Denis Oswald (codebreaker)

Denis Geoffrey Oswald (12 November 1910 – 5 February 1998) was an English first-class cricketer, educator and a codebreaker at Bletchley Park.

For other people named Denis Oswald, see Denis Oswald (disambiguation).

Denis Oswald
Personal information
Full name
Denis Geoffrey Oswald
Born12 November 1910
Stanley, Falkland Islands
Died5 February 1998(1998-02-05) (aged 87)
Uppingham, Rutland, England
BattingRight-handed
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1931Oxford University
1931–1932Hertfordshire
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 2
Runs scored 21
Batting average 21.00
100s/50s –/–
Top score 16
Catches/stumpings –/–
Source: Cricinfo, 7 July 2019

Early life and first-class cricket

Oswald was born at Stanley in the Falkland Islands to Louis and Lillian Oswald. He left the Falklands for England with his family when he was 8 years old aboard the SS Inca.[1] He was educated in England at St Lawrence College, Ramsgate, before going up to Wadham College, Oxford.[2] While studying at Oxford, he made two appearances in first-class cricket for Oxford University in 1931, playing against Leicestershire and the touring New Zealanders at Oxford.[3] In addition to playing first-class cricket, Oswald also played minor counties cricket for Hertfordshire in 1931 and 1932, making a total of nine appearances in the Minor Counties Championship.[4] After graduating from Oxford in 1932, Oswald took up the post of languages teacher at Uppingham School.[5]

Bletchley Park

Oswald served in the Intelligence Corps during the Second World War, initially as a private. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in June 1941.[6] In Autumn 1942, Oswald, alongside Ralph Tester, Jerry Roberts and Peter Ericsson, founded the Testery section at Bletchley Park.[5]

References
  1. "Certificates of Nationality Issued in 1919" (PDF). Falkland Islands Government. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  2. "Player profile: Denis Oswald". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  3. "First-Class Matches played by Denis Oswald". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  4. "Minor Counties Championship Matches played by Denis Oswald". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  5. "Major Denis Oswald: The Bletchley Code-Breaker" (PDF). OU Magazine. No. 40. Uppingham: Uppingham School. 2012. p. 28. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  6. "No. 35269". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 September 1941. p. 5213.
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