Alan Lees

Sir Alan Lees
Born 23 May 1895
Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester
Died 14 August 1973(1973-08-14) (aged 78)
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch  British Army
 Royal Air Force
Years of service 1914-1949
Rank Air Marshal
Commands held No. 56 Squadron
No. 1 (Indian Wing)
RAF Driffield
No. 2 Group
No. 222 (General Reconnaissance) Group
Reserve Command
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Awards Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Distinguished Service Order
Air Force Cross

Air Marshal Sir Alan Lees KCB CBE DSO AFC (23 May 1895 - 14 August 1973) was an Royal Air Force officer who became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief RAF Reserve Command.

RAF career

Educated at Wellington College and the Royal Military College Sandhurst,[1] Lees was commissioned into the Royal West Kent Regiment in 1914 at the start of World War I.[2] He became a pilot in 1915 and while serving on the Western Front he was wounded and taken prisoner in 1917.[2] After the War he transferred to the Royal Air Force and in 1928 became Officer Commanding No. 56 Squadron.[2] He was appointed Officer Commanding No. 1 (Indian Wing) in 1932, Station Commander at RAF Driffield in 1938 and then joined the staff at Headquarters RAF Bomber Command in 1939.[2]

He served in World War II as Air Officer Commanding No. 2 Group from 1941, Air Officer Commanding No. 222 (General Reconnaissance) Group from 1942 and Air Officer Administration at Headquarters Air Command South East Asia from 1944.[2] After the War he became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief RAF Reserve Command before retiring in 1949.[2] In that role he introduced a tie[3] and trophy[4] for members of the Air Training Corps.

References

Military offices
Preceded by
E D H Davies
Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Reserve Command
1946 –1949
Succeeded by
Sir Robert Foster