John Jones (MI5 officer)

Sir John Lewis Jones, KCB (17 February 1923 – 9 March 1998) was Director General of MI5, the United Kingdom's internal security service, from 1981 until 1985.


John Jones

Born17 February 1923
Died9 March 1998(1998-03-09) (aged 75)
NationalityBritish
Alma materChrist's College, Cambridge
Occupation(s)Intelligence Officer, Civil servant
AwardsKCB
Espionage activity
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service branchMI5
Service years1955–1985
RankDirector General of MI5

Career edit

Jones was a native of Wigton in Cumbria, and went to The Nelson Thomlinson School in that town. A graduate of Christ's College, Cambridge, where he read History, he became an officer in the Royal Artillery during World War II and served as a civil servant in the pre-independence Government of Sudan.[1] He joined the Security Service in 1955.[2] He became Deputy Director General in 1976. He was Director General of MI5 from 1981 to 1985.[3]

He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 1983 New Year Honours.[4]

References edit

  1. ^ The Defence of the Realm, by Christopher Andrew, Page 556, Published by Allen Lane, 2009, ISBN 978-0-7139-9885-6
  2. ^ Andrew, Page 556
  3. ^ Andrew, Page 853
  4. ^ "No. 49212". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1982. p. 3.
Government offices
Preceded by Director General of MI5
1981–1985
Succeeded by