| Richard Johns | |
|---|---|
Sir Richard Johns, the Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle, leading the procession to the Garter service in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle |
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| Born | 28 July 1939 |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | Royal Air Force |
| Rank | Air Chief Marshal |
| Commands held | No 1 Group Strike Command Chief of the Air Staff |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Commander of the Order of the British Empire |
| Other work | Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle |
Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Edward Johns GCB, KCVO, CBE (born 28 July 1939) is a retired Royal Air Force officer and former Chief of the Air Staff.
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Educated at Portsmouth Grammar School and RAF College Cranwell, Johns was commissioned in 1959.[1] He underwent flying training on Piston Provosts and Gloster Meteors.[2] Johns went on to fly Hunters in Aden. He also became a Qualified Flying Instructor and, notably, he trained the Prince of Wales to wings standard on the Jet Provost.[3]
In 1982 he became Station Commander and Harrier Force Commander at RAF Gütersloh[4] and it was towards the end of the year when he received the honorary appointment of Aide-de-Camp to the Queen.[5] Following various other appointments he went on to take up the appointment of Air Officer Commanding No 1 Group in 1991.[6] It was also in 1991 that Johns served as one of three British directors of operations on the senior planning staff for Operation Granby (the British contribution to the Gulf War).[7] Johns's next appointment was in 1993 as Deputy Commander-in-Chief RAF Strike Command. Johns was appointed Commander-in-Chief Strike Command on 30 June 1994.[1] However, less than two weeks later, Sir John Thomson who had just been appointed Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces North West Europe died and Johns was posted from Strike Command to the NATO command where he served as Commander-in-Chief until 1997.[8][9]
He was Chief of the Air Staff from 1997 to April 2000 when he retired from the RAF.[2]
He was Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle from 2000 to 1 February 2008. He was succeeded in this post by Surgeon Vice Admiral Ian Jenkins, CB, CVO.[10]
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by M J D Stear |
Station Commander RAF Gutersloh 1982–1984 |
Succeeded by F W Mitchell |
| Preceded by R A F Wilson |
Air Officer Commanding No 1 Group 1991–1993 |
Succeeded by P T Squire |
| Preceded by Sir John Kemball |
Deputy Commander-in-Chief Strike Command 1993–1994 |
Succeeded by Sir John Allison |
| Preceded by Sir John Thomson |
Commander-in-Chief Strike Command 1994 |
Succeeded by Sir William Wratten |
| Preceded by Sir John Thomson |
Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces North West Europe 1994 – 1997 |
Succeeded by Sir John Cheshire |
| Preceded by Sir Michael Graydon |
Chief of the Air Staff 1997–2000 |
Succeeded by Sir Peter Squire |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by Sir Patrick Palmer |
Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle 2000–2008 |
Succeeded by Ian Jenkins |