Dennis Wheatley

DENNIS WHEATLEY d1977. Prolific English author whose output of stylish thrillers and occult novels made him one of the world's best-selling authors between the 1930s-1960s. During WW2, he was a member of the London Controlling Section which secretly coordinated strategic military deception and cover plans. His literary talents led to his working with planning staffs for the War Office. He wrote numerous papers for them, including suggestions for dealing with a possible Nazi invasion of Britain (recounted in his works Stranger than Fiction and The Deception Planners). The most famous of his submissions to the Joint Planning Staff of the war cabinet was on "Total War". He received a direct commission in the JP Service as a Wing Commander RAFVR and took part in the plans for the Normandy invasions. After the war, he was awarded the US Bronze Star for his role in the war effort. He returned to his writing career and during the 1960s his publishers were selling over a million of his books a year. One of his best known works ; "The Devil Rides Out", later becoming a successful Hammer Horror Film release in 1968.He died aged 80 on 10th November 1977.