Commander Alexander "Alastair" Guthrie Denniston OBE CBE CMG RNVR
Born in Scotland he became an Admiralty codebreaker in Room 40 intercepting German communications during the 1st World War. This later became the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) which he ran as Operational Director. Before the 2nd World War he was already working on decryption of German military Enigma ciphers. He became the first head of what was to become GCHQ at Bletchley Park, serving until 1942. He was responsible for recruiting mathematicians (including Alan Turing) and linguists together with overall management of the organisation.
From around 1947 until 1960 he lived in what was then known as "The Old Cottage" in Burley Street, and is interred with his wife at St John the Baptist Church, Burley.
From around 1947 until 1960 he lived in what was then known as "The Old Cottage" in Burley Street, and is interred with his wife at St John the Baptist Church, Burley.
On 6th November 2011 a memorial and rededication service was held at the Church, attended by many of his family members. The eulogy was read by Tony Comer the GCHQ Departmental Historian at the time.
The GCHQ website contains a number of articles on his life and work:- GCHQ
The Bletchley Park website has much to explore and has a page on Alastair Denniston
This YouTube video (43 minutes) is one of a series describing the development of UK-USA Intelligence collaboration during WW2, which was fundamental to the development of "the special relationship". There are several mentions of Alastair Denniston particularly the initial contacts with the Americans (from 26.00 mins), and describing his Bletchley Park office (from 28 mins 22 secs).
Comprehensive online summary article:- Alastair Denniston
The GCHQ website contains a number of articles on his life and work:- GCHQ
The Bletchley Park website has much to explore and has a page on Alastair Denniston
This YouTube video (43 minutes) is one of a series describing the development of UK-USA Intelligence collaboration during WW2, which was fundamental to the development of "the special relationship". There are several mentions of Alastair Denniston particularly the initial contacts with the Americans (from 26.00 mins), and describing his Bletchley Park office (from 28 mins 22 secs).
Comprehensive online summary article:- Alastair Denniston
William Friedman, the American cryptographer who broke the Japanese Purple Code, later wrote to Denniston's daughter "Your father was a great man in whose debt all English-speaking people will remain for a very long time, if not forever. That so few should know exactly what he did ... is the sad part."