38 Facts About Frederick Sykes

Frederick Sykes was the first Officer Commanding the Military Wing of the Royal Flying Corps before the First World War, and later served as the Flying Corps' Chief of Staff in France in 1914 and 1915.

In late 1917 and early 1918, Frederick Sykes was the deputy to General Wilson on the Supreme War Council and from April 1918 to early 1919 he served as the second Chief of the Air Staff.

Frederick Sykes lost his seat in 1945 and he died nine years later.

Frederick Sykes was posted to the West African Regiment and granted the local rank of lieutenant on 7 March 1903.

Frederick Sykes was promoted to the substantive rank of lieutenant on 29 July 1903.

Frederick Sykes was restored to the establishment of the 15th Hussars on 22 September 1904.

Frederick Sykes joined the Intelligence Staff at Simla in India in 1905 before attending Staff College, Quetta in Autumn 1908.

Frederick Sykes was promoted to captain on 1 October 1908.

In 1910 Frederick Sykes commenced flying lessons at Brooklands which led to him being awarded Royal Aero Club certificate No 96 in June 1911.

On 25 February 1911 Frederick Sykes was posted as a staff officer to the Directorate of Military Operations at the War Office.

On 13 May 1912 Frederick Sykes was appointed Officer Commanding the Military Wing of the Royal Flying Corps with the temporary rank of major.

Frederick Sykes's duties included the recruitment and training of pilots.

General Henderson became the general officer commanding the Royal Flying Corps in the Field and Frederick Sykes acted as his chief of staff from 5 August 1914.

On 22 November 1914, Henderson was appointed General Officer Commanding the 1st Division and Frederick Sykes took up command of the Royal Flying Corps in the Field.

The decision to post Henderson and replace him with Frederick Sykes was not to Lord Kitchener's liking and he ordered a reversal of the posting.

On 21 December 1914, Henderson resumed command of the Royal Flying Corps in the Field and Frederick Sykes was granted the temporary rank of colonel and made his chief of staff.

Frederick Sykes was promoted to the substantive rank of brevet lieutenant colonel on 18 February 1915.

Unsurprisingly as chief of staff, Frederick Sykes took the former view and following increasing arguments, Frederick Sykes was posted on 26 May 1915 being placed at the disposal of the Admiralty.

Frederick Sykes visited the Dardanelles to investigate the confused air situation and after writing a report he was appointed as the Officer Commanding the Royal Naval Air Service Eastern Mediterranean Station on 24 July 1915 with the rank of colonel second commandant in the Royal Marines as well as the rank of Wing Captain in the Royal Naval Air Service.

Frederick Sykes was honoured as Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George on 14 March 1916 and mentioned in despatches on 16 March 1916.

Frederick Sykes was made assistant adjutant and quartermaster-general of the 4th Mounted Division in March 1916 and, having been awarded the Russian Order of St Vladimir, 4th Class on 12 April 1916, he was appointed assistant adjutant-general at the War Office with responsibility for organising the Machine Gun Corps and manpower planning on 9 June 1916.

Frederick Sykes was made Deputy Director of Organisation at the War Office and granted the temporary rank of brigadier general on 8 February 1917.

Accordingly, on 1 January 1919 Frederick Sykes was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath and allowed to take early retirement with the rank of major general with effect from 31 March 1919.

Frederick Sykes was appointed a Commander of the Belgian Order of Leopold on 15 July 1919 and awarded the American Distinguished Service Medal on the same date.

Frederick Sykes was granted the rank of air vice marshal when the RAF introduced its own rank structure on 1 August 1919, appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire on 26 August 1919 and appointed an officer of the French Legion of Honour on 18 November 1919.

From 1919 to 1922, Frederick Sykes was the Controller of Civil Aviation.

Frederick Sykes was awarded the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun, 2nd Class on 4 January 1921 and in 1922 he published Aviation in War and Peace, a history of aviation in three chapters which covered pre-War flight, aviation during World War I and both military and civil aviation in peace time.

Frederick Sykes entered political life at the general election in November 1922 when he was elected the Conservative Member of Parliament for Sheffield Hallam.

Frederick Sykes retained the seat at the 1923 election and the 1924 election.

Frederick Sykes resigned the seat on 26 June 1928 to become Governor of Bombay on 17 October 1928.

Frederick Sykes was appointed a Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire on 3 November 1928 and a member of the Privy Council on 20 November 1928 and served in Bombay until 8 November 1933.

Frederick Sykes returned to Great Britain in 1933 and for the next six years he held various directorships and official committee posts including with the Miners' Welfare Commission and the British Sailors' Society.

Frederick Sykes was appointed a Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India on 2 February 1934 and a Knight of Justice of the Order of St John on 19 June 1936.

Frederick Sykes sat as Nottingham Central MP until defeated at the 1945 general election.

In 1920 Frederick Sykes married Isabel Harrington Law, the elder daughter of Bonar Law, the Conservative Party leader who two years later became Prime Minister.

Frederick Sykes bought the 18th-century Conock Manor, near Devizes in Wiltshire, in 1945 and the associated Manor Farm in 1948.

Lord Blake, who knew Frederick Sykes personally, stayed at Conock while writing his biography of Bonar Law.

Frederick Sykes died at Beaumont Street, London on 30 September 1954, and was cremated at Golders Green.