Education
Magdalen College; Saint Paul"s School.
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Roderick Parkes
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Career
After entering the Indian Civil Service in 1932, he served in the Punjab until 1935. From 1935 to 1947 he was in the Indian Political Service, serving as Secretary and later Counsellor at the British Legation, Kabul (1936-1939) and on attachment as Liaison Commissioner (States) at the Food Department of the Government of India (1946-1947), in charge of food arrangements for the then Indian States (population 100 million). He entered the Foreign Service in 1948, serving as Counsellor (Information) at Cairo (1949-1952), Head of Information Division at Beirut (1952-1953), Head of Information Services Department, Foreign Office (1953-1954), and Counsellor and Chargé d"Affaires at Djakarta (1954-1955) during which tour he reported on the first Afro-Asian Conference in Bandung.
He served as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (1955-1956) until diplomatic relations were severed as a result of the Suez crisis, to Vietnam (1957-1960) where he exercised influence with President Diem at the start of the Communist insurgency, and to Sudan (1960-1961) - an appointment cut short by illness.
In 1962 he was seconded to the Civil Service Commission as Group Chairman, Civil Service Selection Board, and he served as Ambassador to Jordan from 1962 to 1966. They had two sons.
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Born
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Died
November 2, 1972 (aged 63)