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Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
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Paul Clifford
b: 10 Mar 1918 r: 18 Mar 1973 d: 10 Jul 2007
CBE - 1 Jan 1963, DFC – 17 Oct 1944.
(AuxAF): Plt Off: 23 Jan 1938, Fg Off: 24 Aug 1939 [23 Jul 1939], Flt Lt (WS): 3 Sep 1940, (T) Sqn Ldr: 1 Dec 1941, Act Wg Cdr: 1 Jun 1944?, Sqn Ldr (WS): 1 Dec 1944, Sqn Ldr: 1 Sep 1945, Wg Cdr: 1 Jul 1947 [1 Oct 1946]
(RAF): Sqn Ldr: 7 Oct 1948, Act Wg Cdr: 7 Oct 1948?, Wg Cdr: 1 Jan 1952, Act Gp Capt: 13 Sep 1959, Gp Capt: 1 Jul 1963, Act A/Cdre: 28 Jun 1965 - 68?, A/Cdre: Retained.
xx xxx 1937: U/T Pilot, No 602 No 602 (City of Glasgow) Sqn AAF.
23 Jan 1938: Appointed to a Commission in the Auxiliary Air Force.
23 Jan 1938: Pilot, No 602 (City of Glasgow) Sqn AAF.
4 Jul 1938: Authorised to wear Flying Badge
xx Sep 1940: Flight Commander, No 602 (City of Glasgow) Sqn AAF
9 Sep 1940: Recuperating.
xx xxx 1941: Gunnery Instructor, No 58 OTU.
25 May 1941: Flight Commander, 'A' Flight, No 123 Sqn.
15 Sep 1941: Attached, No 602 Sqn
19 Nov 1941: Supernumerary, No 416 Sqn
xx Nov 1941: Officer Commanding, No 416 RCAF Sqn. (Spitfire IIa)
xx Mar 1942: Attached to No 260 Sqn
xx xxx 1942: Attached to No 2 Sqn, SAAF.
xx xxx xxxx: Air Staff, HQ No 210 Group.
12 Feb 1944: Squadron Leader – Training, AHQ Malta
xx May 1944: Officer Commanding, No 253 Sqn. (Spitfire Vc/IX)
xx Sep 1944: Wing Commander - Flying, No 281 Wing.
xx xxx 1945: Staff, Air Ministry
xx Oct1948: Officer Commanding, No 612 Sqn AuxAF
7 Oct 1948: Granted a Permanent Commission in the rank of Squadron Leader.
xx xxx 1950: Personal Staff Officer to AOC, Auxiliary Units.
27 Sep 1951: Air Liaison Officer, Canada.
xx xxx 1953: Wing Commander – Operations, Southern Sector Control Centre.
xx xxx 1955: Intelligence Staff, Air Ministry.
13 Sep 1959: Air Attaché, Ankara.
5 Jul 1963: Officer Commanding, RAF Watton.
22 Aug 1965: Air Adviser to UK High Commissioner to India.
xx xxx xxxx: Attended Senior Officers’ War Course.
21 Oct 1968: Staff Planner, Intelligence Division, NATO HQ Military Committee.
30 Nov 1970: SOA, HQ No 24 Group.
One of those officers, who originally joined the Auxiliary Air Force, whilst working for the National Bank of Scotland, who later transferred to the RAF permanently. He was a member of No 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron and took part on the first operation of WW2 in which a German aircraft was brought down over Britain. During the Battle of Britain he operated with the squadron until 9 September 1940, when he crashed following a combat with two Dorniers in which he suffered a broken wrist. His final tally for the war was three confirmed destroyed and three shard with five damaged. His role at the Air Ministry after the war was to de-requisition airfields, no longer required.
This page was last updated on 23/05/23
