Air Marshal Stephen Charles Strafford, (21 November 1898 – 18 May 1966) was a pilot in 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's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps t ...

during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and a senior officer 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) and ...

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 ...

and the following years.

RAF career

Strafford was commissioned into the

in 1917 during the

.Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Marshal Stephen Strafford
/ref> He was promoted to flight lieutenant in 1924.
Flight International, 3 January 1924 In 1930 he became a Flight Commander with No. 6 Squadron. He served in the

as Officer Commanding the Advanced Headquarters (North) of the British Air Forces in France before becoming Deputy Director of Plans 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 1940. He was made Head British Air Planner for the

Combined Chiefs of Staff The Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) was the supreme military staff for the United States and Britain during World War II. It set all the major policy decisions for the two nations, subject to the approvals of British Prime Minister Winston Churchil ...

Washington D. C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

in 1941, before joining the staff of the Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander (COSSAC) in 1943 and becoming Chief of Plans and Operations for

Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF; ) was the headquarters of the Commander of Allied forces in north west Europe, from late 1943 until the end of World War II. U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was the commander in SHAEF th ...

in 1944. After serving as the Air Officer Administration at

Middle East Command Middle East Command, later Middle East Land Forces, was a British Army Command established prior to the Second World War in Egypt. Its primary role was to command British land forces and co-ordinate with the relevant naval and air commands to ...

, Strafford was appointed Air Officer Commanding Air HQ Iraq and Persia in July 1945. After the War he became Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters

RAF Bomber Command RAF Bomber Command controlled the Royal Air Force's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. Along with the United States Army Air Forces, it played the central role in the strategic bombing of Germany in World War II. From 1942 onward, the British bo ...

before becoming

Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment The Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment (CG RAF Regt) is the Royal Air Force commander of the RAF Regiment. The post was established in January 1942 immediately prior to the creation of the RAF Regiment. The first two holders of the post we ...

in 1950 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 1952. Strafford was one of the representatives of the RAF at the funeral of

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of Ind ...

. He retired in 1954.

References

, - , - , - 1898 births 1966 deaths Recipients of the Bronze Medal of Military Valor Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Order of the Bath English aviators Recipients of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Royal Air Force air marshals Military personnel from Gloucestershire Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Royal Naval Air Service aviators Royal Naval Air Service personnel of World War I {{RAF-bio-stub