John Slessor
Encyclopedia
Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Sir John Cotesworth (Jack) Slessor GCB
, DSO
, MC
(3 June 1897 – 12 July 1979) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force
(RAF). A pilot in the Royal Flying Corps
during World War I
, he held operational commands in World War II
and served in the RAF's most senior post, Chief of the Air Staff, from 1950 to 1952. He was considered a strong proponent of strategic bombing
and the nuclear deterrent, and published several books, including an autobiography
. He was a cousin of the children's author Rosemary Sutcliffe who mentions "cousin Jack's" depression at being turned down for the Army in her memoir "Blue Remembered Hills".
, British India, and educated at Haileybury
. Lame in both legs as a result of polio, he was rejected for army service at the outbreak of World War I
and only received a commission in the Royal Flying Corps
in 1915 with the help of his family connections. He saw action with No. 17 Squadron in Egypt
and the Sudan
, where he was Mentioned in Despatches before being wounded in the thigh and invalided back to England in 1916. Lacking anesthetics, the bullet was extracted after Slessor had drunk two bottles of warm champagne and a slug of brandy. Slessor said the operation was bad "but the hangover was truly dreadful". He returned to combat midway through the following year as a flight commander with No. 5 Squadron
on the Western Front
. Awarded the Military Cross
in 1917, he finished the war with the temporary rank of Major
in the recently formed Royal Air Force
(RAF).
. He served as Officer Commanding
No. 4 Squadron
from 1925 to 1928, and was appointed RAF Directing Staff Officer at the Army Staff College, Camberley
in 1931. He became Officer Commanding No. 3 (Indian) Wing in March 1935, winning the Distinguished Service Order
for operations in Waziristan
.
Slessor authored Air Power and Armies, an examination of the use of air power against targets on and behind the battlefield, in 1936. In this work he advocated army co-operation, interdiction
to seal off battlefields from enemy reinforcements and supply, and the use of aerial bombardment as a weapon against enemy morale. He did, however, acknowledge the limitations of his theory, stating:
and appointed Deputy Director of Plans. Mentioned in Despatches in February 1938, he took over as Director of Plans in December that year.
on the first day of World War II
, 1 September 1939. On 10 January 1941, he was raised to temporary Air Vice Marshal and became Air Officer Commanding
(AOC) No.5 (Bomber) Group
in May. Mentioned in Despatches in January 1942, he was appointed Assistant Chief of the Air Staff and his rank made substantive that April. Slessor was closely involved in planning the combined Allied air offensive in Europe
. At the Casablanca Conference in January 1943, he was able to influence Britain's Secretary for Air
, Sir Archibald Sinclair
, and Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Chief Marshal
Sir Charles Portal
, to agree to USAAF
proposals that led to a 'round-the clock' bombing policy against Germany with the US mounting daylight precision attacks and the RAF conducting area bombing at night.
Appointed AOC Coastal Command
in February 1943, Slessor was credited with doing "much to start winning the Battle of the Atlantic", employing his thinly-stretched long-range bomber force against the U-boat
threat, in close cooperation with naval forces. Promoted temporary Air Marshal
on 1 June 1943, he went on to become Commander-in-Chief
RAF Mediterranean and Middle East
in January 1944, and deputy to Lieutenant General Ira Eaker as Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Allied Air Forces
. In this role he conducted operations in the Italian Campaign
and Yugoslavia, establishing the Balkan Air Force
in the latter theatre. Slessor was made Air Member for Personnel
in April 1945, his rank of Air Marshal becoming substantive on 6 June. He had been appointed a Companion of the Bath
in January 1942 and Knight Commander of the Bath in June the following year.
as Commandant of the Imperial Defence College
, at the urging of the-then CAS, Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Sir Arthur Tedder
. Slessor had been dubious about accepting the position, and sought assurances from Tedder that he would be next in line for the CAS post, particularly in light of Tedder's preference for Air Chief Marshal Sir Ralph Cochrane
to succeed him. In the event, Slessor took over from Tedder on 1 January 1950, and chose Cochrane as his Vice Chief of the Air Staff. Having been appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Bath
on 10 June 1948, he was promoted Marshal of the Royal Air Force on 8 June 1950. In late 1951, Slessor reluctantly became involved in the Australian Government's quest for a suitable RAF officer to serve as Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF). He eventually selected Air Marshal Donald Hardman
as the "outstanding candidate" for the Australian post, trying to avoid what he called "the follies of some years ago", referring to Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Burnett
's controversial tenure as RAAF CAS on secondment from Britain in the early years of World War II.
