Coote Hedley Colonel Sir Walter Coote Hedley KBE , CB , CMG ( 12 December 1865 – 27 December 1937 ) was a British Army officer who began his career in the Royal Engineers and later moved into military intelligence . He was also a gifted amateur sportsman who played first - class cricket for several County Championship sides as a right - handed batsman and right - arm fast - medium bowler . He also competed to a high level in rackets and golf . Hedley was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1884 . He became a surveyor in the 1890s and was attached to the Ordnance Survey . This work was interrupted by service in South Africa throughout the Second Boer War , and from 1906 – 1908 by his appointment as an advisor to the Survey of India . In 1911 he was appointed to command MO4 , also known as the Geographical Section of the General Staff . During the First World War this organisation was responsible for producing all the maps required by British Empire forces around the world , and in particular mapping the ever - changing trench system on the Western Front . Following the end of the war , he retired from the army in 1920 . He was also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and served on the society ' s council . Hedley ' s first - class cricket career began in 1888 with the Gentlemen of England and Kent County Cricket Club . The majority of his county matches were for Somerset County Cricket Club whom he first represented in 1886 in non - first - class games . His first County Championship games for them were in 1890 , and he had a regular place in the side from 1892 . He also made first - class appearances for I Zingari and Marylebone Cricket Club on various occasions . On his return he played minor counties cricket in 1902 , but played no more high - level cricket until 1905 when he briefly returned to the County Championship , playing for Hampshire County Cricket Club in three matches . Hedley was also a useful rackets player — reaching the final of the amateur championships , held at the Queen ' s Club , in 1890 . In later life he turned to golf , playing off a scratch handicap . Early life and army career . Hedley was born at Heathfield , Somerset on 12 December 1865 . He was educated at Marlborough College , and then proceeded to Royal Military Academy , Woolwich . He was commissioned into the Royal Engineers ( RE ) as a lieutenant on 9 December 1884 , and promoted captain on 17 January 1894 . However , a report in " The Times " in 1890 , on the final of the rackets amateur championship at Queen ' s Club already refers to him as " Captain W . C . Hedley " . Also , a history of 20 Survey Company RE published by the Royal Engineers Museum lists him as captain and officer commanding from 1893 . In October 1899 he briefly moved to 19 Survey Company . From 1895 he was attached to the Ordnance Survey . The outbreak of the Second Boer War then took Hedley to South Africa , one of the biggest problems facing the British was the lack of suitable maps , so his surveying experience was in demand . Serving with 17 Field Company Royal Engineers , which went to South Africa in November 1899 , he was present at the Relief of Ladysmith , and was Mentioned in Despatches in a despatch dated 30 March 1900 , though this was not gazetted until February 1901 . The same Gazette carried a further Mention in a despatch dated 9 November 1900 . He had been hospitalised earlier in 1900 , and was discharged to return to duty in the week ending 18 May 1900 . He received a third Mention in September 1901 for service up to April 1901 . On 9 July 1901 he left Port Natal on the transport " City of Cambridge " which was due to arrive at Southampton on 3 August . His obituary in " The Times " records that he served in the Boer War until 1902 , so he must have returned at a later date . On 29 September 1901 he received brevet promotion to major for his South African service , substantive promotion to that rank came on 18 January 1902 . He also received the Queen ' s South Africa Medal , with six clasps , for his service during the Boer War . Hedley returned to 19 Company once the war was over , and remained with them until 1903 , and he continued in surveying duties with the Ordnance Survey until 1906 . He was then appointed as an advisor to the Survey of India in order to modernise the methods used to produce maps , following efforts by the previous Viceroy of India , George Curzon , 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston , to reform the Survey . Though Hedley faced some resistance to the proposals he made , he was ultimately successful in achieving reform . The