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{{short description|British Army officer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
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[[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brigadier]] '''Vivian Dykes''' (1898 - 29 January 1943), was the Director of Plans, [[War Office]] between 1939 and 1941 and became the first Chief Combined Secretary British Joint Staff Mission Washington in 1942. He was described as being 'at the heart of allied military policy making'.<ref>'Establishing the Ango-American Alliance: The Second World War Diaries of Bigadier Vivian Dykes' by A. Danchev</ref> In the winter of 1940-41, before the USA had formally entered the war, Dykes was selected for an unusual, but important mission: to escort Colonel [[William Joseph Donovan]], soon to become head of the Office of Strategic Services (forerunner to the [[CIA]]) and head of US intelligence, on a fact-finding tour of the Mediterranean.
[[Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brigadier]] '''Vivian Dykes''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE}} (9 December 1898 in [[Bromley]], Kent – 29 January 1943), known as '''Dumbie Dykes''', was a British civil servant and officer of the [[Royal Engineers]], who ultimately died serving in the [[Second World War]].


==Military career==
⚫
Dykes died in 1943 on approach to [[RAF Talbenny]] on a flight from [[Casablanca]]. On hearing the news [[Winston Churchill]] sent a telegram <ref>Churchill Archives Centre, [http://www-archives.chu.cam.ac.uk/perl/node?a=a;reference=CHAR%2020%2F127%2F55 Telegram to Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal] 1 Feb 1943</ref> to Air Chief Marshal [[Charles Portal|Sir Charles Portal]] asking him to send his condolences to his relatives.
[[File:Lot 11568-17 (24656893251).jpg|thumb|left|200px|American and British military leaders at the [[Casablanca Conference]], January 1943. Brigadier V. Dykes is sat fifth from the left.]]


His war time diaries were edited by Alex Danchev and published under the title 'Establishing the Anglo-American Alliance: The Second World War Diaries of Brigadier Vivian Dykes' in 1990.
He was director of Plans, [[War Office]] between 1939 and 1941 and became the first Chief Combined Secretary British Joint Staff Mission Washington in 1942. He was described as being "at the heart of allied military policy making."<ref>''Establishing the Anglo-American Alliance: The Second World War Diaries of Brigadier Vivian Dykes'' by A. Danchev</ref>

⚫
In the winter of 1940–41, before the U.S. had formally entered the war, Dykes was selected for an unusual, but important mission: to escort Colonel [[William Joseph Donovan]], soon to become head of the [[Office of Strategic Services]] (forerunner to the [[CIA]]) and head of U.S. intelligence, on a fact-finding tour of the Mediterranean.

⚫
Dykes died in 1943 on approach to [[RAF Talbenny]] on a flight from [[Casablanca]]. On hearing the news, [[Winston Churchill]] sent a telegram<ref>Churchill Archives Centre, [http://www-archives.chu.cam.ac.uk/perl/node?a=a;reference=CHAR%2020%2F127%2F55 Telegram to Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal] 1 February 1943</ref> to Air Chief Marshal [[Charles Portal|Sir Charles Portal]] asking him to send his condolences to Dykes' relatives. He was buried at St Michael's Churchyard, Yorktown, Surrey.<ref>[http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-casualty/casualty/4684527/DYKES,%20VIVIAN CWGC casualty record]</ref>

At the time of his death, Dykes was serving as senior British secretary to the combined Chiefs of Staffs. He posthumously received the [[Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army)|Distinguished Service Medal]] and was given a memorial service at [[Washington National Cathedral|Washington Cathedral]] in Washington, D.C., attended by British ambassador [[Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax|Lord Halifax]], General [[George Marshall]], Admiral [[Ernest King]], Admiral Sir [[Percy Noble (Royal Navy officer)|Percy Noble]] and many other dignitaries. The D.C. correspondent for ''[[The Times]]'' called Dykes "one of the most popular British officers who ever came to Washington."<ref name="times">{{cite news |title=Memorial Service for Brigadier Dykes |work=[[The Times]] |page=3 |date=17 February 1943 }}</ref>

His war time diaries were edited by [[Alex Danchev]] and published under the title ''Establishing the Anglo-American Alliance: The Second World War Diaries of Brigadier Vivian Dykes'' in 1990.


