Richard Sykes

Sir Richard Adam Sykes, (8 May 1920 – 22 March 1979) was the British Ambassador to the Netherlands, who was assassinated by the IRA in The Hague in 1979. Early life Richard Sykes was born on 8 May 1920 to Brigadier A. C. Sykes. He was educated at Wellington College and Christ Church, University of Oxford. Second World War During the Second World War, Sykes served in the British Army with the Royal Signals from 1940 to 1946, attaining the rank of major. In 1945 he was awarded the Military Cross as well as the French Croix de Guerre. Diplomatic career Sykes joined HM Foreign Service in 1947 and served at the Foreign Office from 1947 to 1948. He then served in Nanking (1948–50), Peking (1950–52) and returned to the UK to serve at the Foreign Office (1952–56). His next overseas postings took him to Brussels (1956–59), Santiago (1959–62) and Athens (1963–66), before returning to the Foreign Office (1967–69).