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 KCMG | |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 July 1920 |
| Died | 12 October 2008 (aged 88) |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Queen's College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Intelligence officer |
| Spouse(s) | 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]
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] He was appointed Chief of the Service in 1978,[1] in place of Brian Stewart, the Director of Support Services.[2]
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.[3] 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.[3]
Personal
He lived at Aldeburgh in Suffolk.[4] 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.[3]
References
- Obituary: Sir Dick Franks The Times, 20 October 2008
- 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
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Maurice Oldfield |
Chief of the SIS 1979–1982 |
Succeeded by Sir Colin Figures |