From Blinker Hall to Room 39: British Naval Intelligence 1880-1945

Dr. Wells offers an exhilarating deep dive into the world of British Naval Intelligence, exploring its intricacies with a level of detail and professionalism never before seen. As the only living person to have served in both British and United States Intelligence, and having been trained by the leading figures of British Naval Intelligence during World War Two, Anthony Wells brings unmatched expertise to this compelling history. Spanning over 65 years, this book draws readers into a captivating exploration of the political, institutional, organizational, personal, operational, strategic, and technical aspects of British Naval Intelligence across both World Wars. Wells invites us into the inner sanctum of British Naval Intelligence, revealing how history was shaped by the extraordinary expertise, courage, resilience, and intellectual brilliance of those who came from all corners of British society. This book not only enthrals and captivates but also educates, shedding light on the essence of outstanding intelligence work, much of which continues to influence the present day.

Anthony Wells is unique insofar as he is the only living person to have worked for British intelligence as a British citizen and US intelligence as a US citizen, and to have also served in uniform at sea, and ashore, with both the Royal Navy and the US Navy. He is a fifty-year veteran of the Five Eyes intelligence community. In 2017, he was the Keynote Speaker on board H.M.S. Victory in Portsmouth, England, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the famous Zimmermann Telegram intelligence coup by Blinker Hall and his Room 40 team in British Naval Intelligence. The guest of honour was Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, with the Five Eyes community: past and present, represented from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Anthony was trained and mentored in the late 1960s by the very best of the World War II intelligence community, including Sir Harry Hinsley, the famous Bletchley Park code-breaker, official historian of British intelligence in the World War II, Master of St. John s College, Cambridge, and Vice Chancellor of Cambridge University. Sir Harry Hinsley introduced Anthony to the Enigma data before it became public knowledge. He received his PhD in War Studies from King s College, University of London, in 1972. He holds Bachelor s and Master s Degrees from the University of Durham, and a Master s degree from the London School of Economics. He was trained at Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, and received his advanced training at the School of Maritime Operations. He was called to the Bar by Lincoln s Inn in November 1980. Anthony has four children and eight grandchildren and lives on his farm in Virginia. He is a Member of the Naval Order of the United States and was appointed an Honorary Crew Member of the USS Liberty by the USS Liberty Veterans Association. USS Liberty is the most highly decorated warship in the history of the US Navy for a single action, attacked by Israeli air and surface forces on 8 August 1967 in the eastern Mediterranean. Anthony is the third chairman of the USS Liberty Alliance, succeeding the late Admiral Thomas Moorer, former chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff and Chief of Naval Operations, and the late Rear-Admiral Clarence Mark Hill, former distinguished US naval aviator and battle group commander. He is a retired US National Ski patroller and instructor, and a life member and former president of The Plains, Virginia, Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company. Wells is an FAA Commercial pilot with single and multi-engine, land and sea, instrument, and flight instructor Ratings. Anthony was the technical director of Fleet Battle Experiments ALPHA and BRAVO in the Third Fleet, United States Pacific Fleet. He was the chief executive officer of TKC International LLC, a specialist company supporting the US Intelligence Community and Department of Defence, for twenty-five years. He held top secret SCI and special access clearances.

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