Douglas Lowe (RAF officer)
Sir Douglas Charles Lowe | |
---|---|
Born | 14 March 1922 |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/branch | Royal Air Force |
Years of service | 1940–1983 |
Rank | Air Chief Marshal |
Commands held |
Controller Aircraft No. 18 Group Near East Air Force RAF Cranwell |
Battles/wars | Second World War |
Awards |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Flying Cross Air Force Cross |
Air Chief Marshal Sir Douglas Charles Lowe GCB, DFC, AFC[1] (born 14 March 1922) was a Second World War pilot and a senior commander in the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the 1970s and early 1980s.
Family
Douglas Charles Lowe was born on 14 March 1922.[2] He married Doreen Elizabeth Nichols the daughter of Ralph Henry Nichols. Their only daughter, Frances Elizabeth Lowe, married Christopher Russell Bailey, the 5th Baron Glanusk.[3]
RAF career
Lowe enlisted in the RAFVR in 1940, and flew as a pilot during the Second World War. As a sergeant, he was granted an emergency commission in the RAFVR as a probationary pilot officer on 4 January 1943.[4] He was promoted to probationary flying officer on 1 July 1943.[5]
As an acting flight lieutenant with No.75 (N.Z.) Squadron, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) on 9 July 1943.[6] He was confirmed in his rank of flying officer on 23 December 1943,[7] and received a mention in dispatches in January 1945.[8] Lowe was promoted to flight lieutenant (war-substantive) on 1 January 1945.[9] In the 1946 Birthday Honours, Lowe was decorated with the Air Force Cross (AFC).[10] He remained in the RAF post-war, being awarded a permanent commission in the rank of flying officer on 1 July 1946, with a subsequent promotion to flight lieutenant on 4 July.[11][12]
Lowe was promoted to squadron leader on 1 July 1952 and to wing commander on 1 January 1958.[13][14] Promoted to group captain on 1 July 1962, he served as Station Commander RAF Cranwell from November 1963 to 1965.[15][16] With his promotion to air commodore on 1 July 1966, he attained air officer rank.[17] He was promoted to air vice-marshal on 1 January 1970 and appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB), Military Division, in the 1971 Birthday Honours.[18][19]
In 1973 Lowe was appointed Air Officer Commanding No. 18 Group and he continued in this post until 1975.[20] Thereafter, he was promoted to air chief marshal and was appointed the Controller of Aircraft:[21] he remained in that post until late 1982.[22] Lowe was the Chief of Defence Procurement at the Ministry of Defence from 1982 to 1983.[23] He retired on 22 August 1983.[24]
References
- ↑ http://thepeerage.com/p42107.htm#i421063
- ↑ Birthdays The Independent, 14 March 1998
- ↑ http://www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk/online/content/index965.htm
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 35914. p. 932. 15 February 1943. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 36175. p. 4138. 14 September 1943. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 36084. p. 3095. 6 July 1943. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 36488. p. 1943. 25 April 1944. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 36866. p. 73. 29 December 1944. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 36909. p. 574. 23 January 1945. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37598. p. 2816. 4 June 1946. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37870. p. 600. 31 January 1947. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37895. p. 1038. 28 February 1947. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 39586. p. 3582. 27 June 1952. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 41266. p. 7594. 27 December 1957. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 42721. p. 5302. 29 June 1962. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
- ↑ Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – RAF Station Commanders – Lincolnshire and East Midlands
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 44039. p. 7468. 30 June 1966. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 45013. p. 221. 5 January 1970. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 45384. p. 5959. 4 June 1971. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
- ↑ Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Group No's 10 – 19
- ↑ Defence Flight International, 18 September 1975
- ↑ Whitaker's Almanack 1983
- ↑ Birthdays The Times, 14 March 2007
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 49503. p. 13293. 10 October 1983. Retrieved 2009-11-23.
Military offices | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by R G Knott |
Senior Air Staff Officer Near East Air Force 1969–1971 |
Succeeded by Robert Freer |
Preceded by Michael Giddings |
Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operational Requirements) 1971–1973 |
Succeeded by D Bower |
Preceded by Sir Anthony Heward |
Air Officer Commanding No. 18 Group 1973–1975 |
Succeeded by Sir Robert Freer |
Preceded by Sir Neil Wheeler |
Controller Aircraft 1975–1982 |
Succeeded by Sir John Rogers |
Preceded by Sir David Cardwell |
Chief of Defence Procurement 1982–1983 |
Succeeded by Sir David Perry |