Air Marshal Sir Roy David Austen-Smith, (28 June 1924 – 27 March 2021) 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 ...

air marshal who served as Commander of

British Forces Cyprus British Forces Cyprus (BFC) is the name given to the British Armed Forces stationed in the UK Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia on the island of Cyprus and at a number of related 'retained sites' in the Republic of Cyprus. The United ...

RAF career

Educated at

Hurstpierpoint College (''Blessed are the pure in heart'') , established = , closed = , type = Public SchoolIndependent School , religious_affiliation = Church of England , president = , head_label = Headmaster , head = Dominic Mo ...

, Austen-Smith joined the

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) was established in 1936 to support the preparedness of the U.K. Royal Air Force in the event of another war. The Air Ministry intended it to form a supplement to the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF ...

in 1943 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 opposin ...

.''

Who's Who ''Who's Who'' (or ''Who is Who'') is the title of a number of reference publications, generally containing concise biography, biographical information on the prominent people of a country. The title has been adopted as an expression meaning a gr ...

2010'',

A & C Black A & C Black is a British book publishing company, owned since 2002 by Bloomsbury Publishing. The company is noted for publishing '' Who's Who'' since 1849. It also published popular travel guides and novels. History The firm was founded in 18 ...

, 2010, He received an emergency commission as a

pilot officer Pilot officer (Plt Off officially in the RAF; in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly P/O in all services, and still often used in the RAF) is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countri ...

(on probation) on 7 April 1944, and was confirmed in his rank and promoted to flying officer (war-substantive) on 8 October. Austen-Smith was posted to his first operational unit, No. 41 Squadron, on 27 March 1945, and fought front line actions with 125 Wing through the Netherlands and Germany until the cessation of hostilities in May 1945. He remained with the unit until 31 March 1946, and was promoted to

flight lieutenant Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in air forces that use the Royal Air Force (RAF) system of ranks, especially in Commonwealth countries. It has a NATO rank code of OF-2. Flight lieutenant is abbreviated as Flt Lt in the India ...

(war-substantive) on 7 April 1946, subsequently receiving an extended-service commission in the rank of flying officer on 15 August. He was promoted to the substantive rank of flight lieutenant on 7 October 1947, and was granted a permanent commission in the RAF on 15 January 1948, in the same rank. Austen-Smith served as a Flight Commander with No. 33 Squadron in Malaya from 1950 to 1953, when he was posted to the RAF College at Cranwell. He was promoted to

squadron leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also ...

on 1 October 1954 and became Officer Commanding No. 73 Squadron in 1956. He was promoted to

wing commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historical ...

on 1 July 1960, and became Officer Commanding No. 57 Squadron in 1964. Promoted to

group captain Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force, where it originated, as well as the air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. It is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank i ...

on 1 January 1966, he went on to be Station Commander 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- ...

in 1968. Austen-Smith was promoted to air commodore on 1 January 1970. He was posted for special duty with the Air Staff on 14 February 1972, with the acting rank of

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 ...

. He was appointed the Commandant of the

Royal Air Force College Cranwell The Royal Air Force College (RAFC) is the Royal Air Force military academy which provides initial training to all RAF personnel who are preparing to become commissioned officers. The College also provides initial training to aircrew cadets and ...

in September 1972 and was promoted to the substantive rank of air vice-marshal on 1 January 1973. He was appointed Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters

Near East Air Force The former Royal Air Force Near East Air Force, more simply known as RAF Near East Air Force, was the Command organisation that controlled all Royal Air Force assets in the Eastern Mediterranean (the Near East). History The Command was originally ...

in November 1975. After that he became Commander,

/Air Commander, Cyprus and, Administrator,

British Sovereign Base Areas Akrotiri and Dhekelia, officially the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia (SBA),, ''Periochés Kyríarchon Váseon Akrotiríou ke Dekélias''; tr, Ağrotur ve Dikelya İngiliz Egemen Üs Bölgeleri is a British Overseas Territory ...

- Cyprus on 1 April 1976; and Head of the British Defence Staff in Washington, D.C. in 1978. He was promoted to air marshal on 1 July 1979, and retired on 1 November 1981 after a 38-year career. In retirement Austen-Smith served as a Gentlemen Usher to the Queen. He died on 27 March 2021 at the age of 96.

Honours

Austen-Smith was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in March 1953, for service during the

Malayan Emergency The Malayan Emergency, also known as the Anti–British National Liberation War was a guerrilla war fought in British Malaya between communist pro-independence fighters of the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) and the military forces o ...

. He was appointed a Companion of the

Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved Bathing#Medieval ...

, Military Division (CB) in the 1975 Birthday Honours. He was knighted as a Knight 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 (KBE) in the

1979 Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours 1979 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The appointments were made to celebrate ...

, and as a Gentleman Usher to the Queen, appointed a Commander of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...

(CVO) in the 1994 New Year Honours.

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Austen-Smith, Roy 1924 births 2021 deaths Royal Air Force air marshals Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Order of the Bath Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II People educated at Hurstpierpoint College British air attachés Commandants of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell