John D'Albiac

John Henry D'Albiac
Born	28 January 1894
Died	20 August 1963 Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1914 – 14 April 1947
Rank	Air Marshal
Commands held	RAF Scopwick RAF Palestine and Transjordan British Forces in Greece British Forces in Iraq No. 222 Group No. 2 Group Second Tactical Air Force
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companion of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order Mention in Despatches
Other work	Aerodrome Commandant, London Heathrow Airport

Air Marshal Sir John Henry D'Albiac KCVO, KBE, CB, DSO (28 January 1894 – 20 August 1963) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during World War II.

Biography

D'Albiac was educated at the Seabrook Lodge School in Kent, Framlingham College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He was commissioned into the Royal Marine Artillery in 1914 but seconded to the Royal Naval Air Service during the following year.^[1] In 1916, whilst serving in France as an aeroplane observer, D'Albiac was awarded the Distinguished Service Order.^[1] After serving as Station Commander at RAF Scopwick he transferred to the RAF on its establishment in 1918 and served on the Staff at Headquarters RAF Trans-Jordania from 1922 and as a Flight Commander in No. 99 Squadron from 1926.^[1]

During the Second World War D'Albiac served as Air Officer Commanding RAF Palestine and Transjordan from August 1939, Air Officer Commanding British Forces in Greece from November 1940^[2] before returning to be Air Officer Commanding RAF Palestine and Transjordan from May 1941 again.^[1] He continued his war service as Air Officer Commanding British Forces in Iraq from June 1941,^[3] Air Officer Commanding No. 222 Group from March 1942 and Air Officer Commanding No. 2 Group from December 1942.^[1] He was then made Air Officer Commanding Second Tactical Air Force in June 1943, Deputy Commander of the Mediterranean Tactical Air Force in February 1944 and the Director-General of Personnel in November 1944.^[1] He retired in 1947.^[1]

In later life D'Albiac was the Aerodrome Commandant at London Heathrow Airport and the Deputy Chairman of the Air Transport Advisory Council.^[1] He died in Beaconsfield on 20 August 1963.^[1]

See also

• Battle of Greece
• Anglo-Iraqi War
• Easter Sunday Raid
• Defense of the Reich

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - Air Marshal Sir John D'Albiac
2. ^ Churchill, p. 197
3. ^ Lyman, p. 19

References

• Churchill, Winston (1950). The Second World War, Volume III, The Grand Alliance. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 
• Lyman, Robert (2006). Iraq 1941: The Battles for Basra, Habbaniya, Fallujah and Baghdad. Campaign. Oxford, New York: Osprey Publishing. pp. 96. ISBN 1-84176-991-6. 

External links

• Royal Air Force - Bomber Command Commanders of World War II

Military offices
Preceded by H G Smart	Air Officer Commanding British Forces in Iraq June 1941–March 1942	Succeeded by H C de Crespigny As AOC AHQ Iraq
New title Formation Established	Commander Second Tactical Air Force 1943–1944	Succeeded by Sir Arthur Coningham

Persondata
Name	Dalbiac, John Henry
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	28 January 1894
Place of birth
Date of death	20 August 1963
Place of death	Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England