Frank Willan
Encyclopedia
Group Captain
Frank Andrew Willan CBE
DFC
DL
(21 December 1915 - 12 November 1981), was an English
pilot
, Royal Air Force
officer and Conservative
politician. He was Chairman of Wiltshire County Council
from 1973 to 1979.
Robert Hugh Willan DSO
MC
, and the grandson of Colonel
Frank Willan
of Thornehill Park, Bitterne
, Hampshire
, Willan was educated at West Downs School
, Eton College
and Magdalen College, Oxford
. His grandfather, after whom he was named, was Colonel of the 3rd Oxfordshire Light Infantry, an alderman
for Hampshire, a Justice of the Peace
and a Deputy Lieutenant
.
with effect from 25 October 1937, and served the War of 1939–1945
with RAF Bomber Command
, being promoted Flight Lieutenant
with effect from 25 April 1940. After the war, he was Commanding Officer of the Oxford University Air Squadron
, 1951–1953, and of RAF Feltwell
, 1958–1960, before retiring the service in 1960.
Willan's brother Martin Stuart Willan was killed in action
in northern France
on 25 May 1940 at the age of 21, while serving with the King's Royal Rifle Corps
as part of the British Expeditionary Force
.
On 11 October 1945, in the chapel of New College, Oxford
, Willan married Joan, a daughter of Mr Leopold Wickham Legg, a fellow of the college, of Boar's Hill, and a grand-daughter of the ecclesiologist John Wickham Legg
.
Elected a member of Wiltshire County Council
in 1961, he continued in that until his death in 1981. Willan was Chairman of the County Council's Education Committee from 1965 to 1968; Vice-Chairman of Council, 1968 to 1969; and Chairman, 1973 to 1979. Between 1974 and 1981 he was also Chairman of the Wiltshire Victoria County History
and was succeeded in both positions by Nigel Anderson
.
Willan was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division) in the New Year Honours
for 1961, and a Deputy Lieutenant
for Wiltshire in 1968. He was also a Member of the Wessex Regional Hospital Board 1970–1974, Chairman of the Salisbury Diocesan Board of Finance, 1970–1981, and Chairman of the Joint Advisory Committee on Local Authorities’ Purchasing, 1970–77.
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
Frank Andrew Willan CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(21 December 1915 - 12 November 1981), was an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
, Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
officer and Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician. He was Chairman of Wiltshire County Council
Wiltshire County Council
Wiltshire County Council was the county council of Wiltshire in the South West of England, an elected local Government body responsible for most local government services in the county....
from 1973 to 1979.
Early life
The son of BrigadierBrigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
Robert Hugh Willan DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
, and the grandson of Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Frank Willan
Frank Willan (rower)
Frank Willan was an English rower and Militia officer who rowed for Oxford in four winning Boat Race crews and umpired the race between 1889 and 1902...
of Thornehill Park, Bitterne
Bitterne
Bitterne is an eastern suburb and Electoral Ward of Southampton, England.Bitterne derives its name not from the similarly named bird, the Bittern but from the bend in the River Itchen; the Old English words byht and ærn together mean "house near a bend", most likely a reference to Bitterne Manor...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, Willan was educated at West Downs School
West Downs School
West Downs School, Romsey Road, Winchester, Hampshire, was an English independent preparatory school, which was established in 1897 and closed in 1988.-History:...
, Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
. His grandfather, after whom he was named, was Colonel of the 3rd Oxfordshire Light Infantry, an alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
for Hampshire, a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
and a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
.
Career
Willan was commissioned into the Royal Air Force as a Pilot OfficerPilot Officer
Pilot officer is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks immediately below flying officer...
with effect from 25 October 1937, and served the War of 1939–1945
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
with RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
, being promoted Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
with effect from 25 April 1940. After the war, he was Commanding Officer of the Oxford University Air Squadron
Oxford University Air Squadron
The Oxford University Air Squadron, abbreviated O. U. Air Squadron, Oxford UAS, or OUAS, formed in 1925, is the training unit of the Royal Air Force at the University of Oxford and forms part of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve....
, 1951–1953, and of RAF Feltwell
RAF Feltwell
RAF Feltwell is a Royal Air Force station in Norfolk, East Anglia that is currently used by the United States Air Forces Europe. The station is located about 10 miles west of Thetford, and is in the borough of King's Lynn at approximate Ordnance Survey grid reference .A former Second World War...
, 1958–1960, before retiring the service in 1960.
Willan's brother Martin Stuart Willan was killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
in northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on 25 May 1940 at the age of 21, while serving with the King's Royal Rifle Corps
King's Royal Rifle Corps
The King's Royal Rifle Corps was a British Army infantry regiment, originally raised in colonial North America as the Royal Americans, and recruited from American colonists. Later ranked as the 60th Regiment of Foot, the regiment served for more than 200 years throughout the British Empire...
as part of the British Expeditionary Force
British Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
.
On 11 October 1945, in the chapel of New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
, Willan married Joan, a daughter of Mr Leopold Wickham Legg, a fellow of the college, of Boar's Hill, and a grand-daughter of the ecclesiologist John Wickham Legg
John Wickham Legg
John Wickham Legg was the third son of the printer and bookseller George Legg, and was born at Alverstoke near Portsmouth in Hampshire, England, on 28 December 1843...
.
Elected a member of Wiltshire County Council
Wiltshire County Council
Wiltshire County Council was the county council of Wiltshire in the South West of England, an elected local Government body responsible for most local government services in the county....
in 1961, he continued in that until his death in 1981. Willan was Chairman of the County Council's Education Committee from 1965 to 1968; Vice-Chairman of Council, 1968 to 1969; and Chairman, 1973 to 1979. Between 1974 and 1981 he was also Chairman of the Wiltshire Victoria County History
Wiltshire Victoria County History
The Wiltshire Victoria County History is an encyclopaedic history of the county of Wiltshire in England. It forms part of the overall Victoria County History of England founded in 1899 in honour of Queen Victoria...
and was succeeded in both positions by Nigel Anderson
Nigel Anderson
Nigel James Moffatt Anderson, MC, DL, FRGS was an Australian-born English soldier, landowner, and Conservative politician in Wiltshire...
.
Willan was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division) in the New Year Honours
New Year Honours
The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the New Year annually in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen Elizabeth II...
for 1961, and a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
for Wiltshire in 1968. He was also a Member of the Wessex Regional Hospital Board 1970–1974, Chairman of the Salisbury Diocesan Board of Finance, 1970–1981, and Chairman of the Joint Advisory Committee on Local Authorities’ Purchasing, 1970–77.