Douglas Colyer
by Walter Stoneman
bromide print, February 1943
NPG x164842
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Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
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Douglas
b: 1 Mar 1893
r: 14 Jul 1946
d: 23 Feb 1978
CB
- 11 Jun 1942, CMG - 12 Jun 1958, DFC -
3 Jun 1918, MiD - 1 Jan 1941, MA (Cambridge), LoH,
O - xx xxx 1938, PR2 - 15 Jul 1941, LoM (Cdr)
- 15 Mar 1946,
ON(GO)s - 25 Mar 1947.
For a list of foreign decoration abbreviations, click here
(Army):
- 2 Lt: 26 Jan 1915, Lt: 1
Jul 1917.
(RAF):
- Lt:
1 Apr 1918, Act Capt: 1
Jul 1918, Capt:
1 Jan 1919, Fg Off: 1 Aug 1919, Flt
Lt: 1 Nov 1919, Sqn Ldr: 12 Dec
1928, Act Wg Cdr:
1 Jun 1934, Wg Cdr: 1 Jul 1935,
Act Gp Capt
(unpd): 21 May 1936, Gp
Capt: 1 Jan 1939, Act A/Cdre: 26
Nov 1940, (T) A/Cdre: 1 Dec 1940, Act
AVM: 4 Apr 1942,
A/Cdre: 14 Apr 1942 [1 Dec 1940],
(T) AVM: 1 Dec
1942, Act AM (pd): 21 Dec 1944
- 24 Apr 1946,
Act AM (unpd):
24 Apr 1946, AVM: 25 Apr 1946, AM:
Retained.
Douglas Colyer
by Walter Stoneman
bromide print, February 1943
NPG x164842
26 Jan 1915: Officer, Lincolnshire Regiment.
16 Jan 1917: Embarked for Egypt
9 Feb 1917: Arrived in Alexandria
12 Feb 1917: U/T Pilot, No 21 Reserve Sqn RFC
20 Feb 1917: Admitted to SSQ, Abbassia
20 Feb 1917: Transferred to Nasrick School Hospital, Cairo (Bronchitis)
12 Mar 1917: Resumed flying training with No 21 RS
9 Apr 1917: Attached No 22 Reserve Sqn RFC
20 Apr 1917: Admitted to Aboukir Hospital (Abrasions to head and thigh)
20 Apr 1917: Transferred to Military Hospital, Ras-el-Tih
31 May 1917: Resumed training with No 22 RS
25 Jun 1917: Attached, No 23 Reserve Sqn RFC
8 Jul 1917: Appointed Flying Officer, RFC and posted to No 23 RS.
25 Oct - 19 Nov 1917: Admitted to Hospital
1 Jul 1918: Flight Commander, No 14 Sqn
8-19 Oct 1918: Admitted to No 19 General Hospital
16 Nov 1918: Arrived Base Depot from Port Said
20 Nov 1918: Transferred to Home Establishment
23 Nov 1918: Embarked for UK
28 Oct 1919: Granted a Permanent Commission in the rank of Flight Lieutenant (effective from 1 Aug)
26 Jan 1920: Staff, No 1 School of Technical Training (Boys).
30 Sep 1920: Attended Cambridge University
xx xxx xxxx: Attended Engineering Course, RAE
xx xxx xxxx: Attended Course at Imperial School of Science and Technology.
1
Aug 1923:
Instructor, No 5 FTS.
15
Dec 1924: Staff, Stores Depot, Iraq
1
Feb 1925:
Staff, Aircraft Depot, Iraq.
25
Oct 1925: Engineering Staff, HQ Iraq Command.
10
Jan 1927:
Engineering Staff, HQ RAF Middle East.
5
Apr 1928:
QFI, No 4 FTS.
30
Dec 1928: Attended RAF Staff College.
1
Jan 1930:
Air Adviser, Latvian Government.
11 Jan 1932: Attended Refresher Flying Course, CFS
22
Mar 1932: 'B'
Flight Commander, No 10 Sqn. (Hinaidi, Virginia – Boscombe Down)
16 Oct 1933:
28 May 1936: Air Attaché, Paris (including Madrid & Lisbon until 1938).
6 Jul 1940: SASO, HQ No 61 Group
26 Nov 1940: Director of Personal Services.
1 Jan 1941: Gazetted for rendering valuable services in connection with the war
4 Apr 1942: AOC, No 15 Group
xx xxx 1942: Director-General of Personal Services.
xx Aug 1943: Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Policy)
20
Jan 1945:
Chief of RAF Mission, Washington.
Whilst
serving as Air Attaché in Paris, he found himself involved in the combined
Chiefs of Staff discussions between Newall and Slessor, for the British and
Gamelin for the French where he acted as interpreter. Following his retirement from the RAF he took up an
appointment, in 1947, as the first Civil Air Attaché in Paris until 1952 when he became
Civil Aviation Representative for Western Europe until his final retirement in
1960. He was one of only two Air
Marshals, who served during WW2, not to be knighted.
This page was last updated on 09/05/20
R Collishaw 