Air Chief Marshal Sir John Gingell GBE KCB KCVO (deceased)

Sir John joined the Royal Air Force in 1943 and, following flying training in the United States transferred to the Fleet Air Arm in 1945 to fly Seafire and Firefly aircraft until he left the Service in 1946. He rejoined the Royal Air Force in 1951 to fly photographic reconnaissance Mosquito and Canberra aircraft with No.58 Sqn. On graduating as a Qualified Flying Instructor from Central Flying School in 1954 he instructed at No.231 Operational Conversion Unit.

Following a ground tour with the Air Plans Staff at HQ Near East Air Force, he returned to the United Kingdom in 1963 to command No.27 Squadron operating Vulcan bombers from RAF Scampton, near Lincoln.

In 1966 he joined the Defence Staff at the Ministry of Defence, serving initially as a member of the briefing staff and then as Deputy Director (Defence Operations). Two years later he became Military Assistant to the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee in Brussels.

He was appointed Air Officer Administration at HQ Royal Air Force Germany in 1971, and then in 1973 as Air Officer Commanding No.23 Group, Training Command, at Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire. He was Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Policy) from 1975 until he became a member of the Air Force Board in 1978 as Air Member for Personnel. On 1st July 1980 Sir John was appointed Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Royal Air Force Support Command at Brampton, Cambridgeshire. He was promoted to the rank of Air Chief Marshal and appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces Central Europe in April 1981, retiring in 1984. Following retirement, he served in parliament until 1992 as Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod. He became a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1973, and a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1978. He died on 10th December 2009.

Items Signed by Air Chief Marshal Sir John Gingell GBE KCB KCVO (deceased)

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