https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=David_PetrieDavid Petrie - Revision history2026-07-31T06:34:13ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=David_Petrie&diff=495766&oldid=prevVYVEwan7971 at 03:29, 17 February 20262026-02-17T03:29:35Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Director of MI5 (1879–1961)}}<br />
{{distinguish|Dave Petrie}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}<br />
{{Infobox spy<br />
|honorific_prefix = [[Sir]]<br />
|honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCMG|CIE|CVO|CBE|KPM}}<br />
| name = David Petrie<br />
| nickname =<br />
| image = File:David Petrie.jpg<br />
| caption =<br />
| allegiance = [[United Kingdom]] <br />
| service = [[MI5]]<br />
| serviceyears = <br />
| rank = [[Director General of MI5]]<br />
| birth_date = 9 September 1879<br />
| birth_place = Inveravon, Banffshire<br />
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1961|8|7|1879|9|9}}<br />
| death_place = Sidmouth, Devon<br />
| occupation = [[Police officer]]<br />
| alma_mater = [[Aberdeen University]]<br />
}}<br />
'''Sir David Petrie''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCMG|CIE|CVO|CBE|KPM}} (9 September 1879 – 7 August 1961) was [[Director General of MI5|Director General (DG)]] of [[MI5]], the [[United Kingdom]]'s internal security service, from 1941 to 1946.<ref name="ReferenceA">The Times, ''Obituary'', 8 August 1961</ref><br />
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==Biography==<br />
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 [[Intelligence Corps (United Kingdom)|Army Intelligence Corps]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sir David Petrie {{!}} MI5 - The Security Service |url=https://www.mi5.gov.uk/about-us/director-general/former-directors-general/sir-david-petrie |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240523010759/https://www.mi5.gov.uk/about-us/director-general/former-directors-general/sir-david-petrie |archive-date=May 23, 2024 |access-date= |website=The Security Services}}</ref><br />
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His highest level in [[British Raj|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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mi5.gov.uk/home/about-us/who-we-are/staff-and-management/sir-david-petrie.html|title=Sir David Petrie (1879–1961)|publisher=[[MI5]]|access-date=25 March 2013}}</ref><br />
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He was awarded [[Order of the Yugoslav Crown]] and other decorations.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Acović|first=Dragomir|title=Slava i čast: Odlikovanja među Srbima, Srbi među odlikovanjima|year=2012|location=Belgrade|publisher=Službeni Glasnik|pages=592}}</ref><br />
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== References ==<br />
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===Notes===<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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===Sources===<br />
* R. Popplewell, ''Intelligence and imperial defence: British intelligence and the defence of the Indian empire, 1904–1924'', 1995, {{ISBN|0-7146-4580-X}}<br />
* F. H. Hinsley and C. A. G. Simkins, ''British intelligence in the Second World War, 4: Security and counter-intelligence'', 1990<br />
* D. Petrie, ''Communism in India, 1924–27'', 1972<br />
* T. Bower, ''The perfect English spy: Sir Dick White and the secret war, 1935–90'', 1995<br />
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{{succession box |<br />
before=[[Oswald Allen Harker|Jasper Harker]]|<br />
title=[[Director General of MI5]] |<br />
years=1941–1946|<br />
after=[[Percy Sillitoe|Sir Percy Sillitoe]]| <br />
}}<br />
{{s-end}}<br />
{{authority control}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Petrie, David}}<br />
[[Category:1879 births]]<br />
[[Category:1961 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:Directors general of MI5]]<br />
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]<br />
[[Category:Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order]]<br />
[[Category:Companions of the Order of the Indian Empire]]<br />
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George]]<br />
[[Category:Indian Police Service officers in British India]]<br />
[[Category:Intelligence Corps officers]]<br />
[[Category:British military personnel of the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine]]<br />
[[Category:People from Banffshire]]<br />
[[Category:Officers of the Order of Orange-Nassau]]<br />
[[Category:Knights of Grace of the Order of St John]]<br />
[[Category:Colonial recipients of the Queen's Police Medal]]<br />
[[Category:Scottish recipients of the Queen's Police Medal]]<br />
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Yugoslav Crown]]</div>VYVEwan7971