Beginning in 1919 he attempted to absorb the counterintelligence service MI5 into the SIS to strengthen Britain's efforts against Bolshevism, an idea that was finally rejected in 1925. The SIS remained small and underfunded during the interwar years.[2] By 1936, Sinclair realised that the Gestapo had penetrated several SIS stations and Claude Dansey, who had been removed from his station in Rome, set up Z Organization, intended to work independently of the compromised SIS.[8]
In 1938, with a second war looming, Sinclair set up Section D, dedicated to sabotage. In spring 1938, using £6,000 of his own money, he bought Bletchley Park to be a wartime intelligence station.[9]
Sinclair was asked in December 1938 to prepare a dossier on Adolf Hitler, for the attention of Lord Halifax, the Foreign Secretary, and Neville Chamberlain, the Prime Minister.[10] In the dossier, which was received poorly by Sir George Mounsey, the Foreign Office assistant undersecretary, who believed that it did not gel with Britain's policy of appeasement, Sinclair described Hitler as possessing the characteristics of "fanaticism, mysticism, ruthlessness, cunning, vanity, moods of exaltation and depression, fits of bitter and self-righteous resentment; and what can only be termed a streak of madness; but with it all there is a great tenacity of purpose, which has often been combined with extraordinary clarity of vision".[11]
Sinclair became seriously ill with cancer, causing Alexander Cadogan to note on 19 October 1939, that he was "going downhill". On 29 October, Sinclair underwent an operation for his cancer and died on 4 November 1939, aged 66, five days before the Venlo incident.[12]
Family
Hugh was the son of Admiral Frederick Beauchamp Paget Seymour, 1st Baron Alcester[13] and Agnes Sinclair. In his will, Frederick Seymour, left the balance of his estate to Agnes Sinclair for her lifetime. On her death, two fifths were left to Frederick Charles Horace Sinclair and one fifth each to Hugh Francis Paget Sinclair, Claude Hamilton Sinclair and Evelyn Beauchamp Sinclair.[14]
Hugh married, in 1907, Gertrude Attenborough and had two sons. They were divorced in 1920.[15][16]
^ abChristopher Andrew, "Sinclair, Sir Hugh Francis Paget (1873–1939)", rev. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2008
^Johnson, John (1997). The Evolution of British Sigint: 1653–1939. HMSO. p. 44. ASIN B002ALSXTC.
^M. R. D. Foot, "Dansey, Sir Claude Edward Marjoribanks (1876–1947)", rev. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2008
^Michael Smith, Station X, Channel 4 Books, 1998. ISBN0-330-41929-3, p. 20
^"Spy secrets failed to win Whitehall's trust". Financial Times. 31 March 2005. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
hugh, sinclair, other, people, named, disambiguation, admiral, hugh, francis, paget, sinclair, august, 1873, november, 1939, known, quex, sinclair, british, intelligence, officer, director, british, naval, intelligence, between, 1919, 1921, subsequently, helpe. For other people named Hugh Sinclair see Hugh Sinclair disambiguation Admiral Sir Hugh Francis Paget Sinclair KCB 18 August 1873 4 November 1939 known as Quex Sinclair was a British intelligence officer He was Director of British Naval Intelligence between 1919 and 1921 and he subsequently helped to set up the Secret Intelligence Service SIS commonly MI6 and GCHQ Admiral SirHugh SinclairKCBSinclair in a carriage in TallinnBorn18 August 1873Southampton Hampshire EnglandDied4 November 1939 aged 66 London EnglandOccupationIntelligence officerAwardsKCBEspionage activityAllegianceUnited KingdomService branchSecret Intelligence Service SIS MI6 Service years1923 1939RankChief of the Secret Intelligence Service Contents 1 Career 2 Family 3 Awards and decorations 4 ReferencesCareer EditSinclair was educated at Stubbington House School and joined the Royal Navy as a cadet aged 13 on 15 July 1886 1 2 He was promoted to lieutenant on 31 December 1894 3 He entered the Naval Intelligence Division at the beginning of the First World War He became Director of Naval Intelligence in February 1919 and Chief of the Submarine Service in 1921 4 He became the second director of SIS in 1923 He was promoted vice admiral on 3 March 1926 and full admiral on 15 May 1930 5 6 Sinclair also founded GC amp CS later to be known as GCHQ in 1919 7 Beginning in 1919 he attempted to absorb the