Norman Denning
Encyclopedia
Vice Admiral
Sir Norman Egbert Denning KBE
CB
(19 November 1904 – 27 December 1979) 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 Intelligence from 1964–1965. Sir Norman was a prominent and pioneering figure in naval and military intelligence
and established a successful career during and after the Second World War, holding many senior ranking staff positions.
. Educated at Andover Grammar School along with his brothers Norman joined the Royal Navy
shortly after the end of World War I
; despite his bad eyesight he was accepted into the Paymaster Branch. He served as secretary to various senior figures and also worked in supplying naval vessels, but quickly became an expert on naval intelligence. For several years in the early 1930s he served in Singapore and while there was surprised by the number of Japanese fishing and research boats around Singapore, and from his research concluded that the Japanese were in a position where they were able to attack Singapore by land, rather than sea as the British defence plans assumed. He wrote a report and submitted it to the Director of Naval Intelligence
, but it was dismissed as him 'over-exercising his imagination'. In 1937 was appointed to the Naval Intelligence Division
and attempted to reform the division using lessons learnt from World War I. He was assisted in this by his discovery of a room of old Naval Intelligence papers from World War I and its aftermath, including studies by staff members as to how the unit could be used more effectively and what lessons should be learnt from the use of intelligence-gathering in the war.
, Director of Naval Intelligence fom 1939 to 1943, the then Lieutenant Commander Denning formulated and established the Operational Intelligence Centre (OIC) for the Navy based at the Admiralty Citadel in London. The OIC became a key and vital element for the British intelligence services, coordinating efforts between decryption units such as the Government Code and Cypher School and the staff and command officers planning operations. Furthermore, Denning was one of the first intelligence officers to recognise the potential of photographic reconnaissance
as a worthwhile intelligence source. Consequently, Denning helped persuade the heads of the Royal Air Force
to allow the Australian officer Sidney Cotton
's pioneering unit, the RAF Photographic Development Unit and then No. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit RAF to be used for intelligence-gathering.
, and promoted Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the 1963 New Year Honours. In 1964 he was made Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff for Intelligence. He retired from the Navy in 1967 and became head of the D-notices section. After his retirement he spent most of his time at his home in Micheldever, and occasionally gave lectures at institutions both in the United Kingdom and overseas. He died on 27 December 1979; after separating a pair of fighting dogs he was bitten on the hand, and the resulting tetanus jab caused a reaction which set off a heart attack.
, dying in 1975 after a fall.
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
Sir Norman Egbert Denning KBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(19 November 1904 – 27 December 1979) was a British
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...
Royal Naval
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...
and Intelligence Officer
Intelligence officer
An intelligence officer is a person employed by an organization to collect, compile and/or analyze information which is of use to that organization...
at the Admirality and Defence Intelligence Staff
Defence Intelligence Staff
Defence Intelligence is a key member of the United Kingdom Intelligence Community but differs from the agencies in that it is not a stand-alone organisation but is a constituent part of the Ministry of Defence . The organisation employs a mixture of civilian and military staff and is funded...
who served as Director of Naval Planning from 1945–1956, Director of Naval Intelligence
Naval Intelligence Division
The Naval Intelligence Division 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...
from 1960–1964 and Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff for Intelligence from 1964–1965. Sir Norman was a prominent and pioneering figure in naval and military intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
and established a successful career during and after the Second World War, holding many senior ranking staff positions.
Early life
He was born to Charles and Clara Denning in 1904, and his siblings included Alfred Thompson 'Tom' Denning and Reginald DenningReginald Denning
Lieutenant-General Sir Reginald Francis Stewart Denning KCVO KBE CB MC was a British Army staff officer and administrator.-Military career:...
. Educated at Andover Grammar School along with his brothers Norman joined 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...
shortly after the end of 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...
; despite his bad eyesight he was accepted into the Paymaster Branch. He served as secretary to various senior figures and also worked in supplying naval vessels, but quickly became an expert on naval intelligence. For several years in the early 1930s he served in Singapore and while there was surprised by the number of Japanese fishing and research boats around Singapore, and from his research concluded that the Japanese were in a position where they were able to attack Singapore by land, rather than sea as the British defence plans assumed. He wrote a report and submitted it to the Director of Naval Intelligence
Naval Intelligence Division
The Naval Intelligence Division 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...
, but it was dismissed as him 'over-exercising his imagination'. In 1937 was appointed to the Naval Intelligence Division
Naval Intelligence Division
The Naval Intelligence Division 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...
and attempted to reform the division using lessons learnt from World War I. He was assisted in this by his discovery of a room of old Naval Intelligence papers from World War I and its aftermath, including studies by staff members as to how the unit could be used more effectively and what lessons should be learnt from the use of intelligence-gathering in the war.
Wartime career
In 1939, with the permission of James Troup, Director of Naval Intelligence from 1935 to 1939, and John Henry GodfreyJohn Henry Godfrey
Admiral John Henry Godfrey CB was an officer of the Royal Navy and Royal Indian Navy, specializing in navigation....
, Director of Naval Intelligence fom 1939 to 1943, the then Lieutenant Commander Denning formulated and established the Operational Intelligence Centre (OIC) for the Navy based at the Admiralty Citadel in London. The OIC became a key and vital element for the British intelligence services, coordinating efforts between decryption units such as the Government Code and Cypher School and the staff and command officers planning operations. Furthermore, Denning was one of the first intelligence officers to recognise the potential of photographic 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....
as a worthwhile intelligence source. Consequently, Denning helped persuade the heads of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
to allow the Australian officer Sidney Cotton
Sidney Cotton
Frederick Sidney Cotton OBE was an Australian inventor, photographer and aviation and photography pioneer, responsible for developing and promoting an early colour film process, and largely responsible for the development of photographic reconnaissance before and during the Second World War...
's pioneering unit, the RAF Photographic Development Unit and then No. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit RAF to be used for intelligence-gathering.
Later career
Denning was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his work in 1945, and after the war was made Director of Planning for the Admiralty. He became Director of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich in 1956 and in 1958 became Deputy Chief of Naval Personnel. In 1959 he became Director of Manpower and in 1960 he was made Director of the Naval Intelligence Division, becoming the first non-executive officer to be promoted to that position. He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 1961 New Year HonoursNew Year Honours
The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the New Year annually in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen Elizabeth II...
, and promoted Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the 1963 New Year Honours. In 1964 he was made Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff for Intelligence. He retired from the Navy in 1967 and became head of the D-notices section. After his retirement he spent most of his time at his home in Micheldever, and occasionally gave lectures at institutions both in the United Kingdom and overseas. He died on 27 December 1979; after separating a pair of fighting dogs he was bitten on the hand, and the resulting tetanus jab caused a reaction which set off a heart attack.
Personal life
He married Iris Curtis in 1933, with whom he had two sons and a daughter. His eldest son John followed him into the navy and joined the Royal Fleet AuxiliaryRoyal Fleet Auxiliary
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is a civilian-manned fleet owned by the British Ministry of Defence. The RFA enables ships of the United Kingdom Royal Navy to maintain operations around the world. Its primary role is to supply the Royal Navy with fuel, ammunition and supplies, normally by replenishment...
, dying in 1975 after a fall.