Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
John
Gilbert
b: 24 Mar 1911
r: 21 Jun 1969
d:
3 Feb 1989
GCB
– 1 Jan 1968 (KCB - 1
Jan 1964; CB
– 1 Jun 1953), OBE - 1 Jan 1945, KStJ
- 20 Jun 1969, ADC,
MiD - 1 Jan 1943, MA (Queen's College, Cambridge) - 1937 (BA
- 1933).
(RAFO):
- Plt Off (P):
20 Mar1933.
(RAF):
Plt Off: 3 Apr 1934 [3 Oct 1932], Fg
Off: 3 Oct 1934 [3 Apr 1934], Flt
Lt: 1 Oct 1936, Sqn Ldr: 1 Apr 1939, (T) Wg Cdr: 1 Jun 1941,
Act
Gp Capt: 27 Jul 1944, Wg
Cdr (WS): 27 Jan 1945, Wg Cdr: 1 Oct 1946, Gp Capt:
1 Jul 1950, Act
A/Cdre: 15 Aug 1953?, A/Cdre: 1 Jul 1956, Act AVM (unpd):
1 Apr 1958, Act AVM (pd):
14 Jun
1958, AVM:1 Jan 1959, Act
AM: 1 Aug 1963, AM: 1 Jan 1964, ACM: 1 Jan 1967.
Photo - ACM Sir John Davis (courtesy J M Davis, his son)
20 Mar 1933: Appointed to a Commission in the RAFO (Class AA2)
3
Apr 1933:
U/T Pilot, No 3 FTS.
3 Apr 1934: Appointed to a Permanent Commission in the rank of Pilot Officer.
3
Apr 1934:
Relinquished his RAFO Commission on appointment to a Permanent
Commission.
3
Sep 1934:
Pilot, No 142 Sqn.
14 Feb 1936: Posted to Home Establishment
xx
xxx xxxx:
Pilot, No 57 Sqn.
4
May 1936:
QFI/Flight Commander, No 10 FTS.
27 Dec
1937 Attended the
Specialist Navigation Course, School of Air Navigation.
18
Jul 1938:
Station
Navigation Officer, SHQ, RAF Abbotsinch
20
Apr 1939:
Command
Navigation Officer, HQ Training Command
xx xxx 1940: Squadron Leader Operations, HQ No 201 Group
xx
xxx 1940:
Seconded to Turkish Air Force as a specialist navigation instructor.
7
May 1941:
xx
Mar 1942:
Officer Commanding, No 269 Sqn
xx xxx 1943: Wing Commander - Navigational Training, Air Ministry
Plt Off J G Davis - 1934 | J G Davis in the cockpit of a No 142 Sqn Hart |
J G Davis in Egypt | J G Davis (left in civilian clothes) whilst on secondment to Turkish Government |
Wg Cdr J G Davis, Officer Commanding No 269 Sqn | Wg Cdr J G Davis, No 19 (Maritime) Group Operations Room, 1944 |
Gp Capt J G Davis (centre, seated), |Officer Commanding RAF Topcliffe | ACM Sir John Davis with Dennis Healey (Secretary of State for Defence) |
All photos courtesy - J M Davis (his son) |
xx xxx 1944: Wing Commander Operations, No 19 (Maritime) Group
27 Jul 1944: Officer Commanding, RAF Lagens, Azores
xx xxx 1945:
Officer Commanding, RAF St Eval
xx
xxx 1946:
Attended RAF Staff College.
xx xxx 1946: Deputy Director of Navigation and Traffic Control
xx
xxx 1948:
Directing Staff, RAF Staff College.
12
Jan 1951:
Group Captain - Air Plans, HQ Middle East Air Force
xx
xxx 1953:
Officer Commanding, RAF Topcliffe.
xx
xxx 1955:
Attended Imperial Defence College.
15
Aug 1955:
Director of Plans.
1
Apr 1958:
Preparation for new role?
14
Jun 1958:
SASO, HQ Bomber Command
14
Jun 1959:
AOC, No 1 Group
3
Dec 1961:
AOC, RAF Malta/Deputy C in C (Air), Allied Forces Mediterranean
1
Aug 1963:
Air Member for Supply & Organisation
1
Oct 1966:
AOC in C, Flying Training Command
5 Jun 1967 - 21 Jun 1969: Air ADC to The Queen
1
Jun 1968:
AOC in C, Training Command
Born and educated in Whitby, Yorkshire, and at
Cambridge University, he became a teacher at Richmond Grammar School in
September 1933, whilst learning to fly as a member of the Reserve of Air Force
Officers (RAFO) but in April 1934 he left teaching to take up a permanent
commission in the RAF. He completed his training in 1934 initially flying Hawker Harts with No 142 Squadron.
He moved to No 57 Squadron in 193? still flying Harts before undertaking
a QFI's course at the CFS following which he was posted as an instructor to No
10 FTS. During this period he was
able to study part time through Queen's College Cambridge gaining his MA in
1937.
Between 20 June 1969 and 1974 he was Lieutenant-Governor and
Commander-in-Chief of Jersey in the Channel Islands.
This page was last updated on 01/04/21