James Dey

James Dey, DSO (14 October 1869 – 8 May 1946) was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the Bishop of the Forces from 1935 to 1946.

The Right Reverend

James Dey

DSO
Vicar Apostolic for Great Britain, Military
ChurchRoman Catholic Church
Appointed13 April 1935
PredecessorWilliam Keatinge
Successorin abeyance
Other post(s)Titular Bishop of Sebastopolis in Armenia (1935–1946)
Orders
Ordination17 February 1894
Consecration2 June 1935
by Arthur Hinsley
Personal details
Born14 October 1869
Walsall, Staffordshire, England
Died8 May 1946(1946-05-08) (aged 76)
NationalityEnglish
Alma materSt Mary's College, Oscott
Military career
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army
Royal Air Force
Years of service1903–1929
RankLieutenant Colonel (British Army)
Group Captain (RAF)
UnitArmy Chaplains' Department
Chaplains Branch
Battles/warsFirst World War
AwardsDistinguished Service Order (1917)
Mentioned in despatches

Dey attended seminary at Oscott College and was ordained to the priesthood in 1894. He then spent the next seven years as a schoolteacher and then headmaster. In 1903, he left his school to become a military chaplain and was commissioned in the Army Chaplains' Department, British Army. He served mainly in South Africa, but with the outbreak of the First World War, he served in France on the Western Front. He was then once more posted to southern Africa, to the South West Africa campaign. He ended the war as vicar general to William Keatinge, the first Vicar Apostolic for Great Britain, Military, and having been awarded the Distinguished Service Order.

After the end of the war, Dey transferred to the Chaplains Branch of the newly created Royal Air Force, and was appointed principal Catholic chaplain. He retired from the military in 1929, and was appointed rector of Oscott College. In 1935, he was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Great Britain, Military, in succession to Keatinge, and he was subsequently consecrated as Titular Bishop of Sebastopolis in Armenia. He died in office, aged 76.

Biography

Dey was born on 14 October 1869 in Walsall, Staffordshire, England.[1] He was educated at St Mary's College, Oscott, a Catholic seminary.[2]

He was ordained to the priesthood on 17 February 1894.[1] His early career was a school teacher: at Cotton College from 1894 to 1900, and at St Edmund's College, Ware from 1900 to 1902.[2][3] He then returned to Cotton College as its headmaster in 1902.[3] However, after only two year, he left to become a military chaplain.[3]

On 7 August 1903, Dey was commissioned in the Army Chaplains' Department, British Army, as a chaplain to the forces 4th class (equivalent in rank to captain).[4] His early service was in South Africa, following the Second Boer War.[3] On 7 August 1913, he was promoted to chaplain to the forces 3rd class (equivalent to major).[5] In 1914, with the outbreak of the First World War, he was posted to France as chaplain to the Connaught Rangers, 2nd Infantry Division, as part of the British Expeditionary Force.[3] As such, he was with them during the Great Retreat from Mons in August and September 1914.[3] He was then based at the Base Hospital in Wimereux, Pas-de-Calais, before travelling to South Africa to serve as senior Roman Catholic chaplain to the imperial forces under General Jan Smuts during the South West Africa campaign.[3][6] On 1 January 1917, he was appointed Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) "in connection with Military Operations in the Field".[7] In the latter part of the war, he served as principal staff chaplain and vicar general to William Keatinge, the first Vicar Apostolic for Great Britain, Military.[3][6] On 7 August 1918, he was promoted to chaplain to the forces 2nd class (equivalent to lieutenant colonel).[8]

On 9 December 1918, after the end of the First World War, he transferred to the Chaplains Branch of the Royal Air Force as principal Catholic chaplain in the relative rank of colonel.[3][9] In 1920, he was granted the relative rank of group captain.[10] In 1928, he was appointed Domestic Prelate to Pope Pius XI; this was a title of honour that granted the title Monsignor.[2] He was placed on the retired list on 17 October 1929, thereby ending his first stint as a military chaplain.[11]

In 1929, Dey was appointed head of St Mary's College, Oscott, his former seminary, by Thomas Leighton Williams, the new Archbishop of Birmingham.[3] He was promoted to protonotary apostolic in 1931, the most senior rank of Monsignor.[2]

He was appointed the Bishop of the Forces and Titular Bishop of Sebastopolis in Armenia by the Holy See on 13 April 1935.[1] His consecration to the Episcopate took place on 2 June 1935, the principal consecrator was Cardinal Arthur Hinsley, Archbishop of Westminster, and the principal co-consecrators were Archbishop Thomas Leighton Williams of Birmingham and Bishop Ambrose James Moriarty of Shrewsbury.[1] On 28 January 1936, he took part in the funeral procession of George V from Westminster Hall to Windsor, as one of seven selected military chaplains.[12] He was aware that war was coming, and did his best to maintain and prepare the smaller, inter-war batch of Catholic chaplains.[3] During the Second World War, he was additionally Vicar Delegate for Catholic American servicemen who were serving in Britain.[3]

He died in office on 8 May 1946, aged 76.[1]

References
  1. "Bishop James Dey". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
  2. "Dey, Rt Rev. Mgr James, (1869–8 June 1946), Bishop of Sebastopolis of Armenia since 1935, and Ordinary to HM Forces; late Principal Catholic Chaplain (Royal Air Force); Domestic Prelate to Pope, 1928; Protonotary Apostolic, 1931". Who Was Who. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2007. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  3. Plumb, Brian (2006). "KEATINGE William Lewis, CMG, CBE Metellopolis". Arundel to Zabi: A Biographical Dictionary of the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales (Deceased) 1623-2000 (PDF) (2nd ed.). Wigan: North West Catholic History Society. p. 78.
  4. "No. 27710". The London Gazette. 2 September 1904. p. 5698.
  5. "No. 28744". The London Gazette. 8 August 1913. p. 5658.
  6. "A new army bishop". Malaya Catholic Action. No. 18. 4 May 1935. p. 3. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  7. "No. 29926". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 January 1917. p. 1144.
  8. "No. 30828". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 August 1913. p. 9209.
  9. "No. 31187". The London Gazette. 18 February 1919. p. 2435.
  10. "No. 32017". The London Gazette. 13 August 1920. p. 8410.
  11. "No. 33545". The London Gazette. 22 October 1929. p. 6693.
  12. "No. 34279". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 April 1936. pp. 2766–2767.
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