Christopher Herman Gilkes

Christopher Herman Gilkes (1898 – 2 September 1953) was a noted educationalist and was Master of Dulwich College, United Kingdom, from 1941 to his death in 1953.

He was born the son of the Reverend Arthur Herman Gilkes who had also been the Master of Dulwich College. Christopher Gilkes was educated at Dulwich College whilst his father was its Master and whilst at the school was Captain of the school, captain of boxing, a member of the 1st XV Rugby Union side and editor of the school's magazine. He then went to Trinity College, Oxford on a classical scholarship. His brother Humphrey Arthur Gilkes became a doctor, and was one of four soldiers to be awarded the Military Cross on four occasions in the First World War.

Having completed his education he went on to become Assistant Master from 1922 to 1928 at Uppingham School under another Old Alleynian, R H Owen. From there moved to where he was Headmaster from 1929 to 1941.

He joined Dulwich College in 1941 during the Second World War and led the school through this traumatic period. His bravery and leadership has been cited as unfailing and unshakeable during this time, as the school suffered much damage during bombing raids. As well as suffering ancillary damage from nearby detonations, the school was hit directly, destroying a number of buildings including the Fives and Squash courts, most of the science block and severely damaging the main school buildings as well.

When Gilkes took over, the school's finances were in need of improvement and part of the reason for Gilkes' appointment was to provide a 'boldness and imagination' necessary to achieve this. The greatest step towards this was Gilkes' agreement to house boys who were participating in a War Office sponsored scheme under which the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) would provide a crash course in Turkish, Persian, Chinese and Japanese in order to ensure the three armed services had men who could speak eastern languages. The boys on the scheme, termed The Oriental Scholars would study at SOAS in the morning and then return to Dulwich College where they would do more general work. Gilkes' part in this was later lauded by Sir Ralph Turner, who was the Director of SOAS at the time, as a great contribution to the war effort.

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