2nd BaronetSir Anthony Wass Buzzard, 2nd Baronet CB, DSO, OBE , was an officer in the Royal Navy, and a Director of Naval Intelligence.-Early life:...
, 1951–1954 - Vice-Admiral Sir John InglisJohn Gilchrist InglisVice Admiral Sir John Gilchrist Thesiger "Tommy" Inglis KBE, CB was a British Royal Navy officer who became Head of Naval Intelligence. In this capacity, he attempted to cover-up the "Buster Crabb affair" in 1956....
, 1954–1960 - Vice-Admiral Sir Norman DenningNorman DenningVice Admiral Sir Norman Egbert Denning KBE CB was a British Royal Naval and Intelligence Officer at the Admirality and Defence Intelligence Staff who served as Director of Naval Planning from 1945–1956, Director of Naval Intelligence from 1960–1964 and Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff for...
, 1960–1964 - Rear-Admiral Patrick Graham, 1964–1965
See also
- Ian FlemingIan FlemingIan Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
, who worked as a personal assistant to DNI then Captain John Godfrey - Ralph IzzardRalph IzzardRalph William Burdick Izzard, OBE, was an English journalist, author, adventurer, and British Naval Intelligence officer ....
Author, adventurer, journalist, NID officer, member of the 30 Assault Unit and noted as an inspiration for James BondJames BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
. - Merlin MinshallMerlin MinshallMerlin Minshall is often claimed to have been one of the inspirations behind James Bond, the fictional spy created by Ian Fleming. Minshall worked for Fleming during the Second World War, as a member of the Royal Navy's Naval Intelligence Division.He wrote about his life in a book entitled...
, who worked for Fleming in NID, participated in several operations and has been claimed as one of the inspirations for James BondJames BondJames Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
. - William Milbourne JamesWilliam Milbourne JamesAdmiral Sir William Milbourne James GCB was a British Naval commander, politician and author, perhaps most notable for his activities in the Naval Intelligence Division in the First World War.-Family:...
, W.R. Hall's deputy and biographer. - Ewen MontaguEwen MontaguCaptain The Hon. Ewen Edward Samuel Montagu, CBE, QC, DL, RNR was a British judge, writer and Naval intelligence officer....
, who executed one of its best-known operations - Patrick Dalzel-JobPatrick Dalzel-JobPatrick Dalzel-Job , was a distinguished British Naval Intelligence Officer and Commando of World War II. He was also an accomplished linguist, author, mariner, navigator, parachutist, diver and skier....
- Inspirations for James BondInspirations for James BondA number of real-life inspirations have been suggested for James Bond, the sophisticated fictional character and British spy created by Ian Fleming. Although the Bond stories were often fantasy-driven, they did incorporate some real places, incidents and, occasionally, organisations such as...