Dick Franks
Sir Arthur Temple "Dick" Franks KCMG (13 July 1920 – 12 October 2008) was Head of the British Secret Intelligence Service from 1979 to 1982.
Dick Franks | |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 July 1920 |
| Died | 12 October 2008 (aged 88) |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Queen's College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Intelligence officer |
| Spouse | Rachel Ward |
| Children | One son, two daughters |
| Awards | KCMG |
| Espionage activity | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service branch | Secret Intelligence Service (SIS/MI6) |
| Rank | Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service |
Career
Educated at Rugby School and Queen's College, Oxford, Franks was commissioned into the Royal Corps of Signals in 1940.[1] He became an Intelligence officer in the Western Desert and then joined the Special Operations Executive.[1][2][3]
He started his career by "earning a reputation for daring military exploits against Nazi Germany before pursuing a fruitful career on Her Majesty’s secret service."[3]
After the War he briefly worked for the Daily Mirror before joining the Secret Intelligence Service in 1946.[1] He became involved in Operation Boot, a plan to overthrow Mohammad Mosaddegh, the nationalistic Iranian Prime Minister in 1953.[1] He was posted to Bonn in 1962 and was promoted to Deputy Chief in 1977.[1][2] He was appointed Chief of the Service in 1978, in place of Brian Stewart, the Director of Support Services.[4][1]
As Chief, Franks was forced to contend with budget cuts, which he accepted for fear that SIS would otherwise be merged with the Security Service.[5][2] One of the consequences of these cuts was the virtual closure of the MI6 station in Tehran – and the sole remaining officer was forbidden from operating out of the British Embassy by Ambassador Anthony Parsons – forcing him to instead rent a flat and depend on briefs delivered by SAVAK.[5]
Personal
He lived at Aldeburgh in Suffolk.[6] Franks was a member of the Travellers Club and still made regular visits into the last years of his life, often reminiscing with old colleagues from the intelligence world.[5]
He was nicknamed "Dick" and "Dickie".[3]
Sir Colin McColl, former head of MI6, said: “He [Franks] was extremely effective yet also sensitive, intelligent and a most delightful man.”[3]
References
- "Sir Dick Franks obituary". The Times. No. 69459. 20 October 2008. p. 51.
- "Sir Dick Franks". The Daily Telegraph. 20 October 2008. Archived from the original on 23 October 2008. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- Burns, Jimmy (24 October 2008). "Trusted mastermind of UK cold war spycraft". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 5 August 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- Obituary: Brian Stewart The Scotsman, 10 September 2015
- Thomas, Gordon. "Out of the Shadows". Inside British Intelligence: 100 Years of MI5 and MI6. pp. 321–322.
- Obituary: Sir Dick Franks The Independent, 30 October 2008
External links