Air Vice Marshal Air vice-marshal (AVM) is a two-star air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes u ...

Sir Laurence Frank Sinclair, (13 June 1908 – 14 May 2002) was a

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) and ...

officer who was awarded the

George Cross The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, has been ...

for rescuing a severely injured airman from a crashed and burning plane.

RAF career

Sinclair joined the Royal Air Force as a cadet at the RAF College in 1926.Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Vice Marshal Sir Laurence Sinclair
/ref> 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 opposin ...

and was appointed Officer Commanding No. 110 Squadron in 1940. The event that led to him being awarded the George Cross took place on 30 September 1941 at

RAF Wattisham Royal Air Force Station Wattisham or more simply RAF Wattisham is a former Royal Air Force station located in East Anglia just outside the village of Wattisham, south of Stowmarket in Suffolk, England. During the Cold War it was a major front ...

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...

. Unfortunately the co-pilot, Sergeant S. Walters, later died of his injuries. The pilot, Sergeant John Edwin Merrett died instantly upon impact. The only other crew member to survive was the navigator, Flight Sergeant Anthony George Byron. Sinclair continued his war service as Senior Air Staff Officer at No. 6 Group and then at No. 91 Group. He became Officer Commanding No. 323 Wing in 1943 and then became Air Officer Commanding the Tactical Bomber Force and then Senior Air Staff Officer for the

Balkan Air Force The Balkan Air Force (BAF) was an Allied air formation operating in the Balkans during World War II. Composed of units of the Royal Air Force and South African Air Force under the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces command, it was active from 7 June ...

. After the war he became Director of Postings (Selection) 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 ...

and then attended the

Imperial Defence College The Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) instructs the most promising senior officers of the British Armed Forces, His Majesty's Diplomatic Service and Civil Service in national defence and international security matters at the highest level ...

before being appointed Senior Air Staff Officer No. 84 Group in 1947. He was made Station Commander at

RAF Gutersloh 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) and ...

later that year, Air Officer Commanding

No. 2 Group No. 2 Group is a Group (military aviation unit)#United Kingdom, group of the Royal Air Force which was first activated in 1918, served from 1918–20, from 1936 through the Second World War to 1947, from 1948 to 1958, from 1993 to 1996, was react ...

in 1948 and Assistant Commandant at

RAF Cranwell Royal Air Force Cranwell or more simply RAF Cranwell is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England, close to the village of Cranwell, near Sleaford. Among other functions, it is home to the Royal Air Force College (RAFC), which trai ...

in 1949. He went on to be Commandant of the School of Land / Air Warfare in 1952, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operations) in 1953 and Air Officer Commanding

British Forces Aden British Forces Aden was the name given to the British Armed Forces stationed in the Aden Protectorate during part of the 20th century. Their purpose was to preserve the security of the Protectorate from both internal threats and external aggressi ...

in 1955. His last appointment was as Commandant of the Joint Services Staff College in 1958 before retiring in 1960. In retirement he became the first ''Controller'' (Chief Executive) of the UK's National Air Traffic Control Services (NATCS). His medal is on display at the Victoria & George Cross Gallery in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Imperial War Museum Imperial War Museums (IWM) is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, the museum was intended to record the civil and military ...

References

, - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Sinclair, Laurence Frank 1908 births 2002 deaths Royal Air Force air marshals Graduates of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell Royal Air Force recipients of the George Cross British recipients of the George Cross Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Commandants of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell Military personnel from Essex Alumni of the Royal College of Defence Studies