Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
George b: 26 Nov 1923 r: 1 Jul 1978 (at own request) d: 11 Jan 2015
CBE - 31 Dec 1977, FCMI
(RAFVR) AC2: xx xxx 1944, LAC: xx xxx 1944, (P) Plt Off (Emer): 31 Mar 1945, Fg Off (WS): 1 Oct 1945, Flt Lt: xx xxx xxxx
(RAF) Fg Off: 13 Mar 1951, Act Flt Lt: 22 Jan 1952?, Flt Lt: 1 Jan 1953 (21 Aug 1949), Sqn Ldr: 1 Jan 1960, Wg Cdr: 1 Jan 1967, Gp Capt: 1 Jan 1974, Act A/Cdre: 27 Feb 1976, A/Cdre: 1 Jul 1976
xx xxx 1944: U/T Pilot, No ? AS (1570346) (South Africa)
31 Mar 1945: Appointed to a Commission in the GD Branch, RAFVR
xx xxx 1945: Officer Commanding, Composite Police Unit, Bangkok
xx xxx 1946: Officer Commanding, Special Investigations Branch, Burma/Siam Region, Rangoon
xx xxx xxxx: Appointed Assistant to the Provost Marshal
20 Feb 1947: Ceased to hold position as Assistant to Provost Marshal
13 Mar 1951: Relinquished his commission in the RAFVR
13 Mar 1951: Appointed to a Short Service Commission (5 + 4) in the Provost Branch
22 Jan 1952: Appointed Assistant to the Provost Marshal
1 Apr 1952: Appointed to a Permanent Commission in the Provost Branch
xx xxx 1956: Security Officer for Task Force Grapple,
25 Dec 1963: Adviser to Defence Security Directorate (on formation)
1 Jan 1966: Provost Officer, HQ Far East Air Force
xx xxx xxxx: Head, RAF Counterintelligence
25 Sep 1975 - 21 Feb 1976: ADC to the Queen
27 Feb 1976: RAF Provost Marshal and Head of Provost Branch
Born at Musselburgh, East Lothian, he was educated at Crookston School and joined the RAF in 1944. He trained as a pilot in South Africa, qualified just before the end of the war and was commissioned. He remained in the RAFVR but possibly was seconded to work as a policeman in Edinburgh towards the end of 1945 before transferred to the Provost Branch. In 1946 he was tasked with arranging the evacuation of Siam's new King Ramas IX (Bhumibol Adulyadej), whose life was thought to be at risk following the suspicious death of King Ramas VIII on 9 June. The KIng was transported to Switzerland on board a RAF VIP aircraft, ostensibly to complete his education.
With the British withdrawal from Siam Innes relocated to Rangoon in command the Special Investigations Branch of the RAF Police in the Burma/Siam region. In 1956 he was appointed the security officer for the Grapple Task Force during the British thermonuclear tests near Christmas Island. In 1968 he led the team which uncovered the RAF's most notorious Soviet spy, Chief Technician Douglas Britten, a RAF signals intelligence specialist serving at RAF Digby. Britten later appeared at the Central Criminal Court, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 21 years’ imprisonment.
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