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Capt J J Dykes KOSB, Dumfries
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 4991
Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 10:53 pm    Post subject: Capt J J Dykes KOSB, Dumfries Reply with quote

WMR 71581

Well this is a memorial that has given me a great deal of pleasure to hunt down and photograph and I confess to being particularly pleased to have succeeded.

This memorial was originally in Greyfriars Church in Dumfries (Regimental church of KOSB). The church is now closed and I made enquiries about an obvious gap on the wall when I obtained access and photographed the others. Capt Dykes died in 1915 before his daughter was born and she was still alive when the church closed. The keyholder of the church helped the family rescue the plaque so that Capt Dykes daughter would have it. Since she died two years ago, the plaque has remained in private hands with her daughter in Lochmaben.

It is possible that the family will ask that the memorial rejoins the other KOSB memorials from Greyfriars when their future is decided.

This is also the sixtieth memorial posted on this forum in Dumfries and Galloway that is not listed on UKNIWM.

In order to respect the family's privacy, I will not give further details on the location but will pass on messages if requested.

Capt Dykes is also listed on the Greyfriars church memorial and the main Dumfries memorial.

Name: DYKES, JAMES JOHNSTONE
Initials: J J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Captain
Regiment/Service: King's Own Scottish Borderers
Unit Text: 5th Bn.
Age: 29
Date of Death: 12/07/1915
Additional information: Son of Thomas and Mary S. Dykes, of Dumfries; husband of Elizabeth Haining Dykes, of Westfield, Maxwelltown, Dumfries.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: XI. D. 3.
Cemetery: REDOUBT CEMETERY, HELLES

Note that the inscription mentions that Capt Dykes died on his birthday.



Last edited by spoons on Wed Jan 02, 2019 11:04 am; edited 2 times in total
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
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Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 10:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

In the 1901 census, James Dykes was living with his father (a dentist) and mother, 2 older brothers (a dental student and a medical student), 2 younger brothers and 2 younger sisters. His granddaughter told me that James was a qualified doctor and a qualified dentist at the time of his death. It seems unusual therefore that he served as an infantry officer and not with the medical services.

James granddaughter generously allowed me to photograph 2 pictures (below with enlarged detail). Unfortunately we do not know who the nurses are, or the older officer in the picture, nor where it was taken or the occasion. The building looks like a typical local Scottish sandstone building and are the nurses from a hospital? Or some training course? I will pose the question on GWF and see if someone can supply further info.







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David McNay
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Location: Lanarkshire, Scotland

PostPosted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Does anyone think the older man in the photograph looks like Lord Roberts?

If it is him, that would date this photograph to pre-1915.
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dhubthaigh
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 11:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well done spoons, I can understand the delight in the success of your research.
A nice piece of work and appreciated. Great photos again too.

Mark

P.S.

I'm sure the more knowledgable among you will reply to David's question. However I've compared the older chap with a photo on the net and it does very much look like Lord Roberts to me.
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spoons



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PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 10:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Following a bit of further research, here is Capt Dykes entry in the Edinburgh University Roll of Honour, an excellent photo of the man and 3 of the graveyard where he is buried. Thanks to members of GWF and our own Stewartry.









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DerekR
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Location: Hawick, Scotland

PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 11:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Congratulations for all the information that you've collected on this man.
The 1/4th & 1/5th KOSB suffered terribly at Achi Baba on the infamous 12th July 1915.
Captain Dykes is fortunate in that a huge percentage of those killed that day have no known grave - his is one of the very few casualties I've seen from that day to have a grave.
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
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Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 5:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I know this is a rather long thread for a memorial for an individual but I thought that this was worth a further comment. I mailed the latest photos to Capt Dykes grandaughter.

Received a text today from the lady - a 'silver surfer' whose texting skills are there with the youngsters. An extract follows:

"just 2 say very many thanks 2 u & ur colleague re capt dykes I ll get down 2 ur emails very soon best wishes"

I am sure for every one we hear back from, there are several more grateful friends and relatives.
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dhubthaigh
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 6:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

AWESOME! Can we dare to dream that such threads can become the norm Question
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Adam Brown
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 9:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

spoons wrote:
I thought that this was worth a further comment


It certainly was Spoons. What a great thing to achieve for the relatives. I hope all those who contributed to the thread get a small sense of satisfaction out of it.

I hope as dhubthaigh does that we can see more threads developing like this one.

Regards

Adam
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
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Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Sat Apr 28, 2007 7:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

2 Replies to my post on GWF asking for info about the photo of Capt Dykes with the nurses:

"The only certain thing is that the photo was taken prior to April/May of 1915, when the style of hats changed, but that's not too clever an observation in view of Captain Dykes date of death. This is a group photo of a local Voluntary Aid Detachment and my guess would be that it was taken before the war. There is great uniformity in the women's dress - the style of their uniform, the placing of identical red crosses on aprons, the similar placing of the county/branch badge in all those that I can see and the similar folding of the hats. All these things rapidly changed after the outbreak of war as more women were recruited, and as those who formerly made up the detachments were moved out in groups to staff small Red Cross units as they opened up, uniforms became rather more varied in style and colour, with new recruits having different styles of dress and collar and no red cross on their aprons..