As leader of the RAF, Slessor coined the term 'V-Force
' to denote the its planned trio of strategic jet bombers: the Vickers Valiant
, Handley Page Victor
, and Avro Vulcan
. He played a key role in promoting nuclear weapon
s as an effective instrument of deterrence in early Cold War
British strategy. In 1952, the RAF argued that, because bombers were such an important deterrent, conventional forces could be drastically reduced at a time when the Government was seeking significant public expenditure savings. Slessor believed it unlikely that the United Kingdom
would be able to meet a communist
offensive without resorting to the use of tactical nuclear weapon
s. He became one of the key propagandists of the 'Great Deterrent' (which he employed as the title of a book he wrote after he retired) on both sides of the Atlantic.
from 1963 to 1974, he served as High Sheriff of Somerset
from 1965 to 1966. His son John also joined the RAF, rising to the rank of Group Captain
. Sir John Slessor died in Wiltshire
on 12 July 1979.
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Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Marshal of the Royal Air Force is the highest rank in the Royal Air Force. In peacetime it was granted to RAF officers in the appointment of Chief of the Defence Staff, and to retired Chiefs of the Air Staff, who were promoted to it on their last day of service. Promotions to the rank have ceased...
Sir John Cotesworth (Jack) Slessor GCB
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...
, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(3 June 1897 – 12 July 1979) was a senior commander in the 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...
(RAF). A pilot in the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he held operational commands in World War II
World 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...
and served in the RAF's most senior post, Chief of the Air Staff, from 1950 to 1952. He was considered a strong proponent of strategic bombing
Strategic bombing
Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in a total war with the goal of defeating an enemy nation-state by destroying its economic ability and public will to wage war rather than destroying its land or naval forces...
and the nuclear deterrent, and published several books, including an autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
. He was a cousin of the children's author Rosemary Sutcliffe who mentions "cousin Jack's" depression at being turned down for the Army in her memoir "Blue Remembered Hills".
World War I
The son of a serving army officer, Slessor was born at RanikhetRanikhet
Ranikhet is a hill station and cantonment town in Almora district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the home for the Military Hospital, Kumaon Regiment & Naga Regiment and is maintained by the Indian Army....
, British India, and educated at Haileybury
Haileybury and Imperial Service College
Haileybury and Imperial Service College, , is a prestigious British independent school founded in 1862. The school is located at Hertford Heath, near Hertford, from central London, on of parkland occupied until 1858 by the East India College...
. Lame in both legs as a result of polio, he was rejected for army service at the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and only received a commission in the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
in 1915 with the help of his family connections. He saw action with No. 17 Squadron in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and the Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, where he was Mentioned in Despatches before being wounded in the thigh and invalided back to England in 1916. Lacking anesthetics, the bullet was extracted after Slessor had drunk two bottles of warm champagne and a slug of brandy. Slessor said the operation was bad "but the hangover was truly dreadful". He returned to combat midway through the following year as a flight commander with No. 5 Squadron
No. 5 Squadron RAF
No. 5 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is the operator of the new Sentinel R1 Airborne STand-Off Radar aircraft and is based at RAF Waddington.-History:As No...
on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
. Awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
in 1917, he finished the war with the temporary rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the recently formed 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...
(RAF).
Inter-war years
Having left the RAF in 1919, Slessor applied to rejoin the following year and was offered a short-service commission as a Flight LieutenantFlight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
. He served as Officer Commanding
Officer Commanding
The Officer Commanding is the commander of a sub-unit or minor unit , principally used in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. In other countries, the term Commanding Officer is applied to commanders of minor as well as major units.Normally an Officer Commanding is a company, squadron or battery...