==Family==
==Family==
Uncle to [[Michael Swann]] former chairman of the [[BBC]] and [[Hugh Swann]], cabinet maker to [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom]]
Dykes married Ada Winifred (''née'' Smyth) in 1922. Dykes was uncle to [[Michael Swann]], former chairman of the [[BBC]] and [[Hugh Swann]], cabinet maker to Queen [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom]]


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
<references />

==External links==
*{{find a Grave|73327779}}
*[https://generals.dk/general/Dykes/Vivian/Great_Britain.html Generals of World War II]


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Dykes, Vivian
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = British Army officer
| DATE OF BIRTH = 1898
| PLACE OF BIRTH =
| DATE OF DEATH = 29 January 1943
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dykes, Vivian}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dykes, Vivian}}
[[Category:1898 births]]
[[Category:1898 births]]
[[Category:1943 deaths]]
[[Category:1943 deaths]]
[[Category:Military personnel from the London Borough of Bromley]]
[[Category:People from Bromley]]
[[Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Royal Engineers officers]]
[[Category:Royal Engineers officers]]
[[Category:Foreign recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (United States)]]
[[Category:Foreign recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (United States)]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)]]
[[Category:British Army personnel killed in World War II]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Kent]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:British Army brigadiers of World War II]]
[[Category:War Office personnel in World War II]]
[[Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1943]]

Latest revision as of 18:32, 30 August 2024

Brigadier Vivian Dykes, CBE (9 December 1898 in Bromley, Kent – 29 January 1943), known as Dumbie Dykes, was a British civil servant and officer of the Royal Engineers, who ultimately died serving in the Second World War.

Military career

[edit]
American and British military leaders at the Casablanca Conference, January 1943. Brigadier V. Dykes is sat fifth from the left.

He was director of Plans, War Office between 1939 and 1941 and became the first Chief Combined Secretary British Joint Staff Mission Washington in 1942. He was described as being "at the heart of allied military policy making."[1]

In the winter of 1940–41, before the U.S. had formally entered the war, Dykes was selected for an unusual, but important mission: to escort Colonel William Joseph Donovan, soon to become head of the Office of Strategic Services (forerunner to the CIA) and head of U.S. intelligence, on a fact-finding tour of the Mediterranean.

Dykes died in 1943 on approach to RAF Talbenny on a flight from Casablanca. On hearing the news, Winston Churchill sent a telegram[2] to Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal asking him to send his condolences to Dykes' relatives. He was buried at St Michael's Churchyard, Yorktown, Surrey.[3]

At the time of his death, Dykes was serving as senior British secretary to the combined Chiefs of Staffs. He posthumously received the Distinguished Service Medal and was given a memorial service at Washington Cathedral in Washington, D.C., attended by British ambassador Lord Halifax, General George Marshall, Admiral Ernest King, Admiral Sir Percy Noble and many other dignitaries. The D.C. correspondent for The Times called Dykes "one of the most popular British officers who ever came to Washington."[4]

His war time diaries were edited by Alex Danchev and published under the title Establishing the Anglo-American Alliance: The Second World War Diaries of Brigadier Vivian Dykes in 1990.

Family

[edit]

Dykes married Ada Winifred (née Smyth) in 1922. Dykes was uncle to Michael Swann, former chairman of the BBC and Hugh Swann, cabinet maker to Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Establishing the Anglo-American Alliance: The Second World War Diaries of Brigadier Vivian Dykes by A. Danchev
  2. ^ Churchill Archives Centre, Telegram to Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal 1 February 1943
  3. ^ CWGC casualty record
  4. ^ "Memorial Service for Brigadier Dykes". The Times. 17 February 1943. p. 3.
[edit]
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