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Antony Duff

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The Right Honourable Sir
Antony Duff
GCMG CVO DSO DSC
Born
Arthur Antony Duff

(1920-02-25)25 February 1920
Died13 August 2000(2000-08-13) (aged 80)
NationalityBritish
EducationBritannia Royal Naval College
Occupations
SpousePauline Sword
Awards
Espionage activity
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service branchMI5
Service years1985–1988
RankDirector General of MI5
Military career
Service / branch Royal Navy
Commands

Sir Arthur Antony Duff GCMG CVO DSO DSC PC (25 February 1920 – 13 August 2000) was a senior British diplomat and Director General of MI5.

Early life and naval service

Born in 1920 to Admiral Sir Arthur Allen Morison Duff KCB and Margaret Grace Dawson at Var Trees House, Moreton.[1] Educated at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, Duff started his career in the Royal Navy where he was a submarine commander during the Second World War; he briefly commanded HMS Otway and HMS L23 in 1942 before commanding HMS Stubborn from December 1942 to July 1944.[2]

Diplomatic career

After the war Duff joined the Diplomatic Service in January 1946.[1] He was Counsellor and Head of the Chancery of the United Kingdom Embassy in West Germany from 1962 to 1964, the British Ambassador to Nepal from 1964 to 1965; the Head of the South Asia Department of the Foreign Office from 1965 to 1969; the Deputy High Commissioner to Malaysia from 1969 to 1972; and the British High Commissioner to Kenya from 1972 to 1975.[3][4]

Duff was the Deputy Under Secretary for Middle East and Africa from 1975 to 1977; and the Deputy Under Secretary for Defence and Intelligence from 1977 to 1990, including serving concurrently as the Senior Deputy Under Secretary from 1976 to 1979.[1] Having led the British official delegation to the Lancaster House talks, he became Deputy Governor of Southern Rhodesia under Lord Soames from 1979 to 1980.[5]

Cabinet Office and MI5

Duff was sworn of the Privy Council in 1980, the first diplomat to be so honoured since Sir Alexander Cadogan in 1940. Duff was Deputy Secretary (Intelligence and Security Co-ordinator) at the Cabinet Office with responsibility for security matters from 1980 to 1984. He was then Director General of the Security Service (MI5) from 1985 to 1988.[6][7]

Later life

After his retirement in January 1988, Duff worked as a volunteer in a centre for the homeless and was a board member of Homeless Network in London.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Duff, Sir (Arthur) Antony (1920–2000), diplomatist and intelligence officer". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/74488. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. Retrieved 15 April 2021. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ Lt. Arthur Anthony Duff DSO, DSC, uboat.net
  3. ^ "Duff, Rt Hon. Sir (Arthur) Antony, (25 Feb. 1920–13 Aug. 2000), PC 1980; Deputy Secretary, Cabinet Office, 1980–84; Director General, Security Service, 1985–87, retired". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u178117. ISBN 978-0-19-954089-1. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  4. ^ "British Diplomats Directory: Part 1 of 4". 18 March 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  5. ^ Southern Rhodesia Constitution (Interim Provisions) Order 1979, Hansard, 14 December 1979
  6. ^ Sir Antony Duff, The Daily Telegraph, 21 August 2000
  7. ^ "Sir Antony Duff | MI5 - The Security Service". mi5.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  8. ^ Obituary: Sir Antony Duff, The Guardian, 18 August 2000

Further reading

  • Andrew, Christopher (2010). Defence of the Realm: The Authorized History of MI5. London: Penguin. ISBN 978-0-14-102330-4.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Ambassador to Nepal
1964–1965 		Succeeded by
Preceded by High Commissioner to Kenya
1972–1975 		Succeeded by
Government offices
Preceded by Director General of MI5
1985–1988 		Succeeded by
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