Air Marshal Sir John Henry D'Albiac, (28 January 1894 – 20 August 1963) was a senior commander in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Notably he was the British air commander for the

Battle of Greece The German invasion of Greece or Operation Marita (), were the attacks on Greece by Italy and Germany during World War II. The Italian invasion in October 1940, which is usually known as the Greco-Italian War, was followed by the German invasi ...

Biography

D'Albiac was educated at the Seabrook Lodge School in Kent,

Framlingham College Framlingham College is a public school ( boarding and day school) in the town of Framlingham, near Woodbridge, Suffolk, England. Together with its preparatory school and nursery at Brandeston Hall, it serves pupils from 3 to 18 years of age ...

and the

Royal Military College, Sandhurst The Royal Military College (RMC) was a United Kingdom, British military academy for training infantry and cavalry Officer (armed forces), officers of the British Army, British and British Indian Army, Indian Armies. It was founded in 1801 at Gre ...

. He was commissioned into the

Royal Marine Artillery The history of the Royal Marines began on 28 October 1664 with the formation of the Duke of York and Albany's Maritime Regiment of Foot soon becoming known as the Admiral's Regiment. During the War of the Spanish Succession the most historic achi ...

in 1914 but seconded to the

Royal Naval Air Service The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty (United Kingdom), Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British ...

during the following year.Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Marshal Sir John D'Albiac
/ref> In 1916, whilst serving in France as an aeroplane observer, D'Albiac was awarded the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, awarded for operational gallantry for highly successful ...

. After serving as Station Commander at RAF Scopwick he transferred to the RAF on its establishment in 1918 and served on the Staff at Headquarters RAF Trans-Jordania from 1922 and as a Flight Commander in No. 99 Squadron from 1926. During the Second World War D'Albiac served as Air Officer Commanding RAF Palestine and Transjordan from August 1939, Air Officer Commanding British Forces in Greece from November 1940 before returning to be Air Officer Commanding RAF Palestine and Transjordan from May 1941 again. He continued his war service as Air Officer Commanding British Forces in Iraq from June 1941,Lyman, p. 19 Air Officer Commanding No. 222 Group in Ceylon from March 1942 and Air Officer Commanding No. 2 Group in the UK from December 1942. He was then made Air Officer Commanding Second Tactical Air Force in June 1943, Deputy Commander of the Mediterranean Tactical Air Force in February 1944 and the Director-General of Personnel in November 1944. He retired in 1947. In later life D'Albiac was the Aerodrome Commandant at

London Heathrow Airport Heathrow Airport , also colloquially known as London Heathrow Airport and named ''London Airport'' until 1966, is the primary and largest international airport serving London, the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingd ...

and the Deputy Chairman of the Air Transport Advisory Council. He died in

Beaconsfield Beaconsfield ( ) is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England, northwest of central London and southeast of Aylesbury. Three other towns are within : Gerrards Cross, Amersham and High Wycombe. The ...

on 20 August 1963.

Notes

References

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External links

Royal Air Force – Bomber Command Commanders of World War II
, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Dalbiac, John Henry 1894 births 1963 deaths Commanders of the Legion of Merit Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Companions of the Order of the Bath Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst Grand Commanders of the Order of the Phoenix (Greece) Grand Officers of the Order of Orange-Nassau Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order People educated at Framlingham College Royal Air Force air marshals of World War II Royal Marines officers Royal Naval Air Service aviators Royal Naval Air Service personnel of World War I Royal Marines personnel of World War I People of the Anglo-Iraqi War