Denis Oswald (codebreaker)

Denis Oswald
Personal information
Full name	Denis Geoffrey Oswald
Born	12 November 1910; Stanley, Falkland Islands
Died	5 February 1998 (aged 87); Uppingham, Rutland, England
Batting	Right-handed
Domestic team information
1931	Oxford University
1931–1932	Hertfordshire
Career statistics
Matches	2
Runs scored	21
Batting average	21.00
100s/50s	–/–
Top score	16
Catches/stumpings	–/–
	Source: Cricinfo, 7 July 2019

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

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]

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]

^ "Certificates of Nationality Issued in 1919" (PDF). Falkland Islands Government. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
^ "Player profile: Denis Oswald". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
^ "First-Class Matches played by Denis Oswald". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
^ "Minor Counties Championship Matches played by Denis Oswald". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
^ ^a ^b "Major Denis Oswald: The Bletchley Code-Breaker" (PDF). OU Magazine. No. 40. Uppingham: Uppingham School. 2012. p. 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
^ "No. 35269". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 September 1941. p. 5213.