No. 4 Squadron
No. IV Squadron RAF
No.4 Squadron, of the Royal Air Force operated the Harrier GR7, GR9 and T10 from RAF Wittering until January 2011.-Formation and First World War:...
from 1925 to 1928, and was appointed RAF Directing Staff Officer at the Army Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
in 1931. He became Officer Commanding No. 3 (Indian) Wing in March 1935, winning the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
for operations in Waziristan
Waziristan
Waziristan is a mountainous region near the Northwest of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² . The area is entirely populated by ethnic Pashtuns . The language spoken in the valley is Pashto/Pakhto...
.
Slessor authored Air Power and Armies, an examination of the use of air power against targets on and behind the battlefield, in 1936. In this work he advocated army co-operation, interdiction
Interdiction
Interdiction is a military term that refers to the act of delaying, disrupting, or destroying enemy forces or supplies en route to the battle area. A distinction is often made between strategic and tactical interdiction...
to seal off battlefields from enemy reinforcements and supply, and the use of aerial bombardment as a weapon against enemy morale. He did, however, acknowledge the limitations of his theory, stating:
...the conditions envisaged throughout [this book] are those of a campaign on the land in which the primary problem at the time is the defeat of an enemy army in the field. ... in a war against a great Naval power at sea, or when the principle threat to the Empire at the time is the action of hostile air forces against this country or its possessions, the aim and objectives of the air forces of the Empire will not be the same as described in this book.In May 1937, following his posting to India, Slessor was promoted Group Captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
and appointed Deputy Director of Plans. Mentioned in Despatches in February 1938, he took over as Director of Plans in December that year.
World War II
Slessor was promoted Air CommodoreAir Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
on the first day of World War II
World 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...
, 1 September 1939. On 10 January 1941, he was raised to temporary Air Vice Marshal and became Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding is a title given in the air forces of Commonwealth nations to an air officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, an air vice marshal might be the AOC 38 Group...
(AOC) No.5 (Bomber) Group
No. 5 Group RAF
No. 5 Group was a Royal Air Force bomber group of the Second World War, led during the latter part by AVM Sir Ralph Cochrane.-History:The Group was formed on 1 September 1937 with headquarters at RAF Mildenhall....
in May. Mentioned in Despatches in January 1942, he was appointed Assistant Chief of the Air Staff and his rank made substantive that April. Slessor was closely involved in planning the combined Allied air offensive in Europe
Strategic bombing during World War II
Strategic bombing during World War II is a term which refers to all aerial bombardment of a strategic nature between 1939 and 1945 involving any nations engaged in World War II...
. At the Casablanca Conference in January 1943, he was able to influence Britain's Secretary for Air
Secretary of State for Air
The Secretary of State for Air was a cabinet level British position. The person holding this position was in charge of the Air Ministry. It was created on 10 January 1919 to manage the Royal Air Force...
, Sir Archibald Sinclair
Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso
Archibald Henry Macdonald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso KT, CMG, PC , known as Sir Archibald Sinclair, Bt between 1912 and 1952, and often as Archie Sinclair, was a British politician and leader of the Liberal Party....
, and Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Chief Marshal
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir Charles Portal
Charles Portal, 1st Viscount Portal of Hungerford
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Charles Frederick Algernon Portal, 1st Viscount Portal of Hungerford KG GCB OM DSO & Bar MC was a senior Royal Air Force officer and an advocate of strategic bombing...
, to agree to USAAF
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
proposals that led to a 'round-the clock' bombing policy against Germany with the US mounting daylight precision attacks and the RAF conducting area bombing at night.
Appointed AOC 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...
in February 1943, Slessor was credited with doing "much to start winning the Battle of the Atlantic", employing his thinly-stretched long-range bomber force against the U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
threat, in close cooperation with naval forces. Promoted temporary Air Marshal
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
on 1 June 1943, he went on to become Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
RAF Mediterranean and Middle East
Near East Air Force (Royal Air Force)
The former Royal Air Force Near East Air Force, more simply known as RAF Near East Air Force, was the Command organisation that controlled all Royal Air Force assets in the Western Mediterranean .-History:...
in January 1944, and deputy to Lieutenant General Ira Eaker as Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Allied Air Forces
Mediterranean Allied Air Forces
The Mediterranean Allied Air Forces was the major Allied air force command organization in the Mediterranean theater from mid-December 1943 until the end of the Second World War.-Formation:...
