Alexander Annan             b: 14 Nov 1908                    r: 10 Jan 1960                      d: 1 Mar 1990

CB – 13 Jun 1957, DFC – 27 Jun 1944, ON(C)s – 25 Jul 1950.  

For a list of foreign decoration abbreviations, click here

Plt Off (P):  10 Oct 1930, Plt Off: 10 Oct 1931, Fg Off: 10 May 1932, Flt Lt: 1 Apr 1936, Sqn Ldr: 1 Dec 1938, (T) Wg Cdr: 1 Mar 1941, Act Gp Capt: 1 May 1944, (T) Gp Capt: 1 Jul 1944, Wg Cdr (WS): 1 Nov 1944, Wg Cdr: 1 Oct 1946, Gp Capt: 1 Jul 1947, A/Cdre: 1 Jan 1954, Act AVM: 1 Apr 1956, AVM: 1 Jan 1957.

10 Oct 1930:           Initial Officer Training, RAF Depot.

10 Oct 1930:           Granted a short Service Commission.

25 Oct 1930:           U/T Pilot, No 3 FTS.

22 Sep 1931:           Awarded Flying Badge and Certificated B & C

26 Sep 1931:           Pilot, No 54 Sqn. (Bristol Bulldog IIa)

21 Nov 1932:           Supernumerary for Course on Single Engined Bombing Aircraft, RAF Base, Gosport

 1 Jan 1933:             Pilot, RAF Base, Gosport

xx Jan 1933:             Passed Preliminary Examination in German

23 Jan 1933:            Assistant Adjutant No 604 (County of Middlesex) Sqn AuxAF. (Westland Wapiti )

25 May - 4 Jun 1933             Attended Air Pilotage Course, Air Pilotage School

23 May - 2 Jun 1934:            Attended Instrument Flying Course, Central Flying School

28 Apr - 28 Jul 1935:            Attended Flying Instructor's Course, Central Flying School (Graded B)

27 Jul 1935:             Supernumerary (Flying Instructor duties), Central Flying School

 1 Oct 1935:            Flying Instructor, No 11 FTS.

10 Oct 1935:           Granted Permanent Commission in the rank of Flying Officer.

13 Jul 1936:             Supernumerary, HQ No 6 (Auxiliary) Group

13 Jul 1936:             Attached for temporary duty, Directorate of Postings.

27 Jul 1936:             Staff, Directorate of Postings.

17 Oct 1938:           Supernumerary, No 6 (Auxiliary) Group.

17 Oct 1938:           Attached for temporary duty, Deputy Directorate of Intelligence

 5 Jan 1939:             Placed on the Special Duty List

19 Jan 1939:            Assistant Air Attaché, Berlin.

 6 Sep 1939:            Attached, Directorate of Intelligence for duty with AI3(b)

12 Oct 1939:           Pending appointment as Assistant Air Attaché, The Hague (Brussels)

14 May 1940:          Supernumerary, Air Ministry Unit

14 May 1940:          Attached, Directorate of Intelligence for temporary duty

24 May 1940:          Assistant Air Attaché, Berne.

21 Aug 1940:           Supernumerary, No 1 RAF Depot

22 Aug 1940:           Attached, Directorate of Intelligence for temporary duty

23 Sep 1940:           Staff, Directorate of Home Operations for duty with FO1

 6 Feb 1941:            Staff, Department of CAS, for duty with A/Cdre J L Vachell MC

19 Mar 1941:           Staff, ACAS (1) for duty with AI (JIC)

25 Apr 1941:           Supernumerary, Air Ministry Unit

25 Apr 1941:           Attached, Directorate of Flying Training for temporary duty.

22 May 1941:          Staff, British Embassy Washington.

19 Feb 1943:           Supernumerary, RAF Uxbridge (Disembarked 20 Feb, on leave 23 Feb - 8 Mar 1943)

 9 Mar 1943:            Flying Refresher Course, No 3 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit.

 4 May 1943            Attended Operational Training Course, No 14 OTU

29 Jul 1943            Attended No 19 Course, No 1654 HCU.

