Daniel Gibson Harris
Encyclopedia
Daniel Gibson Harris was an accountant, a British agent during World War II and a writer on Swedish naval history.
He was born in Great Missenden
, Buckinghamshire
, England and, after attending Sherborne School
, trained as a chartered accountant
. He joined the Royal Naval Supplementary Volunteer Reserve but, having learned Swedish, was sent in 1940 to the British embassy in Stockholm
as Assistant Naval Attache, and remained there for the rest of the war. During Operation Rheinübung
, together with his superior, Captain Henry Denham, he obtained details of the current position of the Bismarck
- this information then led to its chase and eventual sinking by the British Navy. In 1943, he met and married Marianne Syk - their marriage continued until his death. Towards the end of his life, he wrote and published a memoir, Observed Secretly: Northern Window about his experiences during the War.
After the war, Harris remained in Stockholm for a while as an employee of the English Steel Corporation, and then moved first to New York
and then to Alberta
, Canada. In 1960, he joined the National Energy Board and in 1963, moved to Ottawa where he helped found the Canadian Nordic Society.
After he retired in the early 1980s, Harris took a BA in History at Carleton University
and started seriously pursuing his interest in Swedish naval history
. In 1989, he published his first book F H Chapman
: The First Naval Architect and his work.. He also published a number of papers and articles on Swedish naval history, continuing to do so until his final years. In 1991, he was awarded the Silver Medal of Merit of the Swedish Royal Society of Naval Sciences.
Harris died on 19 November 2007 at Bells Corners, Ottawa
, Canada.
He was born in Great Missenden
Great Missenden
Great Missenden is a large village in the Misbourne Valley in the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England, situated between the towns of Amersham and Wendover. It closely adjoins the villages of Little Missenden and Prestwood. The narrow High Street is bypassed by the main A413 London to...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, England and, after attending Sherborne School
Sherborne School
Sherborne School is a British independent school for boys, located in the town of Sherborne in north-west Dorset, England. It is one of the original member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference....
, trained as a chartered accountant
Chartered Accountant
Chartered Accountants were the first accountants to form a professional body, initially established in Britain in 1854. The Edinburgh Society of Accountants , the Glasgow Institute of Accountants and Actuaries and the Aberdeen Society of Accountants were each granted a royal charter almost from...
. He joined the Royal Naval Supplementary Volunteer Reserve but, having learned Swedish, was sent in 1940 to the British embassy in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
as Assistant Naval Attache, and remained there for the rest of the war. During Operation Rheinübung
Operation Rheinübung
Operation Rheinübung was the sortie into the Atlantic by the new German battleship Bismarck and heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen on 18–27 May 1941, during World War II...
, together with his superior, Captain Henry Denham, he obtained details of the current position of the Bismarck
German battleship Bismarck
Bismarck was the first of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the primary force behind the German unification in 1871, the ship was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1936 and launched nearly three years later...
- this information then led to its chase and eventual sinking by the British Navy. In 1943, he met and married Marianne Syk - their marriage continued until his death. Towards the end of his life, he wrote and published a memoir, Observed Secretly: Northern Window about his experiences during the War.
After the war, Harris remained in Stockholm for a while as an employee of the English Steel Corporation, and then moved first to 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...
and then to Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada. In 1960, he joined the National Energy Board and in 1963, moved to Ottawa where he helped found the Canadian Nordic Society.
After he retired in the early 1980s, Harris took a BA in History at Carleton University
Carleton University
Carleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...
and started seriously pursuing his interest in Swedish naval history
Naval history
Naval history is the area of military history concerning war at sea and the subject is also a sub-discipline of the broad field of maritime history....
. In 1989, he published his first book F H Chapman
Fredrik Henrik af Chapman
Fredrik Henrik af Chapman was a Swedish shipbuilder, scientist and officer in the Swedish navy. He was also manager of the Karlskrona shipyard 1782-1793...
: The First Naval Architect and his work.. He also published a number of papers and articles on Swedish naval history, continuing to do so until his final years. In 1991, he was awarded the Silver Medal of Merit of the Swedish Royal Society of Naval Sciences.
Harris died on 19 November 2007 at Bells Corners, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Canada.