. In this role he conducted operations in the Italian Campaign
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
and Yugoslavia, establishing the Balkan Air Force
Balkan Air Force
The Balkan Air Force was a late-World War II Allied air formation.-History:The formation was based at Bari in Italy, and activated on 7 June 1944 from AHQ 'G' Force to simplify command arrangements for the air support of Special Operations Executive-operations in the Balkans, i.e. across the...
in the latter theatre. Slessor was made Air Member for Personnel
Air Member for Personnel
The Air Member for Personnel is the senior Royal Air Force officer who is responsible for personnel matters and is a member of the Air Force Board...
in April 1945, his rank of Air Marshal becoming substantive on 6 June. He had been appointed a Companion of the Bath
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...
in January 1942 and Knight Commander of the Bath in June the following year.
Post-war career
Slessor was promoted Air Chief Marshal on 1 January 1946. He remained as Air Member for Personnel until the end of 1947, when he succeeded General Sir William SlimWilliam Slim, 1st Viscount Slim
Field Marshal William Joseph "Bill"'Slim, 1st Viscount Slim, KG, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, DSO, MC, KStJ was a British military commander and the 13th Governor-General of Australia....
as Commandant of the Imperial Defence College
Commandant Royal College of Defence Studies
The Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies was a UK senior serving military officer between 1972 and 2001. The post rotated through the three branches of the armed forces in turn. In 1971 the old Imperial Defence College became the Royal College of Defence Studies...
, at the urging of the-then CAS, Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Marshal of the Royal Air Force is the highest rank in the Royal Air Force. In peacetime it was granted to RAF officers in the appointment of Chief of the Defence Staff, and to retired Chiefs of the Air Staff, who were promoted to it on their last day of service. Promotions to the rank have ceased...
Sir Arthur Tedder
Arthur Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Arthur William Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder, GCB was a senior British air force commander. During the First World War, he was a pilot and squadron commander in the Royal Flying Corps and he went on to serve as a senior officer in the Royal Air Force during the inter-war...
. Slessor had been dubious about accepting the position, and sought assurances from Tedder that he would be next in line for the CAS post, particularly in light of Tedder's preference for Air Chief Marshal Sir Ralph Cochrane
Ralph Cochrane
Air Chief Marshal Sir Ralph Alexander Cochrane, GBE, KCB, AFC, RAF was a British pilot and Royal Air Force officer, perhaps best known for his role in Operation Chastise, the famous "Dambusters" raid....
to succeed him. In the event, Slessor took over from Tedder on 1 January 1950, and chose Cochrane as his Vice Chief of the Air Staff. Having been appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Bath
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...
on 10 June 1948, he was promoted Marshal of the Royal Air Force on 8 June 1950. In late 1951, Slessor reluctantly became involved in the Australian Government's quest for a suitable RAF officer to serve as Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
(RAAF). He eventually selected Air Marshal Donald Hardman
Donald Hardman
Air Chief Marshal Sir James Donald Innes Hardman GBE, KCB, DFC was a senior Royal Air Force commander. He began his flying career as a fighter pilot in World War I, achieving nine victories to become an ace. During World War II, Hardman held staff and operational posts...
as the "outstanding candidate" for the Australian post, trying to avoid what he called "the follies of some years ago", referring to Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Burnett
Charles Burnett (RAF officer)
Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Stuart Burnett KCB, CBE, DSO was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during the first half of the 20th century. During the Second World War, he served as Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal Australian Air Force.-Early life:Charles Burnett was born in Browns...
's controversial tenure as RAAF CAS on secondment from Britain in the early years of World War II.
V bomber
The term V bomber was used for the Royal Air Force aircraft during the 1950s and 1960s that comprised the United Kingdom's strategic nuclear strike force known officially as the V-force or Bomber Command Main Force...
' to denote the its planned trio of strategic jet bombers: the Vickers Valiant
Vickers Valiant
The Vickers-Armstrongs Valiant was a British four-jet bomber, once part of the Royal Air Force's V bomber nuclear force in the 1950s and 1960s...
