The Institute of Navigation was born on 12 March 1947 in the Boardroom of Lloyds Register of Shipping. More will be said of this later, but the birth is well documented and defined.

It will surprise no one that the conception is much less easily defined, but it is certainly no less significant a part of the genesis of the Institute. This article is an attempt to outline the early history of the Institute.

During 1944 and 1945 an Institute of Navigation was formed in the United States and, in May 1945, it held its first Annual General Meeting with Professor Sam Herrick — a well-known American astronomer — as its Executive Secretary. Its meetings were attended by the Navigation Specialist on the British Air Commission in Washington (Squadron Leader D. O. Fraser) and duly reported back, through the Commission, to the Air Ministry in the United Kingdom.