Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Constantine KBE CB DSO (deceased)

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Born on 23rd May 1908, the son of Fleet Paymster Henry Constantine RN. He was educated at Christ's Hospital and entered the Royal Air Force College Cranwell in 1926 where he learned to fly on the Bristol Fighter, DH9a, Siskin and Snipe. On graduation he was posted to No.56(F) Squadron equipped with the Siskin and he also carried out a Deck Landing course with the Fleet Air Arm operating Fairey Flycatchers from HMS Furious. In 1929 he completed the Flying Instructor course at the Central Flying School and became an instructor of flight cadets at Cranwell; among his pupils at that time was Douglas Bader. In 1933 he became the leader of the CFS formation team who, with their Avros, specialised in inverted formation flying and were the early predecessors of the Red Arrows.

Between 1934 and 1936 Sir Hugh served with No.1 Armoured Car Company in Iraq and it was during this tour that he flew the Wapiti. After graduation from the RAF Staff College Andover in 1940 he joined Bomber Command and continued to serve with the Command throughout the war flying Wellington, Halifax and Lancaster. He took part in the first 1000 bomber raid on Cologne in 1942 and rose to command No.5 Bomber Group as Air Vice Marshal.

After the Imperial Defence College course in 1947 his post-war appointments included SASO No.25 Group in Egypt, Director of Intelligence in the Air Ministry, AOA Fighter Command, AOC No.25 Group, DCSO (Plans and operations) SHAPE nd AOC in C Flying Training Command. He was promoted to the rank of Air Chief Marshal and became Commandant of the Imperial Defence College in 1961. Following his retirement in 1964 he became Co-ordinator of Anglo-American Community Relations in the Ministry of Defence. During a distinguished flying creer Sir Hugh flew over 80 different types fo aircraft and wrote the handling notes for many inclduing Hampden, Hudson, Spitfire, Hurricane, Defiant, Botha, Bombay and Blenheim. He was awarded the DSO in 1942, appointed a Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1946 and a Knight of the Order of the British Empire in 1958. He died on 16th April 1992.

Items Signed by Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Constantine KBE CB DSO (deceased)

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