None of the women are wearing the long elasticated white cuffs that quickly became usual, even in group photos, and the nurse [presumably trained] on Captain Dykes left is wearing a rather old fashioned style of cap. It's a pity that the left hand of the woman next to the older officer is not visible, as her placing in the photo suggests that she is the Commandant, and possibly his wife. The house could be the residence of one of those two. So I would say a photo taken pre-war [or just possibly 'on the cusp'] of a well run detachment, but before these women had actually started any wartime work."

and the second reply...............

"The old chap has three shoulder badges of rank so judging from his vast aray of medals he could just possibly be a Honourary Colonel as I think we have a neck award which I think is the Order of St John (medical related). As to location, if Captain Dykes is KOSB then I would pop at this being in the Borders the stone work is far to clean for the then bogging chimneys of Glasgow even the quality venues of Kelvinside and Bearsden were distinctly smoke covered.
Not sure about the cap badge on the old chap it looks to be a Fusiliers."

I guess that is all we can do to solve that piece of the puzzle but at least we now know that it is a Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD). I don't think it would be too big a jump to surmise that Capt Dykes had a hand in training these nurses, given his medical qualification.
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Michael Pfahler



Joined: 16 Mar 2008
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Location: Karlsruhe/Germany

PostPosted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 11:19 am    Post subject: Capt. J.J. Dykes (1.5th Btl. KOSB Reply with quote

Dear Spoons,

I'm Michael from Karlsruhe/Germany.
I'm an arms-collector and some years ago I bought a Smith&Wesson-Revolver. It is a Cal. .455 Revolver, Model "Hand-ejector" from 1914. It ist the so called "triple-lock".
But...that ist not the miracle of that revolver...

Several times ago I found - at the upside of the Stocks - an inscription:

"Capt. J.J. Dykes... 1.5th K.O.S.B."

I found out that K.O.S.B. ist the sign of the "King's own scottish borderers"...
Looking in the net I found the site of this regiment... and got contact to Lt.Col. Hogg...
He gave me some information about Captain Dykes...

I'm a hunter also... and my senses got to find out more about Capt. Dykes...

Found the site: Military Genealogy... and found out: 12.07.1915 killed in action...

looking for still more informations I found a book at a british book-market in the net:
"The K.O.S.B. in the Great War"... I ordered it... and found some informations again about Capt. Dykes...

>>> Gallipoli was the new term...

looking for more informations I found your article: http://warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopic.php?t=1411&highlight=

Thereyou wrote an article about Capt. Dykes...

Please help me; I'll try to write an article about that time, the circumstances at Gallipoli and specially about the revolver and it's primary owner: Capt. James Johnstone Dykes.

It ist an very curious sensation to own a revolver and to find out a lot of an long-forgotten period an about a man, dead and buried... a man, I never could know, but now knowing about him that he was a dentist, that he got a daughter when he was already dead... He was a very young man: killed on his 29th birthday...

I hope to hear from you!. Thank you very much.

Greetings from south-west-Germany , Michael
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Michael Pfahler



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PostPosted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 11:25 am    Post subject: Capt. J.J. Dykes Reply with quote

To "Spoons":

If you are interested, please let me know your Mail-Address so that I can send you some Pictures of Capt. Dykes S&W-Revolver.
Maybe interesting for you?!
Regards Michael[img][/img]
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spoons



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Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 4:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have just sent a lengthy mail to Michael Pfahler with the background and some links to the story of Capt Dykes and the 5th KOSB at Gallipoli. I have asked for photographs of his service revolver and will post them here when I receive them (subject to approval by the mods - we haven't previously posted photos of weapons on the forum).

Last summer Tonym of this forum was due to visit Gallipoli but had to cancel due to an injury. However his daughter went ahead with the visit and placed 2 poppy crosses on the grave in the names of Capt Dykes granddaughter and the VAD detachment. I have only just realised that I did not post this information and photo here previously. Thanks very much Tony.



Just to confirm, I have still not been able to identify the building, VAD detachment or the older officer in the photo previously posted, but I live in hope!

\Paul
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
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Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 9:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just thought that someone might be interested in seeing the original location of this memorial in Greyfriars church, Dumfries. The plaque was originally in the centre of the photo, to the left of the large brass plaque.

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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
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Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 10:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have only just realised that Michael Pfahler sent me photos of Capt Dykes service revolver but I never got around to posting them. Thanks Michael and sorry for the delay.



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