Sir Clive Loehnis KCMG (24 August 1902 - 23 May 1992) is a former director of the British signals intelligence agency, GCHQ, a post he held from 1960 to 1964.

Career

Loehnis was born in 1902 in Chelsea, London

Chelsea, London

Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...

. His father, Herman Loehnis, was born in New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, but had become a naturalised British citizen and became a barrister.

Clive Loehnis attended Lockers Park School

Lockers Park School

Lockers Park School is a day and boarding preparatory school for 140 boys, situated in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. Each year it sends boys to the main public schools in the UK, including Harrow, Eton, Radley, Bradfield and Rugby. Its current headmaster is David Farquharson.-History:Lockers Park...

 and then joined the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

, graduating from the Royal Naval College, Osbourne

Osborne House

Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK. The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a summer home and rural retreat....

, the Britannia Royal Naval College

Britannia Royal Naval College

Britannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon, England. While Royal Naval officer training has taken place in the town since 1863, the buildings which are seen today were only finished in 1905, and...

 in Dartmouth

Dartmouth, Devon

Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...

, and the Royal Naval College, Greenwich. He became qualified in signals in 1928 and left the Navy in 1935. In 1938 he returned to the Signals Division of the Admiralty, where he earned the silver oak leaves of a commander before retiring in 1942 and going into the Naval Intelligence Division

Naval Intelligence Division

The Naval Intelligence Division was the intelligence arm of the British Admiralty before the establishment of a unified Defence Staff in 1965. It dealt with matters concerning British naval plans, with the collection of naval intelligence...

. When he was demobilised after the war, he joined GCHQ, at that time a semi-covert division of the Foreign Office.

Loehnis was appointed deputy to Sir Eric Jones

Eric Malcolm Jones

Sir Eric Malcolm Jones KCMG CB CBE is a former director of the British signals intelligence agency, GCHQ, a post he held from 1952 to 1960.-Career:...

 in 1954. When Jones retired in 1960, Loehis was promoted to the directorship, which he held until 1964. He was knighted in 1962.

Loehnis married Rosemary Ryder in 1929, and the marriage produced a son and a daughter. After leaving GCHQ Loehnis retired to Belgravia

Belgravia

Belgravia is a district of central London in the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Noted for its immensely expensive residential properties, it is one of the wealthiest districts in the world...

, where he died in May 1992.