| Department Name |
Region of Responsibility |
Department Alternative Names |
Department Head and Tenure |
| Western Department |
East Germany, Berlin, West Germany |
Western and Southern Department,1952-1954 |
Sir Nicolas J.A. Cheetham, 1952-1954 |
| |
|
Western Department, 1954-1962 |
Sir Patrick F. Hancock, 1954-1955 |
| |
|
Central Department, 1962-1963 |
Sir Charles H. Johnston, 1955-1956 |
| |
|
Western European Department, 1968 onwards |
Sir Patrick F. Hancock, 1956-1959 |
| |
|
|
Sir Edward E. Tomkins, 1959-1962 |
| |
|
|
Sir W. Bernard J. Ledwidge, 1863-1965 |
| |
|
|
Sir Alan H. Campbell, 1965-1967 |
| |
|
|
Hugh T. Morgan, 1967-1970 |
| |
|
|
John K. Drinkall, 1970-1971 |
| |
|
|
Sir Cynlais (Kenneth) M. James, 1971-1975 |
| |
|
|
Sir A. David S. Goodall, 1975-1979 |
| |
|
|
David A. S. Gladstone, 1979-1982 |
| |
|
|
Sir Andrew M. Wood, 1982-1983 |
| |
|
|
Sir Michael J. Llewellyn-Smith, 1983-1985 |
| |
|
|
Sir David J.M. Dain, 1985-1989 |
| |
|
|
Sir Hilary N.H. Synnott, 1989-1991 |
| Northern Department |
Soviet Union, Scandinavia, and Eastern Europe except for Yugoslavia, Albania, and East Germany |
Harry Hohler, 1951-1956 |
| |
|
|
Lord Thomas Brimelow, 1956-1960 |
| |
|
|
R. Heath Mason, 1960-1963 |
| |
|
|
Sir J. Nicholas Henderson, 1963 |
| |
|
|
Sir Howard F.T. Smith, 1964-1968 |
| Central Department |
East Germany, Berlin, West Germany |
Central Department, 1952-1954 |
Sir W. Dennis Allen, 1952-1953 |
| |
|
Central Department, 1962-1968 |
Sir Patrick F. Hancock, 1953-1954 |
| |
|
|
Sir Edward E. Tomkins, 1962-1963 |
| |
|
|
Sir Derek S.L. Dodson, 1963-1966 |
| |
|
|
Alan E. Davison, 1966-1968 |
| Eastern European and Soviet Department |
|
Eastern European and Soviet Department, 1968-1983 |
Sir C. Sydney R. Giffard, 1968-1971 |
| |
|
Eastern European Department, 1983-1991 |
Sir Julian L. Bullard, 1971-1975 |
| |
|
|
Sir Bryan G. Cartledge, 1975-1977 |
| |
|
|
Sir Kenneth B.A. Scott, 1977-1979 |
| |
|
|
Sir Christopher L.G. Mallaby, 1979-1980 |
| |
|
|
Sir Brian J.P. Fall, 1980-1981 |
| |
|
|
Sir Nigel H.R.A. Broomfield, 1981-1983 |
| |
|
|
Sir John A. Birch, 1983-1986 |
| |
|
|
Sir Anthony St.J. H. Figgis, 1986-1988 |
| |
|
|
Christopher Hulse, 1988-1992 |
| Soviet Department |
Soviet Union |
Soviet Department, 1983-1992 |
Sir Nigel H.R.A. Broomfield, 1983-1985 |
| |
|
|
Sir Michael J. Llewellyn-Smith, 1985-1987 |
| |
|
|
Simon N.P. Hemans 1987-1990 |
| Southern Department |
Albania, Yugoslavia |
Southern Department, 1954-1961 |
William H. Young, 1954-1957 |
| |
|
Southern Europe, 1968-1974 |
Sir John M. Addis, 1957-1960 |
| |
|
Southern Europe, 1975-2001 |
Sir Roderick F.G. Sarell, 1960-1961 |
| |
|
|
Robert H.G. Edmonds, 1968-1969 |
| |
|
|
Sir Reginald L. Seconde, 1969-1972 |
| |
|
|
Alan Brooke Turner, 1972-1973 |
| |
|
|
Sir Alan C. Goodison, 1973-1976 |
| |
|
|
Ian S. Winchester, 1976-1978 |
| |
|
|
Sir Timothy L.A. Daunt, 1978-1981 |
| |
|
|
Lord Wilson of Tillyorn, 1981-1984 |
| |
|
|
Richard A. Neilson, 1984-1987 |
| |
|
|
Sir Michael C.S. Weston, 1987-1990 |
| Information Research Department |
|
Information Research Department, 1948-1977 |
Sir F. Ralph H. Murray, 1948-1951 |
| |
|
Overseas Information, 1977-1980 |
Sir John H. Peck, 1951-1953 |
| |
|
Information, 1980-2000 |
Sir John O. Rennie, 1953-1980 |
| |
|
|
Sir Donald C. Hopson, 1958-1962 |
| |
|
|
Christopher F.R. Barclay, 1962-1966 |
| |
|
|
Nigel D. Clive, 1966-1969 |
| |
|
|
Kenneth R. Crook, 1969-1971 |
| |
|
|
Thomas C. Barker, 1971-1975 |
| |
|
|
Sir Raymond W. Whitney, 1976-1980 |
| |
|
|
James N. Allan, 1978-1980 |
| |
|
|
Keith G. MacInnes, 1980-1983 |
| |
|
|
Sir Terence J. Clark, 1983-1985 |
| |
|
|
Peter R.M. Hinchcliffe, 1985-1987 |
| |
|
|
Richard J.S. Muir, 1987-1990 |
