Eric Jones

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Person.png Eric Jones  Rdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
(spook, cryptographer)
Sir Eric Malcolm Jones.png
Born27 April 1907
Died24 December 1986 (Age 79)
The first director of GCHQ

Employment.png Director of GCHQ Wikipedia-icon.png

In office
February 1942 - 15 April 1952
Director of "Hut 3", which then emerged as GCHQ.

Sir Eric Malcolm Jones KCMG CB CBE was a cryptographer and during World War II became the head of Hut 3, which was responsible for intelligence on the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe,[1] later he became Director of GCHQ when it emerged as a separate entity.[2]

Career

Jones was born in Buxton, Derbyshire and educated at King's School, Macclesfield.[1] He spent the early part of his life as a manager in a Manchester textile factory.[3]

World War II

He joined the Royal Air Force reserve in 1940 and was then posted to Bletchley Park.[1] From April 1943, Jones was the head of Hut 3, which was responsible for intelligence on the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe.[1]

Post World War II

After WWII he went to Washington D.C. as representative of British Signals Intelligence.[1] He was made Deputy Director of GCHQ in 1950 and was the Director of GCHQ from April 1952 until 1960.[1] He received a knighthood in 1957.[1]

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References

  1. a b c d e f g D. R. Nicoll, Jones, Sir Eric Malcolm (1907-1986), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, 2004
  2. https://bletchleypark.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/record_attachments/1860.pdf
  3. R. A. Ratcliff, Delusions of Intelligence: Enigma, Ultra, and the End of Secure Ciphers, Cambridge University Press, 2006