John Denis Breakey

John Denis Breakey
Born 19 May 1899
Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Died 8 January 1965
Allegiance England
Service/branch Aviation
Rank Air Vice Marshal
Unit No. 203 Squadron RAF
Awards Order of the Bath, Distinguished Flying Cross with Bar

Air Vice Marshal John Denis Breakey began his military career in the Royal Naval Air Service during World War I. As the RNAS was merged into the Royal Air Force, he scored nine aerial victories as a fighter pilot.

After returning to service for World War II, he rose to become an Air Commodore during the war, and an Air Vice Marshal afterwards.

Contents

Personal life

Breakey was born on 18 May 1899, in Sheffield, England.[1]

He retired from the Royal Air Force on 10 May 1954.[2]

He died on 8 January 1965.[3]

World War I

Promotions and appointments

3 June 1917: Appointed probationary Flight Officer in Royal Naval Air Service on the same day as Frederick Britnell[4]

10 October 1917: Appointed temporary probationary Flight Sub-Lieutenant

26 October 1917: Appointed Flight Sub-Lieutenant with seniority from 10 October 1917

1 April 1918: Commissioned as lieutenant in the Royal Air Force on its day of existence

19 August 1918: Promoted to temporary captain

Duty assignments

ca June 1917: Assigned to No. 3 Naval Squadron as a Sopwith Camel fighter pilot

1 April 1918: Continued service in unit when it was absorbed into the Royal Air Force as 203 Squadron[5]

List of aerial victories

See also Aerial victory standards of World War I

No. Date/time Aircraft Foe Result Location Notes
1 15 May 1918 @ 1145 hours Sopwith Camel serial number D3384 LVG Destroyed Salome Victory shared with Edwin Hayne, Harold Beamish, three other pilots
2 16 May 1918 @ 1120 hours Sopwith Camel s/n D3384 Pfalz D.III Driven down out of control North of La Bassée
3 17 May 1918 @ 1120 hours Sopwith Camel s/n D3384 Albatros D.V Destroyed Merville Victory shared with Beamish, Ronald Sykes, two other pilots
4 18 May 1918 @ 1120 hours Sopwith Camel s/n D3384 Rumpler Set afire; destroyed Merville Victory shared with Beamish
5 25 August 1918 @ 1300 hours Sopwith Camel s/n D9651 DFW Destroyed North of Hem
6 20 September 1918 @ 1530 hours Sopwith Camel Fokker D.VII Driven down out of control Haynecourt
7 26 September 1918 @ 1300 hours Sopwith Camel s/n D9651 Fokker D.VII Set afire; destroyed Southwest of Lieu-Saint-Amand
8 29 September 1918 @ 0730 hours Sopwith Camel s/n D9651 LVG Destroyed Sensee Canal, Hem
9 2 October 1918 @ 0850 hours Sopwith Camel s/n D9592 Fokker D.VII Destroyed Morenchies [6]

Between the World Wars

Promotions and appointments

1 August 1919: Appointed lieutenant in the Royal Air Force on a permanent commission with seniority of 1 April 1918

1 July 1924: Promoted to Flight Lieutenant

1 February 1935: Promoted to Squadron Leader

1 July 1938: Promoted to Wing Commander

Duty assignments

13 June 1919: Pilot in 47 Squadron

1 February 1921: Test pilot, Aeroplane Experimental Establishment

24 July 1923: Flight Commander, 22 Squadron

15 September 1924: Student in Aircraft Engineering Course at the Home Aircraft Depot

2 December 1926: Posted to staff duty at Home Aircraft Depot

1 February 1929: Flight duty with 204 Squadron at RAF Southampton

2 January 1930: Flight duty with 205 Squadron, RAF Southampton

16 May 1931: Staff duty, Headquarters RAF Singapore

3 April 1933: Supernumerary, RAF Depot

3 April 1934: Staff duty

25 March 1935: Officer Commanding, 201 Squadron

4 October 1937: Air Staff, Deputy Director of Operational Requirements; subsequently raised to Director

World War II and beyond

Promotions and appointments

1 December 1940: Promoted to temporary Group Captain

ca 26 May 1941: Promoted to acting Air Commodore

26 November 1941: Designated War Substantive Group Captain

20 April 1943: Promoted to acting Air Vice Marshal

1 June 1943: Became temporary Air Commodore

1 December 1943: Confirmed as Group Captain

20 April 1944: Designated War Substantive Air Commodore

1 January 1946: Promoted to Air Commodore, appointed as temporary Air Vice Marshal

1 July 1947: Promoted to Air Vice Marshal

Duty assignments

April 1943: Assistant Chief of the Air Staff for Technical Requirements

September 1945: Air Officer Commanding, 222 Group

1 October 1945: Air Officer Commanding, Air Headquarters, Malaya

13 January 1948: Air Officer in charge of Administration, Headquarters Bomber Command

1951: Air Officer Commanding, 21 (Training) Group

1 August 1951: Head of Royal Air Force Staff for British Joint Services Mission to Washington, DC

Honours and awards

18 February 1919: Breakey was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for valour; the citation read:

This officer has flown about 500 hours on active service. He has carried out 170 special missions, and has bombed and attacked enemy troops, transport, &c., from low altitudes with great success, causing serious damage. Captain Breakey has shown marked ability and skill as a flight leader, and by his fine spirit of determination and disregard of personal danger sets a fine example to other pilots.[7]

12 July 1919: Breakey was awarded a Bar in lieu of a second award for valour of the Distinguished Flying Cross.

1 January 1944: John Denis Breakey was honoured for his services with induction into the Order of the Bath.

Endnotes

  1. ^ http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Breakey.htm Retrieved 14 June 2011.
  2. ^ http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Breakey.htm Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  3. ^ http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Breakey.htm Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  4. ^ (Flight, 14 June 1917) http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1917/1917%20-%200592.html Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  5. ^ http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/england/breakey.php Retrieved 23 June 2011.
  6. ^ http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/england/breakey.php Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  7. ^ (Supplement to the London Gazette, 8 February 1919) http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/31170/pages/2035/page.pdf Retrieved 14 June 2011. Note: "Special missions" ofttimes designated insertion of spies and agents behind enemy lines, usually at night.
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