counterintelligence service MI5 into the SIS to strengthen Britain s efforts against Bolshevism an idea that was finally rejected in 1925 The SIS remained small and underfunded during the interwar years 2 By 1936 Sinclair realised that the Gestapo had penetrated several SIS stations and Claude Dansey who had been removed from his station in Rome set up Z Organization intended to work independently of the compromised SIS 8 In 1938 with a second war looming Sinclair set up Section D dedicated to sabotage In spring 1938 using 6 000 of his own money he bought Bletchley Park to be a wartime intelligence station 9 Sinclair was asked in December 1938 to prepare a dossier on Adolf Hitler for the attention of Lord Halifax the Foreign Secretary and Neville Chamberlain the Prime Minister 10 In the dossier which was received poorly by Sir George Mounsey the Foreign Office assistant undersecretary who believed that it did not gel with Britain s policy of appeasement Sinclair described Hitler as possessing the characteristics of fanaticism mysticism ruthlessness cunning vanity moods of exaltation and depression fits of bitter and self righteous resentment and what can only be termed a streak of madness but with it all there is a great tenacity of purpose which has often been combined with extraordinary clarity of vision 11 Sinclair became seriously ill with cancer causing Alexander Cadogan to note on 19 October 1939 that he was going downhill On 29 October Sinclair underwent an operation for his cancer and died on 4 November 1939 aged 66 five days before the Venlo incident 12 Family EditHugh was the son of Admiral Frederick Beauchamp Paget Seymour 1st Baron Alcester 13 and Agnes Sinclair In his will Frederick Seymour left the balance of his estate to Agnes Sinclair for her lifetime On her death two fifths were left to Frederick Charles Horace Sinclair and one fifth each to Hugh Francis Paget Sinclair Claude Hamilton Sinclair and Evelyn Beauchamp Sinclair 14 Hugh married in 1907 Gertrude Attenborough and had two sons They were divorced in 1920 15 16 Awards and decorations Edit1911 King George V Coronation Medal 17 1916 Companion of the Order of the Bath 18 1918 3rd Class Order of the Rising Sun 19 1918 Officer the Legion of Honour 20 1935 Knight Commander the Order of the Bath 21 1937 King George VI Coronation Medal 22 References Edit National Archives Ref ADM 196 141 96 a b Christopher Andrew Sinclair Sir Hugh Francis Paget 1873 1939 rev Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford University Press 2004 online edn May 2008 National Archives Ref ADM 196 89 78 Senior Royal Navy Appointments PDF Archived from the original PDF on 15 March 2012 Retrieved 6 September 2015 No 33139 The London Gazette 5 March 1926 p 1650 No 33606 The London Gazette 16 May 1930 p 3069 Johnson John 1997 The Evolution of British Sigint 1653 1939 HMSO p 44 ASIN B002ALSXTC M R D Foot Dansey Sir Claude Edward Marjoribanks 1876 1947 rev Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford University Press 2004 online edn May 2008 Michael Smith Station X Channel 4 Books 1998 ISBN 0 330 41929 3 p 20 Spy secrets failed to win Whitehall s trust Financial Times 31 March 2005 Retrieved 1 July 2012 Foreign Office files Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine Andrew pp 436 438 Sinclair family papers Royal Museums Greenwich https www rmg co uk collections objects rmgc object 482549 Berrow s Worcester Journal Worcester England Saturday 18 May 1895 pg 2 Issue 10517 The Times London England Wednesday Dec 22 1920 pg 4 National Archives Ref J 77 1688 2518 Divorce Court File 2518 Royal Navy Medal Rolls 1793 1955 Ref ADM171 61 No 12947 The Edinburgh Gazette 5 June 1916 p 980 No 31038 The London Gazette Supplement 26 November 1918 p 14091 No 31063 The London Gazette Supplement 10 December 1918 p 14685 No 34166 The London Gazette Supplement 31 May 1935 p 3594 King George VI 1937 Coronation Medal Roll Ref QLIB5 7 Military officesPreceded byWilliam Hall Director of Naval Intelligence1919 1921 Succeeded byMaurice FitzmauricePreceded byDouglas Dent Chief of the Submarine Service1921 1923 Succeeded byWilmot NicholsonGovernment officesPreceded bySir Mansfield Cumming Chief of the SIS1923 1939 Succeeded byStewart Menzies Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hugh Sinclair amp oldid 1143017847, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