, Handley Page Victor
Handley Page Victor
The Handley Page Victor was a British jet bomber aircraft produced by the Handley Page Aircraft Company during the Cold War. It was the third and final of the V-bombers that provided Britain's nuclear deterrent. The other two V-bombers were the Avro Vulcan and the Vickers Valiant. Some aircraft...
, and Avro Vulcan
Avro Vulcan
The Avro Vulcan, sometimes referred to as the Hawker Siddeley Vulcan, was a jet-powered delta wing strategic bomber, operated by the Royal Air Force from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A V Roe & Co designed the Vulcan in response to Specification B.35/46. Of the three V bombers produced,...
. He played a key role in promoting nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
s as an effective instrument of deterrence in early Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
British strategy. In 1952, the RAF argued that, because bombers were such an important deterrent, conventional forces could be drastically reduced at a time when the Government was seeking significant public expenditure savings. Slessor believed it unlikely that the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
would be able to meet a communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
offensive without resorting to the use of tactical nuclear weapon
Tactical nuclear weapon
A tactical nuclear weapon refers to a nuclear weapon which is designed to be used on a battlefield in military situations. This is as opposed to strategic nuclear weapons which are designed to menace large populations, to damage the enemy's ability to wage war, or for general deterrence...
s. He became one of the key propagandists of the 'Great Deterrent' (which he employed as the title of a book he wrote after he retired) on both sides of the Atlantic.
Later life
Slessor completed his term as CAS on 31 December 1952 and retired from the RAF in the new year. He published two books in retirement: his autobiography, The Central Blue (1956), and The Great Deterrent (1957). A member of Somerset County CouncilSomerset County Council
Somerset County Council is the county council of Somerset in the South West of England, an elected local government authority responsible for the most significant local government services in most of the county.-Area covered:...
from 1963 to 1974, he served as High Sheriff of Somerset
High Sheriff of Somerset
The Office of High Sheriff of Somerset is an ancient High Sheriff title which has been in existence for over one thousand years. The position was once a powerful position responsible for collecting taxes and enforcing law and order in Somerset a county in South West England. In modern times the...
from 1965 to 1966. His son John also joined the RAF, rising to the rank of Group Captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
. Sir John Slessor died in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
on 12 July 1979.
Honours and awards
(Source for this section )- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath - 10 Jun 1948 (KCB - 2 Jun 1943, CB - 1 Jan 1942)
- Distinguished Service OrderDistinguished Service OrderThe Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
- 10 Dec 1937 - Military CrossMilitary CrossThe Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
- 1 Jan 1917 - Mentioned in Despatches - 25 Oct 1916, 18 Feb 1938, 1 Jan 1942
- Commander of the Order of Leopold (Belgium) - 27 Aug 1948 (Order of Leopold, Knight - 24 Sep 1917)
- Croix de GuerreCroix de guerreThe Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
(Belgium) - 11 Mar 1918 - Grand Cross of the Order of the Phoenix (Greece) - 6 Sep 1946
- Grand Commandeur of the Legion of Honour (France)
- Croix de GuerreCroix de guerreThe Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
(France) - Commander of the Legion of MeritLegion of MeritThe Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
(United States) - Order of the Partisan Star (Yugoslavia)
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Olav (Norway) - 6 Mar 1953
- Grand Cross of the Order of the SwordOrder of the SwordThe Order of the Sword is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I of Sweden on February 23, 1748, together with the Order of the Seraphim and the Order of the Polar Star.Awarded to officers, and originally intended as an award for bravery and particularly long or useful service, it...
(Sweden) - High Sheriff of SomersetHigh Sheriff of SomersetThe Office of High Sheriff of Somerset is an ancient High Sheriff title which has been in existence for over one thousand years. The position was once a powerful position responsible for collecting taxes and enforcing law and order in Somerset a county in South West England. In modern times the...
- 1965 - Deputy LieutenantDeputy LieutenantIn the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(Somerset) - 18 Apr 1969 - Justice of the PeaceJustice of the PeaceA justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(Somerset) - 1960-1974
Further reading
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