Group Captain Frank Andrew Willan, (21 December 1915 – 12 November 1981) was an English aviator,

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 ...

officer and

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

politician. He was Chairman of

Wiltshire County Council Wiltshire County Council (established in 1889) was the county council of Wiltshire in the South West of England, an elected local Government body responsible for most local government services in the county. As a result of the 2009 restructur ...

from 1973 to 1979.

Early life

The son of Brigadier

Robert Hugh Willan Brigadier Robert Hugh Willan, (6 September 1882 – 4 May 1960) was an officer in the British Army. Willan was a lieutenant in the 4th (Militia) Battalion of the Oxfordshire Light Infantry when he received a commission as second lieutenant in Th ...

, and the grandson of Colonel Frank Willan of Thornehill Park,

Bitterne Bitterne is an eastern suburb and ward of Southampton, England. Bitterne derives its name not from the similarly named bird, the bittern, but probably from the bend in the River Itchen; the Old English words ''byht'' and ''ærn'' together mean ...

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...

, Willan was educated at

West Downs School West Downs School, Romsey Road, Winchester, Hampshire, was an English independent preparatory school, which was established in 1897 and closed in 1988. History Founding The school was founded by Lionel Helbert (1870–1919), with help from h ...

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...

and Magdalen College, Oxford.'WILLAN, Group Captain Frank Andrew' in '' Who Was Who 1981–1990'' (A. & C. Black, London) His grandfather, after whom he was named, was Colonel of the 3rd Oxfordshire Light Infantry, an

alderman An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members t ...

for Hampshire, a Justice of the Peace and a Deputy Lieutenant. Willan's brother Martin Stuart Willan was killed in action in northern France on 25 May 1940 at the age of 21, while serving with the King's Royal Rifle Corps as part of the British Expeditionary Force.

Career

Willan was commissioned into the Royal Air Force as a pilot officer with effect from 25 October 1937, and 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 ...

with RAF Bomber Command, being promoted flight lieutenant with effect from 25 April 1940. After the war, he was Commanding Officer of the

Oxford University Air Squadron The Oxford University Air Squadron, abbreviated Oxford UAS, or OUAS, formed in 1925, is the training unit of the Royal Air Force at the University of Oxford and forms part of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. OUAS is one of fifteen Universi ...

(1951–53) and of RAF Feltwell (1958–60), before retiring the service in 1960. Elected a member of

in 1961, he continued in that role until his death in 1981. Willan was chairman of the County Council's Education Committee from 1965 to 1968; vice-chairman of Council, 1968 to 1969; and Chairman, 1973 to 1979. Between 1974 and 1981 he was also chairman of the

Wiltshire Victoria County History The Wiltshire Victoria County History, properly called The Victoria History of the County of Wiltshire but commonly referred to as VCH Wiltshire, is an encyclopaedic history of the county of Wiltshire in England. It forms part of the overall Vic ...

, and he was succeeded in both positions by Nigel Anderson. Willan was appointed a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(Military Division) in the

New Year Honours The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, with New Year's Day, 1 January, being marked by naming new members of orders of chivalry and recipients of other official honours. A number of other Commonwealth realms also mark this ...

for 1961, and a Deputy Lieutenant for Wiltshire in 1968. He was also a Member of the Wessex Regional Hospital Board 1970–1974, Chairman of the

Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of ...

Diocesan Board of Finance A Diocesan Board of Finance, often abbreviated to DBF, is an institution of the Church of England which owns land and controls a number of financial matters in each of the Church's dioceses. Such Boards have existed in every diocese of the Church s ...

1970–1981, and Chairman of the Joint Advisory Committee on Local Authorities' Purchasing 1970–77.

Personal life

On 11 October 1945, in the chapel of New College, Oxford, Willan married Joan, a daughter of

Leopold George Wickham Legg Leopold George Wickham Legg (22 March 187719 December 1962) was an English academic historian specializing in diplomatic history. An Oxford don from 1908 to 1948, for the Great War Legg was commissioned into the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. Ap ...

, a fellow of the college, of

Boar's Hill Boars Hill is a hamlet southwest of Oxford, straddling the boundary between the civil parishes of Sunningwell and Wootton. Historically, part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire. History The earliest kn ...

, and a granddaughter of the ecclesiologist

John Wickham Legg John Wickham Legg (28 December 1843 – 28 October 1921) was an English physician and a writer on theological subjects, especially ecclesiology and liturgy. Life and career He was the third son of the printer and bookseller George Legg, and ...

.''The Aeroplane'', vol. 69 (1945), p. 494 He died on 12 November 1981, when he was of Bridges,

Teffont Evias Teffont Evias is a small village and former civil parish in the Nadder valley in the south of Wiltshire, England. Edric Holmes described the village as "most delightfully situated", and Maurice Hewlett included Teffont in his list of the half ...

, Wiltshire, and left an estate valued at £258,491.

Early life

Career

Personal life

References

See also