John Gilchrist Inglis

[6] He graduated as a midshipman in May 1924 and first saw service on the C-class light cruiser HMS Carysfort with the Atlantic Fleet between September 1924 and January 1925.

[6] On completion of the course, he achieved the full rank of sub-lieutenant before serving on board the Arabis-class sloop HMS Wistaria in the West Indies until August 1929.

[6] Having been promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander in April 1937, he served as flag lieutenant-commander to Vice-Admiral John Tovey, the commander of the destroyer flotillas of the Mediterranean Fleet and then as squadron signal and wireless/telegraphy officer on board the destroyer depot ship HMS Woolwich, later transferring to the Arethusa-class light cruiser HMS Galatea.

[6] In April 1956, the Soviet leaders Nikita Khrushchev and Nikolai Bulganin visited England on a diplomatic mission on board the cruiser Ordzhonikidze.

The incident caused a major diplomatic row, with the Russians accusing British Intelligence of a bungled attempt to spy on their warship.

On 27 April, Inglis (as Director of Naval Intelligence), instructed the Admiralty to announce that Crabb had been specially employed in connection with trials of certain underwater apparatus; he had not returned from a test dive in Stokes Bay and must be presumed drowned.

Inglis pointed out that, instead, "the moment it became clear that a mishap had occurred (name blanked out) was ordered to return to his ship and take no further part in the affair".

[10] The memo mentions "discussions in Admiralty in search of a convincing cover story", and expresses concern that, if the unidentified serviceman had to testify in any legal proceedings, it would involve "further risk of compromise of the true nature of the operation".

Inglis was censured, but he kept his job, and the two permanent secretaries were told they were guilty of an error of judgment in not informing ministers.