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Air Vice-Marshal F S R Johnson (143244)


Frank Sydney Roland ('Johnnie')           b:   4 Aug 1917                      r:   1 Jan 1974                d:  10 May 2009

CB - 1 Jan 1973, OBE - 8 Jun 1963, CCMI

(Indian Army): Sgt: xx Sep 1939, WO: xx xxx xxxx

(RAFVR): Plt Off (P):  9 Apr 1943, Fg Off (P) (WS):  9 Oct 1943 Act Flt Lt: xx xxx xxxx, Fg Off:  9 Apr 1944.

(RAF): AC2: xx xxx 1935, AC1: xx xxx xxxx, LAC?: xx xxx xxxx Fg Off:  1 Jun 1946 (adjusted to 9 Apr 1945 on 28 Feb 1947), Flt Lt: 9 Oct 1947, Sqn Ldr:  1 Jan 1952, Wg Cdr:  1 Jul 1959, Gp Capt:  1 Jan 1965, A/Cdre: 1 Jul 1968, AVM:  1 Jan 1971,

xx xxx 1935:               U/T Wireless Mechanic

xx xxx xxxx:                Wireless Mechanic, No 1 (Indian) Wing Station, Kohat

xx Sep 1939:             Member, Indian Army Corps of Clerks

 9 Apr 1943:              Appointed to an Emergency Commission in the Equipment Branch, RAFVR

xx xxx 1943:              Equipment Officer, Directorate-General of Equipment, Harrogate.

 4 Feb 1944:              Equipment Staff Officer, Section E 48 (b), Deputy Directorate of Equipment (4)

xx xxx 1945:              Equipment Officer, Deputy Directorate of Equipment (7)

 1 Jul 1946:                Appointed to a Permanent Commission in the Equipment Branch in the rank of Flying Officer

xx xxx 1948:              Equipment Officer, No 431 Equipment Depot? (Hamburg)

 2 Mar 1951:             Air Staff, HQ No 40 Group

xx xxx xxxx:               Attended RAF Staff College.

xx xxx xxxx:               Staff Officer, Air Ministry

13 Jan 1958:             Directing Staff, RAF Staff College Andover

 5 Oct 1960:              Officer Commanding, No 113 Maintenance Unit

28 Oct 1963:             Chief Instructor, Equipment and Secretarial Wing, RAF College Cranwell

16 Nov 1964:            Deputy Director of Equipment (2) (RAF)

xx xxx xxxx:               Attended Imperial Defence College.

xx xxx xxxx:               Chief Supply Officer, HQ Fighter Command

30 Apr 1968:             Chief Supply Officer, HQ Strike Command

22 Mar 1971:             Director-General of Engineering and Supply Policy and Plans (RAF)

He was born in Simla, where his father a major in the Indian Army and was educated at Trinity County School, Wood Green, leaving at 16 to work in the City of London. Joining the RAF in 1935 he began his service after training on the North West Frontier, where he volunteered as an air gunner, duties which he carried out in addition to his normal tasks.  In September 1939 he volunteered for the Indian Army Corps of Clerks owing to the attraction of immediate promotion to Sergeant and by the time he returned to the RAF in 1943 he had risen to the rank of Warrant Officer.

Whilst serving in Hamburg in 1948-49 he was heavily involved in supporting the Berlin Airlift.  Following retirement he joined British Aerospace as the company's director of supply and engineering in Saudi Arabia and two years later he assumed responsibility for supply and engineering at the Royal Saudi Air Force's main operational airfield at Dhahran.

This page was last updated on 06/02/24©

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