Alan Davies (RAF officer)
Encyclopedia
Air Marshal
Sir Alan Cyril Davies KCB
CBE
(31 March 1924 - 1998) was a Royal Air Force
officer who became Deputy Commander of RAF Strike Command
.
: he served in Coastal Command
and was commissioned in 1943.
After the War he was also involved in the introduction of the Shackleton
as a maritime reconnaissance aircraft. He was given command of the Joint Anti-Submarine School Flight in 1952 and the Air Sea Warfare Development Unit in 1958, where he was involved in the development of the Nimrod, and then commanded No. 201 Squadron
in 1959. He went on to be Deputy Director of Operational Requirements at the Ministry of Defence
in 1964, Station Commander of RAF Stradishall
in 1967 and Director of Air Plans at the Ministry of Defence in 1969.
He then became Assistant Chief of the Air Staff in 1972, Deputy Chief of Staff at Headquarters Allied Air Forces Central Europe
in 1974 and Deputy Commander of RAF Strike Command
in 1977. His final appointments were as Director of the International Military Staff at NATO in Brussels
in 1978, Head of the RAF Support Area Economy Review Team in 1981 and Co-ordinator for Anglo-American Relationships in 1984. He retired in 1984.
In retirement he became Chairman of the Corps of Commissionaires
.
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir Alan Cyril Davies KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(31 March 1924 - 1998) was a Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
officer who became Deputy Commander of RAF Strike Command
RAF Strike Command
The Royal Air Force's Strike Command was the military formation which controlled the majority of the United Kingdom's bomber and fighter aircraft from 1968 until 2007: it was merged with Personnel and Training Command to form the single Air Command. It latterly consisted of two formations - No. 1...
.
RAF career
Davies joined to Royal Air Force in 1941 during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
: he served in Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force . Founded in 1936, it was the RAF's premier maritime arm, after the Royal Navy's secondment of the Fleet Air Arm in 1937. Naval aviation was neglected in the inter-war period, 1919–1939, and as a consequence the service did not receive...
and was commissioned in 1943.
After the War he was also involved in the introduction of the Shackleton
Avro Shackleton
The Avro Shackleton was a British long-range maritime patrol aircraft for use by the Royal Air Force. It was developed by Avro from the Avro Lincoln bomber with a new fuselage...
as a maritime reconnaissance aircraft. He was given command of the Joint Anti-Submarine School Flight in 1952 and the Air Sea Warfare Development Unit in 1958, where he was involved in the development of the Nimrod, and then commanded No. 201 Squadron
No. 201 Squadron RAF
No. 201 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, until March 2010, operated the Nimrod MR2, based at RAF Kinloss, Moray. It is the only squadron affiliated with Guernsey, in the Channel Islands. This affiliation started in 1935 and is commemorated in the museum on Castle Cornet. Its history goes even...
in 1959. He went on to be Deputy Director of Operational Requirements at the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
in 1964, Station Commander of RAF Stradishall
RAF Stradishall
RAF Stradishall was a Royal Air Force station in Suffolk, opened in 1938.The airfield closed in 1970 and is now the site of two category C prisons: HMP Highpoint North and HMP Highpoint South...
in 1967 and Director of Air Plans at the Ministry of Defence in 1969.
He then became Assistant Chief of the Air Staff in 1972, Deputy Chief of Staff at Headquarters Allied Air Forces Central Europe
Allied Air Forces Central Europe
Allied Air Forces Central Europe was the headquarters for NATO air forces in Central Europe from 1951 to 1967 and from 1974 to 1993.-History:It was first based at Fontainebleau , and originally activated in April 1951...
in 1974 and Deputy Commander of RAF Strike Command
RAF Strike Command
The Royal Air Force's Strike Command was the military formation which controlled the majority of the United Kingdom's bomber and fighter aircraft from 1968 until 2007: it was merged with Personnel and Training Command to form the single Air Command. It latterly consisted of two formations - No. 1...
in 1977. His final appointments were as Director of the International Military Staff at NATO in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
in 1978, Head of the RAF Support Area Economy Review Team in 1981 and Co-ordinator for Anglo-American Relationships in 1984. He retired in 1984.
In retirement he became Chairman of the Corps of Commissionaires
Corps of Commissionaires
The Corps of Commissionaires is a British security firm that has regional offices around the world.- History :The Corps of Commissionaires was founded in 1859 by Captain Sir Edward Walter KCB. It is the oldest security company in the world. Currently trading as 'Corps Security', the head of the...
.