Hubert Patch

Sir Hubert Patch
Born 16 December 1904
Died 18 November 1987 (aged 82)
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch  Royal Air Force
Years of service 19231961
Rank Air Marshal
Commands held No. 44 Group RAF
Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment
No. 11 Group
RAF Fighter Command
Middle East Air Force
British Forces Arabian Peninsula
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Air Chief Marshal Sir Hubert Leonard Patch KCB CBE RAF (16 December 1904 18 November 1987) was a senior Royal Air Force commander.

RAF career

Patch joined the Royal Air Force as a flight cadet in 1923 and served in World War II.[1] After the War he became Director of Armament Requirements and then Air Officer Commanding No. 44 Group
Aeroplane & Armament Experimental in 1946.[1] He went on to be Commandant of the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment in 1948, Air Officer for Administration at Headquarters Far East Air Force in 1951 at Senior Air Staff Officer, Far East Air Force in 1952.[1] After that he was made Air Officer Commanding No. 11 Group in 1953, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Fighter Command in January 1956 and Commander-in-Chief of the RAF Middle East Air Force in September 1956.[1]

His final appointments were as Air Member for Personnel in April 1959 and as Commander, British Forces Arabian Peninsula in September 1959, where he established a unified tri-service command in Aden,[2] before he retired in May 1961. From 1961 to 1963 he was the BAC Representative to NATO Countries.[1]

References

Military offices
Preceded by
The Earl of Bandon
Air Officer Commanding No. 11 Group
19531956
Succeeded by
V S Bowling
Preceded by
Sir Dermot Boyle
Commander-in-Chief Fighter Command
1956
Succeeded by
Sir Thomas Pike
Preceded by
Sir Claude Pelly
Commander-in-Chief RAF Middle East Air Force
1956 1958
Succeeded by
Sir William MacDonald
Preceded by
Sir John Whitley
Air Member for Personnel
1959
Succeeded by
Sir Arthur McDonald
Preceded by
Sir Maurice Heath
Air Officer Commanding British Forces Arabian Peninsula
1959 1960
Succeeded by
Sir Charles Elworthy