Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation


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Air Chief Marshal Sir Douglas Evill


D C S Evill - 1913Douglas Claude Strathern       b:  8 Oct 1892                    r: 15 Jan 1947                        d: 22 Mar 1971

GBE - 1 Jan 1946, KCB - 1 Jan 1943 (CB - 11 Jul 1940), DSC - 22 Jun 1916, AFC - 3 Jun 1919, MiD - 1 Jan 1919, MiD - 1 Jan 1941, MiD -1 Jan 1942, LoH, C - 14 Sep 1917, PR2 - 12 Jun 1945, LoM (Cdr) - 15 Mar 1946, WL1 - 27 Jun 1947, DL (Hampshire) - 21 Dec 1950.

For a list of foreign decoration abbreviations, click here

(RN): - Mid'n: 15 May 1910, Act Sub-Lt: 15 Sep 1912, Sub-Lt: 15 May 1913, Lt: 15 Aug 1914, Act Flt Lt: 4 Dec 1914, Flt Lt: 22 Feb 1915 [4 Dec 1914], Act Flt Cdr: 25 Jun 1915, Flt Cdr: 1 Jan 1916, Sqn Cdr: 31 Dec 1916.

(RAF): - Maj: 1 Apr 1918, (T) Lt Col: 17 Jul 1918, Maj: 1 May 1919, Sqn Ldr: 1 Aug 1919 [1 Apr 1918], Wg Cdr: 1 Jan 1925, Gp Capt: 1 Jan 1932, A/Cdre: 1 Jan 1936, AVM: 1 Jan 1938, (T) AM: 4 May 1942, AM: 1 Jan 1944, ACM: 1 Jan 1946,

Photograph (far left) - taken from his RAeC Certificate

Photograph (left) - Sir Douglas Claude Strathern Evill

by Walter Stoneman
bromide print, June 1943
NPG x165110

© National Portrait Gallery, London

xx xxx xxxx:           Cadet, RN College, Osborne

xx xxx xxxx:           Attended Britannia Naval College.

15 May 1910:         Midshipman, HMS St Vincent

16 Jun 1913:           Lent to HMS Leander for service with Torpedo Boat Destroyers (ER duty)

13 Nov 1913:          Lent to HMS Orion

13 Apr 1914:          Attached to HMS Heela for HMS Shark

 4 Dec 1914:            Attached HMS President III for service with RNAS

12 Dec 1914:           Attended Flying Course, Central Flying School.

22 Feb 1915:            Attached HMS President for service with RNAS

xx xxx 1915:             Pilot, No 1 Aeroplane Sqn RNAS

25 Jun 1915:             Flight Commander, No 1 Wing RNAS

 5 Nov 1916:            Officer Commanding, No 2 Sqn RNAS

 4 Jun 1917:              Supernumerary, Central Training Establishment, Cranwell

11 Jun 1917:             Staff, Felixstowe Air Station

 9 Jul 1917:               Officer Commanding, Calshot Air Station.

xx xxx 1919:             Officer Commanding, Flying Boat units/bases.

 1 Aug 1919:             Awarded Permanent Commission as a Major

22 Jan 1920:             Removed from the Navy Lists on being awarded Permanent Commission in RAF

20 Feb 1920:            Chief Instructor?, School of Naval Co-operation and Aerial Navigation.

21 Jan 1921:             Attended Army Staff College, Camberley.

xx Dec 1921:            Supernumerary, RAF Depot. 

 1 Jan 1922:              Technical Staff Duties (Carriers), HQ Coastal Area.

14 Sep 1923:            Refresher Flying Course?, No 4 FTS

12 Oct 1923:            Officer Commanding, No 70 Sqn. (Vernon – Hinaidi)

16 Jan 1925:             Supernumerary, RAF Depot

 4 May 1925:            Directing Staff, RAF Staff College.

 7 Jan 1929:              Assistant Commandant, RAF College - Cranwell

22 Apr 1932:             Supernumerary - Non effective (Sick), RAF Depot  

19 - 28 Nov 1932:    Placed on half pay list, Scale A

10 Dec 1932- 2 Jan 1933:        Placed on half pay list, scale A

 3 Jan 1933:               Supernumerary, RAF Depot.

17 Jan 1933:             Attended Imperial Defence College.

 3 Apr 1934:             Deputy Director/Director of War Organisation.

10 Sep 1936:             SASO, HQ Bomber Command.

28 Mar 1938:            AOA, HQ Bomber Command

xx xxx 1939:              Member, Allied Military Committee - Anglo-French Supreme War Council.

xx xxx 1940:              SASO, HQ British Air Forces in France.

 2 Nov 1939:             SASO, HQ Fighter Command

xx Feb 1940:             SASO, HQ British Air Forces in France.

xx Jun 1940:              SASO, HQ Fighter Command

22 Feb 1942:             Head of RAF Delegation, Washington

21 Mar 1943:             Vice-Chief of the Air Staff.

 1 Jun 1946:                Relinquished appointment of VCAS

xx xxx xxxx - 5 Dec 1960:    Honorary Air Commodore, No 3617 (County of Hants) Fighter Control Unit, RAuxAF.

Born in Broken Hill, New South Wales he was a first cousin of Arthur Longmore  who advised him to take flying lessons.  Gaining RAeC Certificate No 512 on 13 June 1913 he applied to join the RNAS but it was December 1914, before he was accepted.   Whilst serving as SASO, Bomber Command, he was selected as a member of the mission led by AVM Christopher Courtney to Germany, where he had the opportunity to examine at first hand the developing Luftwaffe, experience which prove useful a couple of years later.  In retirement he became Honorary Air Commodore to No 3617 (County of Hampshire) Fighter Control Unit as well as a member of the council of King Edward VII's Hospital for Officers.

Citation for the award of the Distinguished Service Cross

“Lieutenant Douglas Claude Strathern Evill, R.N., Flight Commander, R.N.A.S.

In recognition of his services as a pilot at Dunkirk since February,1915.  In addition to his work as a pilot, Flight Commander Evill has shown great zeal and ability in carrying out experiments connected with signalling and spotting.”

(London Gazette – 22 June 1916)

This page was last updated on 16/10/22

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