Denis Greenhill, Baron Greenhill of Harrow

Sir Denis Arthur Greenhill, Baron Greenhill of Harrow, GCMG, OBE (1913–2000) was the British Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs from 1969 to 1973; an established and respected expert on the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, he had the dubious task of expelling 105 Russian diplomats and officials for spying in 1971.

His early years included roles as Colonel in the Royal Engineers during World War II and then as a diplomat in the Foreign Office.

His later years included roles as Governor of the BBC and as Director of BAT Industries, Hawker Siddeley Group, Wellcome Foundation, Clerical Medical and General Life Assurance, S.G. Warburg and Leyland International.

After the release of John Pilger's documentary Stealing a Nation, it was revealed that Greenhill was also involved in the expulsion of the Chagos Islanders. The documentary noted that he referred to the Chagos Islanders as being "Tarzans" and "Man Fridays".^[1]

He was quoted as noting on the minute: "...Unfortunately along with the birds go some few Tarzans or Man Fridays whose origins are obscure and who are hopefully being wished on to Mauritius...".^[2]

Bibliography

• More By Accident, York, 1992 - Sir Dennis' memoirs

References

1. ^ http://www.johnpilger.com/page.asp?partid=151
2. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1005064.stm

External links

• FCO's Brief History of the Office of Permanent Under-Secretary of State and its Holders
• Obituary appearing in The Guardian
• Obituary appearing in The Telegraph
• Peerage entry

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