Richard Sykes (diplomat)

Sir Richard Adam Sykes, KCMG, MC (8 May 1920 – 22 March 1979) was the British Ambassador to the Netherlands, who was assassinated by the IRA in The Hague in 1979.

[1] During the Second World War, Sykes served in the British Army with the Royal Signals from 1940 to 1946, attaining the rank of major.

[3] Police reported that the shots came from around 10 yards (9 m) away, fired by two men wearing business suits, who escaped on foot following the attack.

[3] Later that day, André Michaux, a senior bank official from Belgium, was murdered outside his home in Brussels in a case of mistaken identity; Sir John Killick – British Deputy Ambassador to NATO, who lived opposite Michaux – was believed to be the intended target of the IRA.

"[7] The 'intelligence operations' mentioned in the statement related to a government report written by Sykes following the assassination of Christopher Ewart-Biggs.

[7] Sykes' position as Ambassador to the Netherlands had been strained due to certain Dutch groups, which were sympathetic to the IRA, and consequent arms smuggling activities.

Place of assassination of Richard Sykes, at the Westeinde in The Hague. Inside the gate, to the left, was the door from which Sykes exited his residence. The door to his Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow was being held open by his Dutch valet Karel Straub. At that moment, two gunmen fired eight shots from the street (front) at both Sykes and Straub.