Jeaffreson Greswell

Jeaffreson Herbert Greswell
Born	28 July 1916 Epsom, Surrey, England
Died	19 November 2000 (aged 84) Chiltern, Buckinghamshire, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1935–1968
Rank	Air Commodore
Commands held	OC No. 179 Squadron RAF OC RAF Kinloss 1957 – 1959 Commandant Royal Observer Corps 1964 - 1969
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Companions of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order Distinguished Flying Cross

Air Commodore Jeaffreson Herbert Greswell CB CBE DSO DFC RAF (28 July 1916 – 19 November 2000) was a British pilot during World War II and a senior Royal Air Force officer in the post-war years.

As an Air Commodore, Greswell served as the eleventh Commandant Royal Observer Corps between June 1964 and June 1968.

Service history

Greswell joined the RAF in 1935 and served for over thirty years. Much of his war time service was spent with Coastal Command operating on convoy protection duties. Initially flying Ansons with No. 217 Squadron RAF and later in Wellingtons, promoted to Squadron Leader with No. 172 Squadron RAF. He was heavily involved in the development and testing of the 'Leigh Light' illumination system used effectively in the war against the U-boat menace. On the first serious test of the system in 1942, a Wellington piloted by Greswell, located two U-boats and seriously damaged both with depth charges and machinegun fire.

On his return from a detachment in the United States, where he had overseen American manufacturers on the fitting of the Leigh Light system in Liberators and trained aircrew in its use, he was promoted to Wing Commander and posted to No. 179 Squadron RAF in Gibraltar. Under his command 179 Squadron became one of the most effective anti-submarine units in the Mediterranean theatre, credited with the destruction of eight U-boats.

At the end of the war Greswell was placed on the reserve list of RAF officers. Upon recall in the 1950s he was promoted to Group Captain and his post war appointments included involvement in the air support planning for the British forces landings in Egypt during the Suez crisis in 1956, and later the restructuring of the combined NATO air forces anti-submarine planning.

Royal Observer Corps

On promotion to Air Commodore rank in June 1964, Greswell was appointed as the 11th Commandant of the ROC during a period which saw the greatest reorganisation and upheaval in the organisation’s history, with its role and funding being greatly reduced. The aircraft reporting role was finally phased out, more than six hundred Posts were closed, and the overall establishment reduced down to some twelve thousand observers.

To continue his efforts in protecting the continued existence of the ROC Greswell requested that the normal tenure as Commandant be extended beyond the normal two years. He eventually handed control of the ROC to Air Commodore Rixon in June 1968, having held the post for four years. It was Greswell’s final RAF appointment and he retired from HM Forces.

Honours and awards

• 28 July 1942 - Squadron Leader Jeaffreson Herbert Greswell (37318), No. 172 Squadron, awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.^[1]
• 28 March 1944 - Wing Commander Jeaffreson Herbert Greswell DFC (37318), Royal Air Force, No. 179 Squadron, awarded the Distinguished Service Order.^[2]
• 1 January 1946 - Wing Commander Jeaffreson Herbert Greswell DSO DFC (37318), Reserve of Air Force Officers, appointed as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire ^[3]
• 2 June 1962 - Appointed as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.^[4]
• 10 June 1967 - Appointed as a Companion of the Order of the Bath.^[5]

References

• Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - Air Commodore J H Greswell
• Telegraph obituaries - Air Commodore Jeaffreson Greswell