Roy Austen-Smith
Sir Roy Austen-Smith | |
---|---|
Born | 28 June 1924 |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/branch | Royal Air Force |
Years of service | 1943–81 |
Rank | Air Marshal |
Commands held |
British Forces Cyprus Royal Air Force College Cranwell RAF Wattisham No. 57 Squadron No. 73 Squadron |
Battles/wars |
Second World War Malayan Emergency |
Awards |
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companion of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Distinguished Flying Cross |
Air Marshal Sir Roy David Austen-Smith, KBE, CB, CVO, DFC (born 28 June 1924) is a former Royal Air Force air marshal who served as Commander of British Forces Cyprus.
RAF career
Educated at Hurstpierpoint College, Austen-Smith joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in 1943 during the Second World War.[1] He received an emergency commission as a pilot officer (on probation) on 7 April 1944,[2] and was confirmed in his rank and promoted to flying officer (war-substantive) on 8 October.[3] He was promoted to flight lieutenant (war-substantive) on 7 April 1946 and received an extended-service commission in the rank of flying officer on 15 August.[4][5] He was promoted to the substantive rank of flight lieutenant on 7 October 1947,[6] and was granted a permanent commission in the RAF on 15 January 1948, in the same rank.[7]
Austen-Smith served with No. 33 Squadron in Malaya in the early 1950s. He was promoted to squadron leader on 1 October 1954 and became Officer Commanding No. 73 Squadron in 1956.[8][1] He was promoted to wing commander on 1 July 1960,[9] and became Officer Commanding No. 57 Squadron in 1964.[1] Promoted to group captain on 1 January 1966,[10] he went on to be Station Commander at RAF Wattisham in 1968.[1]
Austen-Smith was promoted to air commodore on 1 January 1970.[11] He was posted for special duty with the Air Staff on 14 February 1972, with the acting rank of air vice-marshal.[12] He was appointed the Commandant of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell in September 1972 and was promoted to the substantive rank of air vice-marshal on 1 January 1973.[13][14] He was appointed Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters Near East Air Force in November 1975.[1][15] After that he became Commander of British Forces Cyprus and Administrator of the Sovereign Base Areas in April 1976,[16] and Head of the British Defence Staff in Washington, D.C. in 1978. He was promoted to air marshal on 1 July 1979,[17] and retired on 1 November 1981 after a 38-year career.[18][19]
In retirement Austen-Smith served as a Gentlemen Usher to the Queen.[1]
Honours
Austen-Smith was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in March 1953, for service during the Malayan Emergency.[20] He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath, Military Division (CB) in the 1975 Birthday Honours.[21] He was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Military Division (KBE) in the 1979 Birthday Honours,[22] and as a Gentleman Usher to the Queen, appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in the 1994 New Year Honours.[23]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Who's Who 2010, A & C Black, 2010, ISBN 978-1-4081-1414-8
- ↑ "No. 36570". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 June 1944. p. 2924.
- ↑ "No. 36776". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 October 1944. p. 5027.
- ↑ "No. 37553". The London Gazette. 30 April 1946. p. 2129.
- ↑ "No. 37784". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 November 1946. p. 5526.
- ↑ "No. 38120". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 November 1947. p. 5307.
- ↑ "No. 38264". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 April 1948. p. 2468.
- ↑ "No. 40289". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 October 1954. p. 5553.
- ↑ "No. 42080". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 June 1960. p. 4577.
- ↑ "No. 43863". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1965. p. 77.
- ↑ "No. 45013". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 January 1970. p. 221.
- ↑ "No. 45610". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 February 1972. p. 2505.
- ↑ "No. 45787". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 September 1972. p. 11363.
- ↑ "No. 45867". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1973. p. 100.
- ↑ "No. 46734". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 November 1975. p. 14213.
- ↑ "No. 46868". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 September 1976. p. 5059.
- ↑ "No. 47911". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 July 1979. p. 9361.
- ↑ "Ministry of Defence and Senior Tri-Service Appointments" (PDF). Retrieved 7 June 2015.
- ↑ "No. 48803". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 November 1981. p. 14925.
- ↑ "No. 39793". The London Gazette. 6 March 1953. p. 1300.
- ↑ "No. 46593". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 June 1975. p. 7371.
- ↑ "No. 47869". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 June 1979. p. 6.
- ↑ "No. 53527". The London Gazette. 30 December 1993. p. 4.
Military offices | ||
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Preceded by John Aiken |
Commander British Forces Cyprus 1976–1978 |
Succeeded by Reynell Taylor |
Preceded by Sir Rollo Pain |
Head of the British Defence Staff in Washington, D.C. 1978–1981 |
Succeeded by Anthony Boam |