Air Marshal Sir Albert Durston, (19 June 1894 – 24 January 1959) was a senior

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

(RAF) officer who served as

Deputy Chief of the Air Staff Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (DCAS) may refer to: * Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Australia) * Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (India) * Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Pakistan) * Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (United Kingdom) The Deputy Chief ...

from 1945 to 1946.

RAF career

Durston joined the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

in 1913 and served in the Royal Naval Air Service during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

.Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Marshal Sir Albert Durstan
/ref> He was mentioned in despatches for services in home waters in 1917,Mention in Despatches etc
/ref> and appointed Officer Commanding No. 253 Squadron in June 1918. In 1936 he was appointed Fleet Aviation Officer to the Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet. He served in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

as Director of Naval Co-operation and then as Air Officer Commanding No. 18 Group. He continued his war service as Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters

RAF Coastal Command RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was founded in 1936, when the RAF was restructured into Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Commands and played an important role during the Second World War. Maritime Aviation ...

and then as Air Officer Commanding No. 222 Group. His last appointment was as

from September 1945 until retiring in August 1946.

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Durston, Albert 1894 births 1959 deaths Companions of the Order of the Bath Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom) Royal Air Force air marshals of World War II Royal Naval Air Service aviators Royal Naval Air Service personnel of World War I Royal Navy officers