Air Commodore Molly Greenwood Allott CB (28 December 1918 – 12 December 2013)Obituary
telegraph.co.uk; accessed 19 February 2018. was Director of the

Women's Royal Air Force The Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) was the women's branch of the Royal Air Force. It existed in two separate incarnations: the Women's Royal Air Force from 1918 to 1920 and the Women's Royal Air Force from 1949 to 1994. On 1 February 1949, the ...

from 1973 to 1976. Born in

Wortley, Leeds Wortley ( ) is an inner city area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It begins one mile to the west of the city centre. The appropriate City of Leeds ward is called Farnley and Wortley. It was known as ''Wirkelay'' until about 1700. Wortley ...

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

, she was educated at Sheffield High School, and joined the

Women's Auxiliary Air Force The Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), whose members were referred to as WAAFs (), was the female auxiliary of the Royal Air Force during World War II. Established in 1939, WAAF numbers exceeded 180,000 at its peak strength in 1943, with over 2 ...

in 1941. She remained in the WAAF after the war, and continued into the permanent

when it was established in 1949. After postings in Egypt and Singapore, she served on the staff of

John Grandy Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir John Grandy, (8 February 1913 – 2 January 2004) was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force. He was the only officer who fought and commanded a squadron during the Battle of Britain to reach the post of Chief ...

, commanding

RAF Germany The former Royal Air Force Germany (RAFG) was a command of the Royal Air Force and part of British Forces Germany. It consisted of units located in Germany, initially as part of the occupation following the Second World War, and later as part ...

, from 1960 to 1963, and returned to the United Kingdom for a staff post in

RAF Fighter Command RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War. It earned near-immortal fame during the Battle of Britai ...

. She later served at

RAF Training Command Training Command was the Royal Air Force's command responsible for flying and ground training from 1936 to 1940 and again from 1968 to 1977. Training Command was formed from RAF Inland Area on 1 May 1936 and absorbed into RAF Support Command on 13 ...

before being promoted to Director of the Women's Royal Air Force in 1973. She was concurrently made an aide-de-camp to the Queen, holding both titles until 1976. After stepping down as Director, she chaired the

Girls Venture Corps The Girls Venture Corps Air Cadets (GVCAC) is a voluntary uniformed Youth organisations in the United Kingdom, youth organisation in the United Kingdom for girls aged between 11 and 20. It is a registered charity, and a member of NCVYS, The Na ...

and held positions with the

Union Jack Club The Union Jack Club is an Armed Forces Club in central London, England, for enlisted members and veterans of the British Armed Services and their families. Located near London Waterloo railway station, the club has over 260 rooms for accommodatio ...

and the

RAF Benevolent Fund The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund (RAF Benevolent Fund or RAFBF) is the Royal Air Force's leading welfare charity, providing financial, practical and emotional support to serving and former members of the RAF – regardless of rank – as well ...

. She helped fundraise for the Battle of Britain Museum at the

RAF Museum The Royal Air Force Museum is a museum dedicated to the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom. The museum is a non-departmental public body of the Ministry of Defence and is a registered charity. The museum is split into two separate sites: * R ...

, Hendon. She was the first woman in the RAF Supply Branch to have been promoted to the rank of Air Commodore.

References

External links

ALLOTT, Air Cdre Molly Greenwood
in ''Who's Who 2013'' (online edition: Oxford University Press, 2012) {{DEFAULTSORT:Allott, Molly 1918 births 2013 deaths Companions of the Order of the Bath Royal Air Force officers Women's Auxiliary Air Force officers People from Wortley, Leeds People educated at Sheffield High School, South Yorkshire