Sir William Denis Allen,

GCMG The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honour ...

, CB (24 December 1910 – 20 May 1987) was a New Zealand-born British diplomat. His father taught at

Whanganui Collegiate School Whanganui Collegiate School (formerly Wanganui Collegiate School; see here) is a state-integrated, coeducational, day and boarding, secondary school in Whanganui, Manawatū-Whanganui region, New Zealand. The school is affiliated to the Anglica ...

. Allen came to the UK to study for a degree at the University of Cambridge. He entered the UK Diplomatic Service, and his first posting was to the British Embassy in China, accompanied by his wife Della (née Williams). They managed to return to the UK ahead of the Japanese army in the early years of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Allen then worked in the Foreign Office in London and in 1946 was posted to the British Embassy in

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

in the USA with his family, returning to the UK in 1951 to continue diplomatic work in London. Their son is the botanist David Allen. He was knighted in the 1950s. In 1959 he served as United Kingdom Commissioner for Singapore and was subsequently British ambassador to Turkey, and Deputy Under-Secretary of State, Foreign Office.

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* {{NPG name, 102629, Sir (William) Denis Allen 1910 births 1987 deaths People educated at Wanganui High School New Zealand emigrants to the United Kingdom Alumni of Pembroke College, Cambridge Members of HM Diplomatic Service Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Companions of the Order of the Bath