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Air Commodore J G Hearson


Air Commodore J G HearsonAir Commodore J G HearsonJohn Glanville                        

b: 5 Aug 1883              

r: 1 Sep 1927                  

d: 9 Jan 1964

CB - 1 Jan 1919, CBE - 3 Jun 1924, DSO - 14 Jan 1916, MiD - 10 Jun 1924, SA3S - xx xxx 1917

For a list of foreign decoration abbreviations, click here

(Army): - 2 Lt:   31 Jul 1902, Lt: 22 Feb 1905, Capt: 31 Jul 1913, (T) Maj: 17 Dec 1915, (T) Lt Col: 6 May 1916, Maj: 1 Jun 1916, (B) Maj: 1 Jan 1917, Maj: 31 Jul 1917, (T) Brig-Gen: 28 Oct 1917.

(RAF): - (T) Brig-Gen [Lt Col]: 1 Apr 1918, Act Col: 22 May 1919, Wg Cdr: 1 Aug 1919, Gp Capt: 8 Aug 1919, A/Cdre: 30 Jun 1923.

Photos courtesy - Hugh Green (J G Hearson's Grandson)

 xx xxx xxxx:               Attended RMA Woolwich.

31 Jul 1902:                 Officer, Royal Engineers.

7 Oct 1905:                  Assistant Superintendent of Surveys, Officer,  South Nigeria Boundary Commission.

12 Oct 1906:                Member, Anglo/French (Niger/Chad) Boundary Commission

24 Oct 1908:

 2 Mar 1910:                Superintendent of Roads, Gold Coast Colony.

18 Nov 1912:           

1914                             Attended Central Flying School?  

11 May 1915:               Flight Commander, No 2 Sqn RFC?

 2 Oct 1915:                 Returned to UK

22 Dec 1915:                Officer Commanding, No 5 Sqn RFC. (BE2c – Western Front)

 6 May 1916:                Attached, 9th (HQ) Wing

21 Jun 1916:                  Officer Commanding, 15th (Corps) Wing, Reserve Army.

28 Oct 1917:                 Chief Staff Officer, HQ Training Division RFC.

 1 Apr 1918:                  Director of Training.

22 May 1919:                Colonel (Staff), Air Ministry

 1 Aug 1919:                 Awarded Permanent Commission as a Lieutenant Colonel

 1 Apr 1920:                  Commandant, RAF Depot.

xx xxx 1922:                  Member, British Delegation (Air Section), Paris. (British Aeronautical Advisor to the Council of Ambassadors)

 1 Jun 1922:                   Supernumerary, RAF Depot.

28 Jul 1922:                   SESO, HQ Iraq Command.

22 Oct 1923:                 Chief Staff Officer, HQ Iraq Command.

15 Sep 1924:                 Supernumerary, HQ Coastal Area.

19 Jan 1925:                  Supernumerary - non effective (sick), RAF Depot.

 1 Dec 1925:                  AOC, Special Reserve and Auxiliary Air Force.

18 Jul 1927:                   AOC, Air Defence Group

25 Aug 1927:                 AOC, No 1 Air Defence Group.

xx Mar 1936:                Special Appointment to Directorate of Aeronautical Production.

 1 May 1937:                  AOC, No 30 (Balloon Barrage) Group.

xx xxx 1939:                  ?

xx xxx xxxx:                  AOC, Balloon Command?

Educated at Marlborough School, he entered the RMA at Woolwich and was awarded RAeC Certificate No 1137 on 11 March 1915.  He was a surveying/mapping specialist, being one of the first to produce maps from aerial photographs.  From 1928 he was the Vice-President of the Port Elizabeth Light Aeroplane Club, South Africa.

Citation for the award of Commander of the Order of the British Empire

"HEARSON, John Glanville, A/C, CB, DSO

This officer who is Chief Staff Officer of the Iraq Command has shown untiring devotion to duty and zeal since taking over this work.  He previously acted as Chief Equipment Officer and was responsible for the transfer of all equipment and stores from the Army to the Royal Air Force at a time when extensive movements of troops in connection with important operations were also in progress.  These very onerous duties he discharged with conspicuous zeal and success."

In his despatch covering operations in Kurdistan, 15 February to 19 June 1923 (London Gazette, 11 June 1924), Air Marshal J M Salmond wrote the following:

 "Group Captain Hearson during this period from March to June 1923, has borne this  whole load of responsibility of supply for both Army and Air Force Units.  The fact that there has been no occasion of breakdown in these services, although carried out in most difficult country and under trying conditions has been due to his personal zeal, ability and hard work.  Previous to these operations he organised the supply and movement from Basrah and Baghdad to Mosul of the whole of the Field Force with the fullest measure of success."

 (Source - Air 30/58)

 

This page was last updated on 18/08/23©

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