Sir David Petrie (9 September 1879 – 7 August 1961) was Director General (DG) of

MI5 MI5 ( Military Intelligence, Section 5), officially the Security Service, is the United Kingdom's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), Gov ...

, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

's internal security service, from 1941 to 1946.The Times, ''Obituary'', 8 August 1961

Biography

Petrie worked in the

Indian Imperial Police The Indian Imperial Police, referred to variously as the Indian Police or, by 1905, the Imperial Police, was part of the Indian Police Services, the uniform system of police administration in British India, as established by Government of India Ac ...

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 World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

he joined the Army Intelligence Corps. His highest level in

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

was to chair the

Union Public Service Commission The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is a constitutional body tasked with recruiting officers for All India Services and the Central Civil Services (Group A and B) through various standardized examinations. In 2023, 1.3 million applica ...

. In April 1941, he was appointed Director General of

. His task was to reorganise the service so that it could improve its efficiency. In the spring of 1946, Petrie retired. He was awarded

Order of the Yugoslav Crown The Order of the Yugoslav Crown was instituted by King Alexander I of Yugoslavia on 5 April 1930, to commemorate his changing of the name of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. It continues as a dynastic o ...

and other decorations.

References

Notes

Sources

* R. Popplewell, ''Intelligence and imperial defence: British intelligence and the defence of the Indian empire, 1904–1924'', 1995, * 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 {{DEFAULTSORT:Petrie, David 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