Admiral Sir Barry Domvile, later interned during World War II was Director of Naval Intelligence from 1927 to 1930.
James Bond author Ian Fleming worked in the Department during World War II, where his most celebrated coup was the capture of Adolf Hitler's deputy Rudolf Hess. Fleming's boss Rear Admiral John Godfrey was one of the role models for James Bond's boss M.
NID also initiated No.30 Commando (AU) - Assault Unit - whose role was information gathering, recognisance and sabotage. One operation's leader, Patrick Dalzel-Job, is widely acknowledged as the prominent model upon which Fleming based Bond.