 1 Oct 1943:            Officer Commanding, No 49 Sqn. (Avro Lancaster)

 1 May 1944:           Supernumerary, No 49 Sqn

14 Aug 1944:           Supernumerary, Air Ministry Unit

14 Aug 1944:           Attached, Deputy Directorate of Combined Operations (Air).

15 Aug 1944:           Supernumerary, Air Ministry Unit

 4 Sep 1944:            Deputy Director of Combined Operations (Air).

 7 Aug 1945:            Attended No 33 Course, RAF Staff College.

28 Feb 1946:           Supernumerary, Air Ministry Unit whilst attending Intelligence School

 4 Mar 1946:            No 2 Wing, No 33 Personnel Despatch Centre

26 Mar 1946:          Supernumerary, HQ British Air Forces of Occupation.

25 Apr 1946:          Chief Intelligence Officer, HQ British Air Forces of Occupation.

 7 - 10 Jan 1948:    President of a Court Martial convened by AOC, No 85 Group at RAF Lubeck

14 Apr 1948:          Supernumerary, No 5 Personnel Despatch Centre (leave 15 Apr - 11 May 1948)

12 - 25 May 1948:        Attached, No 1 (Pilot) Flying Refresher Unit

25 May 1948:         Supernumerary, RAF Binbrook.

 9 Jun 1948:            Officer Commanding, RAF Binbrook.

12 Jun 1950:           Supernumerary, Air Ministry Unit

12 Jun 1950:          Attached, Directorate of Staff Training for Brief in USA

26 Jun - 8 Jul 1950:        Attached, Directorate of Staff Training for briefing pending posting Overseas

28 Jul 1950:            Supernumerary, Air Ministry Unit (departed for USA on this date)

14 Aug 1950:          Admin Staff, British Defence Staffs, Washington (planning exchange duty with HQ USAF Planning Division)

 6 Jun 1951:            Member, Standing Group, Washington.

26 Sep 1951:          Member, NATO Standing Group, Washington.

20 Feb 1953:          Supernumerary, Air Ministry Unit (Disembarked 2 Mar 1953, leave 4 Mar - 4 May 1953)

19 Apr 1953:          Liaison Officer, NATO Standing Group Liaison Office, Paris

17 Dec 1953:          Supernumerary, Air Ministry Unit (leave 18 - 28 Dec 1953)

29 Dec 1953 - 1 Jan 1954:        Attached, Directorate of Staff Training (Briefing prior to attending Imperial Defence College)

 5 Jan 1954:           Attended Imperial Defence College.

14 Dec 1954:          Supernumerary, Air Ministry Unit

28 Feb - 4 Mar 1955:        Attached, RAF Driffield for Flying Refresher Course

11 Mar 1955:           Air Attaché, Bonn.

16 Jan - 6 Feb 1956:        Supernumerary, RAF Manby for Flying Refresher Course

 1 Apr 1956:           Chief of Staff Representative on Disarmament, Ministry of Defence

 1 Feb 1957:           Supernumerary, Air Ministry Unit

18 Feb 1957:          Supernumerary, HQ Far East Air Force.

26 Mar 1957:          Chief of Staff, HQ Far East Air Force.

 1 Feb 1959:           Senior Air Staff Officer, HQ (Unit) Far East Air Force.

24 Aug 1959:          Supernumerary, HQ (Unit) Far East Air Force.

26 Oct - 14 Nov 1959:        Attached, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operations) - Debriefing

15 Nov 1959:           Supernumerary, Air Ministry Unit (Terminal leave)

Educated at Sevenoaks before being sent to schools in Switzerland and Austria, where he obviously learnt German.

From 1961 to 1966 he worked for Hawker Siddeley Aviation and from 1970 to 1977 he was Director of the Mental Health Trust and Research Fund (later renamed Mental Health Foundation).