Sir Mark Sykes

[chrisharley9]

This may be of interest to those on the forum

Name: SYKES, Sir MARK

Initials: M

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Lieutenant Colonel

Regiment/Service: Yorkshire Regiment

Unit Text: 5th Bn.

Age: 39

Date of Death: 16/02/1919

Additional information: 6th Bart. Commander of the Order of St. Stanislas (Russia). Order of the Star of Roumania. Son of the late Sir Tatton Sykes and Lady Jessica Sykes; husband of Lady Edith Sykes, of Sledmere, Malton, Yorks. M.P. for Central Hull since 1911. J.P.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: In the North-East part.

Cemetery: SLEDMERE (ST. MARY) CHURCHYARD

BBC News Today

The news item shows that his body was repatriated from France

Chris

[Bryn_Hammond]

This may be of interest to those on the forum

Name: SYKES, Sir MARK

Initials: M

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Lieutenant Colonel

Regiment/Service: Yorkshire Regiment

Unit Text: 5th Bn.

Age: 39

Date of Death: 16/02/1919

Additional information: 6th Bart. Commander of the Order of St. Stanislas (Russia). Order of the Star of Roumania. Son of the late Sir Tatton Sykes and Lady Jessica Sykes; husband of Lady Edith Sykes, of Sledmere, Malton, Yorks. M.P. for Central Hull since 1911. J.P.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: In the North-East part.

Cemetery: SLEDMERE (ST. MARY) CHURCHYARD

BBC News Today

The news item shows that his body was repatriated from France

Chris

If he "was working for the government in the Middle East where he helped draw up the national boundaries that still exist in the region today," he is the originator of the Sykes-Picot Agreement (cf 'Lawrence of Arabia' (dir. David Lean) for more )

[Steven Broomfield]

So it's his fault, then.

[Bryn_Hammond]

So it's his fault, then.

Well, him and a French chap ... oh, and possibly a Russian ...

[Potter]

He is the British half of the Sykes Picot Agreement. Georges Picot was a Frenchman

Phil

[stiletto_33853]

His entry in Who was Who, Volume 2, 1916-1928

[Bryn_Hammond]

He is the British half of the Sykes Picot Agreement. Georges Picot was a Frenchman

Phil

Echo

[stiletto_33853]

continued, next page

[PBI]

Surely there is a Major Difference between a Body being repatriated during warfare and that of being Shipped Home at what was effectively the End of Hostilities.The Peace Treaty may not have been concluded,but surely this does not constitute the repatriation of a Soldier.Sykes was a Politician,and is buried in Sledmere...There is a previous thread on the Forum regarding the Waggoners War Memorial...(Fikk as Feeves..PBI)

[swizz]

There is an article about this in today's Independent:

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/he...ave-933046.html

Swizz

[chrisharley9]

PBI

Sir Mark as a serving officer was not entitled to repatriation as this was against the policy of the time - Im sure TD will be able to give us chapter & verse on this

Chris

[chrisharley9]

Swizz

thanks for the link - In a way he is still serving in a way that may save millions

Chris

[Frank_East]

He is the British half of the Sykes Picot Agreement. Georges Picot was a Frenchman

Phil

There was to be a great deal of British hostility towards the secret agreement even though the French and British had approved of the agreement in May 1916.Some might say that both sides thought that the Middle East was theirs alone to argue over.Sykes personality traits was described as enthusiastic, energetic and frequently impractical.T.E Lawrence recorded that "He saw the odd in everything, and missed the even.He would sketch out in a few dashes a new world, all out of scale, but vivid as a vision of some of the sides of the thing we hoped" Lawrence was reflecting his love of Arabia and his concern for the treatment of the Arabs while Lord Curzon, the F.S was concerned at the "gains" of the French in the Middle East and was confident that the Arabs preferred British protection.

[Terry_Reeves]

Sykes was a serving officer, a Lt Col in the Yorkshire Regiment, and was commanding 5th Battalion in 1914. He saw no active service in the war however. His expertise, in Middle Eastern affairs in particular, was felt better put to use at the War Office.

The confusion mentioned over his status above however, comes as no suprise as it was a source of some concern in an acrimonious dispute between the Treasury via the Ministry of Pensions, and the Foreign Office.

The Treasury,and the Ministry of Pensions , who awarded Lady Syke's pension on the death of her husband, argued that this was the cost should fall on the Foreign Office who was, by the FO's admittance, being paid by them whilst on his special military mission on their behalf, As a serving officer however, the FO argued that as a serving officer, the Treasury was responsible and if they were to insist on this course of argument, that Lady Sykes should pay back the money paid to him by the FO.

All parties forgetting of course that she was recently widowed with six children, whatever her social status.

Read all about it at the NA in T1/12427

TR

[chrisharley9]

For Terry Denham

Is this officer new to your list of repariations?

Chris

[PBI]

I would have thought that Lady Sykes could have very,very, easily have Borne all the Costs and Expenses accrued in bringing her Husbands Body Home,after all the Sykes Family were not short of a Bob or Two.No Doubt the added Bonus of having Friends in High Places would have helped no end to smooth the Process,as for awarding Her a Pension..a total Joke !! She didnt need the Money.I bet that She and none of Her 6 Children ended up in the Workhouse or had to rely on Handouts from the Parish.Rant Over.

[Terry Denham]

Chris

Yes. I have him recorded and you are right in that, technically, he should not have been repatriated.

This was immediately after actual hostilities had ceased (though legally the war was still going on) and a couple of such repatriations of high profile people occured - no doubt influence played a part. Had he been a humble private or second lieutenant, he would have remained in France.

The rules were not always as rigid as they should have been in those early years (dependant upon who you were) especially if the location was not actually a war zone. However, we are talking about a tiny number of cases.