Geodetic & Research Branch of the Survey of India still holds in its archives , " Notes on the organization , methods and process of the photo - litho office , Calcutta " by Major W . C Hedley . He returned to the United Kingdom , and the Ordnance Survey , in 1908 , now concentrating on new colour printing techniques . He was promoted lieutenant - colonel on 27 May 1910 . Hedley was appointed a General Staff Officer , Grade 1 at the War Office on 20 September 1911 , and took command of the Geographical Section General Staff , also known as MO4 . The MO prefix stood for " Military Operations " and in 1916 would be changed to " Military Intelligence " , thus give rise to the familiar abbreviations , MI5 and MI6 . Hedley succeeded Charles Close who had been appointed Director General of the Ordnance Survey . The duties of the department were to provide to the British Army maps of all areas of the world — other than the United Kingdom , for which the Ordnance Survey was responsible , and India , which was the responsibility of the India Office , via the Survey of India . Its remit also extended to advising government departments on geographical matters , particular relating to international boundaries . Hedley later reached the rank of Colonel and was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire , Companion of the Order of the Bath and Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George . He headed up the geographical section of British Military Intelligence , designated MO4 , leading a 24 man staff . Cricket career . Early years . Hedley made his first - class debut for the Gentlemen of England against Cambridge University in 1888 , opening the bowling for the Gentlemen in both innings , returning 4 wickets for 44 runs ( 4 / 44 ) in the first , and 3 / 42 in the second . After playing a second match for the Gentlemen against Oxford University , Hedley made his county debut later in the same season for Kent against Gloucestershire . Hedley represented Kent in two more matches during the 1888 season against Middlesex , where he took fourteen Middlesex wickets for 109 runs at Lord ' s , during which doubts were expressed about his delivery . With Lord Harris striving to stamp out unfair bowling , Hedley did not get a regular place in the Kent team . Hedley ' s final match for Kent came against Surrey a couple of weeks later . Hedley represented I Zingari against the Gentlemen of England three years running from 1888 as part of the Scarborough Festival , claiming fourteen wickets at an average of 14 . 00 . In 1890 Hedley made his debut for the Marylebone Cricket Club against Cambridge University . Hedley played 4 matches for the Marylebone Cricket Club , with his final match for the club coming against Cambridge University in 1893 . Somerset . Having played two matches for Somerset in 1886 , when the county did not have first - class status , and a further two in their successful 1890 season , Hedley started playing regularly for the county in 1892 , when he made his first - class debut for the county against Kent in the County Championship . Hedley played 84 first - class matches for Somerset from 1892 to 1904 , with his final first - class match for the county coming against Hampshire . In his 84 first - class matches for the county Hedley scored 2 , 395 runs at a batting average of 18 . 14 , with 12 half centuries , 2 centuries and a high score of 102 against Yorkshire in 1892 . An all - rounder , with the ball Hedley took 254 wickets at a bowling average of 20 . 77 , with 14 five wicket haul s , 3 ten wicket hauls in a match and best figures of 8 / 18 against Yorkshire in 1895 . In the field Hedley took 55 catches for Somerset . Later years . In 1902 Hedley turned out for Devon in a single Minor Counties Championship match against Glamorgan . In 1905 Hedley joined Hampshire , making his debut for the county against Northamptonshire . Hedley played just two further matches for the county in 1905 , with those matches coming against Surrey and finally Derbyshire . As well as playing first - class matches for those teams already mentioned , Hedley also represented AJ Webbe ' s XI and the Gentlemen in Gentlemen v Players fixtures . In Hedley ' s overall first - class career he scored 2 , 834 runs at a batting average of 17 . 28 , with 13 half centuries , 2 centuries and a high score of 102 . With the ball Hedley took 343 wickets at a bowling average of 19 . 32 , with 23 five wicket hauls , 5 ten wicket hauls in a match and best figures of 8 / 18 . In the field Hedley took a combined total of 76 catches . Death . Hedley died on 27 December 1937 at Sunningdale , Berkshire .