John Cole-Hamilton

John Cole-Hamilton

John Cole-Hamilton
Born (1894-12-01)1 December 1894
Died 22 August 1945(1945-08-22) (aged 50)
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Navy (1912–18)
Royal Air Force (1918–45)
Years of service 1912–45
Rank Air Vice Marshal
Commands held No. 11 (Fighter) Group (1944–45)
No. 10 (Fighter) Group (1944)
No. 85 (Base) Group (1944)
AHQ West Africa (1942–44)
RAF in Northern Ireland (1941–42)
No. 70 (Army Co-operation Training) Group (1940–41)
School of Army Co-operation (1938–40)
No. 1 (Indian Wing) Station (1937–38)
No. 13 Squadron (1929–31)
No. 20 Squadron (1925–26)
Battles/wars Second World War
Awards Companion of the Order of the Bath
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Mentioned in Despatches (2)

Air Vice Marshal John Beresford Cole-Hamilton, CB, CBE (1 December 1894 – 22 August 1945) was an airship pilot in the Royal Naval Air Service during the First World War and a senior Royal Air Force commander during the Second World War.

Second World War

During the early months of the war, Cole-Hamilton was Commandant at the RAF's School of Army Co-operation. In 1940, he was sent to France, taking up the post of Air Officer Administration on the Air Component of the British Expeditionary Force. Cole-Hamilton received a temporary promotion to air commodore in July 1940. With the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force, Cole-Hamilton returned to Great Britain. In December, Cole-Hamilton returned to an army co-operation training role, being appointed Air Officer Commanding (AOC) No. 70 (Army Co-operation Training) Group.

In November 1941, Cole-Hamilton was appointed AOC of the RAF in Northern Ireland. October 1942 saw Cole-Hamilton appointed AOC of the Air Headquarters in West Africa. Returning to Great Britain in February 1944, he was appointed AOC of No. 85 (Base) Group. In July he became AOC of No. 10 (Fighter) Group and in November he was appointed AOC of No. 11 (Fighter) Group. Cole-Hamilton died on 22 August 1945, less than four months after the end of the War in Europe.

References

    Military offices
    Preceded by
    Hugh Saunders    		 Air Officer Commanding No. 11 (Fighter) Group
    1944–1945     		Succeeded by
    Dermot Boyle
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