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Air Commodore J F Davis (78867)


John Frank                  b: 28 Feb 1917                        r: 1 Jan 1965               d: 7 Feb 1988

OBE – 13 Jun 1957, DFC – 16 Mar 1943, AFC – 2 Jan 1950.

(RAFVR): Plt Off (P)?: 10 Apr 1940, Plt Off: 27 Apr 1940, Fg Off (WS): 27 Jul 1941, Flt Lt (WS): 27 Jul 1942, Act Sqn Ldr: xx xxx xxxx,

(RAF): Flt Lt (WS): 7 May 1946 [1 Sep 1945], Sqn Ldr: 1 Aug 1947, Wg Cdr: 1 Jul 1954, Act Gp Capt: 9 Jun 1958, Gp Capt: 1 Jan 1959, A/Cdre: 1 Jan 1964.

xx xxx 1940:               U/T Air Observer

xx xxx 1940:               Attended Flying Boat Training Sqn

14 Dec 1940:              Air Observer, No 240 Sqn

xx xxx xxxx:                Navigator, No 95 Sqn

18 Oct 1943:              Attended No 2 Specialist Navigation (New Series) Course.

xx xxx xxxx:                Staff, Central Air Navigation School

xx Sep 1944:              Staff, Empire Air Navigation School

10 Jan 1945:               Staff Officer (Nav P2), Directorate of Navigation

7 May 1946:               Appointed to a Permanent Commission in the rank of Flight Lieutenant (retaining rank current at the time) [wef 1 Sep 1945]

xx xxx 1946:                Staff Officer, Directorate of Navigation.

13 Oct 1949:              PSO to C in C, British Air Forces of Occupation.

xx xxx 1952:               Directing Staff, RAF Staff College, Bracknell

xx Nov 1955:              Staff Officer, Department of the CAS.

 9 Jun 1958:                Assistant Commandant, RAF Flying College.

 4 Jan 1961:                Officer Commanding, RAF Khormaksar.

xx Oct 1962:              

xx Jan 1963:                Attended Imperial Defence College.

19 Feb 1964:              AOA, HQ RAF Germany.

Joining the RAFVR as a Air Gunner, he later remustered as a Pilot.  Whilst serving at the Central Navigation School at Shawbury he was second pilot of Stirling, LK589, which left Shawbury on 2 June 1944 for a 14 day tour of Canada and arrived back at Shawbury on 26 June.  From 21 October 1944 he was also the navigator on the Aries flight polar flight in 1945 and was awarded his AFC for research into blind landings.  Retired at his own request.

Citation for the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross

DAVIS, John Frank, F/L (78867, RAFVR*) - No.95 Squadron - awarded as per London Gazette dated 16 March 1943.

"This officer has been continuously employed on operational flying since January 1941, and has served as captain of aircraft since May 1942.  He has performed some valuable work in flying under difficult conditions.  On one occasion, the oil pressure on one engine of his aircraft dropped and he was forced to turn back.  The propellor became loose and eventually flew off, but owing to this officer’s resourcefulness and superb airmanship the aircraft suffered no further damage and he was able to land it successfully.  Flight Lieutenant Davis has displayed great skill and devotion to duty."

(Source - Air Ministry Bulletin 9556)

Citation for the award of the Air Force Cross

DAVIS, John Frank, S/L, DFC (78867) - Blind Landing Experimental Unit, Martlesham Heath - awarded as per London Gazette dated 2 January 1950.

"During his twenty months service with the Blind Landing Experimental Unit, Squadron Leader Davis has been an outstanding Flight Commander.  He has also made a notable and very valuable contribution to British aviation research by his enthusiasm for tackling personally the most hazardous of the research flying commitments, i.e. the difficult trial-and-error automatic touchdown problem, which requires great skill and a cool nerve in knowing when to land automatically and when to take off in an emergency."

(Source - Air 2/10307 - citation drafted when he had flown 2,992 hours, 449 on current duties, 150 in previous six months)

This page was last updated on 22/02/24

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