Godfrey Dykes

Godfrey Dykes: Ex Fleet Warrant Officer Radio Communications Instructor, Royal Navy.

Hello and my name is Godfrey Dykes but naval-wise I am much more at home being called simply Jeff. Indeed, I always sign off, to avoid confusion as Godfrey [Jeff] Dykes.

I served in the RN communications branch for nigh on 31 years, not all of it happy by any means, but most of it rewarding. Lots of water flows under a bridge in 16 years which is the span between my possible and probable commission promotion date of 1968 to my discharge date in 1984, and with that amount of water, many watersheds were created.

To start with my time of greatest interest was when I sought challenges one being to get away from the surface fleet by joining the submarine fleet. It didn’t answer my questions and come the 8 years point I opted to become an SD Officer. In truth it didn’t answer my self-asked questions and moreover, despite my best. efforts and my comprehensive qualifications but with gross medical ill luck, I failed in that endeavour.

Resolved to that bitter disappointment I returned to general service to the surface fleet. Many rewards were to be on hand which for a huge time period stimulated me, and in no specific order these were, the top training jobs in the Signal School including the ultimate as the resident chief instructor for the RCI courses the toughest job imaginable, and Neal Catley was one of my students. From there I became an instructor and mentor to HRH Prince Charles both in the classrooms and at sea in the Leander frigate HMS Jupiter. Whilst being in the right place at the right time I became his almost resident instructor at sea, in addition to the Signal School, and from there, at the murder of his great uncle Lord Louis Mountbatten in August 1979 I became the RN and the RN Communication branch representative at his Royal Ceremonial Funeral in London on the 5th September 1979 attended by every member of the Royal Family and just about every member of the worlds leaders and VIP’s. It affected me greatly emotionally, the funeral being viewed by over 500 million people around the globe, many, including Royals writing in to thank me and my eight sparkers who carried the coffin for a wonderful display of loyalty, love and tenderness.

After this funeral, I had many high profile communication jobs and during the 1982 Falklands War, for a period advised on long distance [8000 miles logistic line] especially at the time of a complete loss of communications for the Task Force due to the inability to access the crucial UK satellite from extreme southern climes. Long distance HF was impossible both of SSB Voice. RATT circuits and Morse Code circuits. Fortunately the US President Ronald Raegan, as a friend of our PM Mrs Thatcher granted access to the USN Satellite system the DSCS, and good tactical and strategic communications were restored and the day was saved.

I left the navy in a most convoluted manner, undertaking a civilian resettlement job as a trainee bricklayer, which subsequently I put to good use when renovating a wonderful Edwardian 1895 Manor House, the former home of an RN communicator, Admiral Sir Steven Berthon.

My life was largely lucky and I held many privileged posts and from them met many wonderful and kind people. I ask again whether I would have had my many jobs as the top of the lower deck ratings branch had I been an officer struggling at the bottom end of the upper deck? I suspect not?

In 1985 I started my own company in London which was very successful and in 2002 I sold to my staff.