Air Marshal Sir John Rene Whitley, (7 September 1905 – 26 December 1997) was a senior commander in the

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 ...

during 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 ...

and also in the post-war years.

RAF career

Whitley joined the Royal Air Force in 1926.Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Marshal Sir John Whitley
/ref> While serving in India, he was awarded the Air Force Cross for relief flights after the

1935 Quetta earthquake Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935, an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * ...

. He served in the

as Officer Commanding No. 149 Squadron and then as Station Commander at

RAF Linton-on-Ouse RAF Linton-on-Ouse was a Royal Air Force (RAF) station at Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire, England, north-west of York. It had satellite stations at RAF Topcliffe and Dishforth Airfield (British Army). The station opened in 1937. With t ...

. In April 1943, he was shot down in a Halifax bomber over Belgium. Landing by parachute in Northern France, with the help of the

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

he escaped through the Basque country to Spain.Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary: Bomber Command
Returning to England, he continued his war service as Station Commander at

RAF Lissett Royal Air Force Station Lissett or more simply RAF Lissett is a former Royal Air Force Royal Air Force station, station located south west of Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. History Originally required as satellite airfield for ...

and then as Air Officer Commanding No. 43 Base. He went on to be Air Officer Commanding No. 4 Group and then Air Officer Commanding No. 8 Group. After the war he served as Assistant Air Officer Administration at Headquarters Air Command South East Asia and then as Station Commander at

RAF Karachi Pakistan Air Force Base Faisal ( ur, ), founded as RAF Drigh Road, now called Shahrah-e-Faisal. This air force base is located at Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. In 1975, it was named after the late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the site of P ...

. He was appointed Director of Organisation (Establishments) at the

Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...

in 1947 and Air Officer Administration at Headquarters

Second Tactical Air Force The RAF Second Tactical Air Force (2TAF) was one of three tactical air forces within the Royal Air Force (RAF) during and after the Second World War. It was made up of squadrons and personnel from the RAF, other British Commonwealth air forces ...

in 1951. He went on to be Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group in 1953,

Air Member for Personnel The Air Member for Personnel (AMP) is the senior Royal Air Force officer who is responsible for personnel matters and is a member of the Air Force Board. The AMP is in charge of all aspects of recruiting, non-operational flying and ground tr ...

in 1957 and

Inspector-General of the RAF The Inspector-General of the RAF was a senior appointment in the Royal Air Force, responsible for the inspection of airfields. The post existed from 1918 to 1920 and from 1935 until the late 1960s. For much of World War II, a second inspector-ge ...

in 1959 before retiring in 1962.

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Whitley, John 1905 births 1997 deaths Companions of the Order of the Bath Companions of the Distinguished Service Order 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