William Reid Dick

Sir William Reid Dick KCVO RA (1879–1961) was a Scottish sculptor known for his innovative stylisation of form in his monument sculptures and simplicity in his portraits. He became an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1921, and a Royal Academician in 1928. Dick served as president of the Royal Society of British Sculptors from 1933 to 1938. He was knighted by King George V in 1935. He was Sculptor in Ordinary for Scotland to King George VI from 1938 until his death.

Born in Glasgow, Dick was apprenticed to a stonemason at the age of twelve and during the next five years he learned to carve stone at work, and at night took drawing and modelling classes. He completed his apprenticeship in 1896. In 1907, he graduated from the Glasgow School of Art and accepted a teaching position at Bellshill Academy in Lanarkshire. By 1908 he was living in London and exhibiting in galleries and took evening classes at South London Technical School of Art whilst working for the sculptor Edwin Whitney-Smith.

In September 1914 with his reputation as a sculptor growing, Reid Dick joined the Territorial Army and from 1915 to 1919 served with the Royal Engineers in both France and Palestine. Reid Dick's Service Record has fortunately been preserved as part of the "Burnt Records" series at the National Archives in Kew and can be found under reference WO 363/MIS-SORTS 34/52. From this file we learn that when Reid Dick signed up on 1 September 1914 he joined the 5th London Field Ambulance section of the Royal Army Medical Corps with regimental number 1752. He was 34 years and 4 months of age and gave his address as 1 St John's Wood Studios, Queens Terrace, St John's Wood. His wife Catherine was shown as "next of kin". Reid Dick subsequently transferred to the 3rd Army Field Survey Co, part of the Royal Engineers and then the 7th Field Survey Co. He was in this period allocated regimental numbers 536331 and 244831. He was described as a photographer with the 7th Field Survey Co. His Army Service record shows his profession as "sculptor". We can also view his Medal Index Card under reference WO 372/6-52934/2976 [1]. We see that he was awarded the 1915 Star and the British and Victory Medals. Interesting to note that his medals were engraved with the Royal Army Medical Corps shown as his corps rather than the Royal Engineers.

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