Henry Calley
Encyclopedia
Sir
Henry Algernon Calley DSO
DFC
DL
(9 February 1914 - 12 August 1997), known as Henry Algernon Langton until 1974, was an English
pilot
, owner and manager of a stud farm
, and Conservative
politician.
Calley), Henry Algernon Langton was educated at St John's School, Leatherhead
.
From 1933 to 1935 he taught at Corchester, Corbridge
, then for a year worked for the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation, before returning to teaching until 1938. He attended the Hendon Police College
and served in the Metropolitan Police
from 1938 to 1941, then joined the Royal Air Force
, in which he served until 1948. He was one of the first policemen to transfer to the Air Force, as until 1941 serving officers in the police were not allowed to join any of the British Armed Forces.
During the Second World War, he was a pilot in bombers. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross
in 1943, was promoted Acting Wing Commander
in 1944 and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
in 1945.
The 1943 citation for his Distinguished Flying Cross reads:
In 1945, when he received the Distinguished Service Order, the Air Ministry Bulletin reported:
From 1948 until his death he was the owner and manager of a stud farm
in Wiltshire
. In 1955 he was elected as a member of Wiltshire County Council
and served as Chairman of its Finance Committee from 1959 to 1968 and as Chairman of Council from 1968 to 1973. He was also Chairman of the Wessex Area
of the National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations
, from 1963 to 1966.
In 1968, he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant
for Wiltshire, when he was described as "Wing Commander Sir Henry Algernon Langton, D.S.O., D.F.C., Overtown House, Wroughton
, Swindon
".
From 1969 until 1974 he was Chairman of the Committee of the Wiltshire Victoria County History
.
Knight
ed in 1964, in 1974 he changed his surname from Langton to Calley. The Times
reported:
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
Henry Algernon Calley 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...
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....
(9 February 1914 - 12 August 1997), known as Henry Algernon Langton until 1974, 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...
, owner and manager of a stud farm
Stud farm
A stud farm or stud in animal husbandry, is an establishment for selective breeding of livestock. The word "stud" comes from the Old English stod meaning "herd of horses, place where horses are kept for breeding" Historically, documentation of the breedings that occur on a stud farm leads to the...
, 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.
Life
The son of the Rev. A. C. M. Langton and Mrs Langton (néeNEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Calley), Henry Algernon Langton was educated at St John's School, Leatherhead
St. John's School, Leatherhead
St. John's School, Leatherhead is a public school in Surrey, England. It has about 420 male pupils and 60 female pupils, and from 2010 it will be fully co-educational....
.
From 1933 to 1935 he taught at Corchester, Corbridge
Corbridge
Corbridge is a village in Northumberland, England, situated west of Newcastle and east of Hexham. Villages in the vicinity include Halton, Acomb, Aydon and Sandhoe.-Roman fort and town:...
, then for a year worked for the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation, before returning to teaching until 1938. He attended the Hendon Police College
Hendon Police College
Hendon Police College is the principal training centre for London's Metropolitan Police Service. Founded with the official name of the Metropolitan Police College, the college is today officially called the Peel Centre, although its original name is still used frequently...
and served in the Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
from 1938 to 1941, then joined the 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...
, in which he served until 1948. He was one of the first policemen to transfer to the Air Force, as until 1941 serving officers in the police were not allowed to join any of the British Armed Forces.
During the Second World War, he was a pilot in bombers. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross
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...
in 1943, was promoted Acting Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
in 1944 and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
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...
in 1945.
The 1943 citation for his Distinguished Flying Cross reads:
This officer has completed a tour of bombing operations in the Middle East during which his ability on operational flying has been equalled only by his sterling work on the ground. At the commencement of his tour he was three times forced to return to base with only one engine functioning. In April 1943 he was captain of an aircraft, the elevator conrols of which broke. With great skill and coolness he flew the aircraft back and, although it was damaged on landing and he was injured, the crew escaped without injury. Despite these trying experiences Flight Lieutenant Langton continued to fly on operations with undiminished enthusiasm.
In 1945, when he received the Distinguished Service Order, the Air Ministry Bulletin reported:
Throughout two tours of operational duty, Squadron Leader Langton has shown outstanding courage and determination and has led a large number of attacks against heavily defended targets. A typical example of his coolness in the face of the enemy took place in November 1944. This officer was detailed for a daylight attack against a well defended bridge in YugoslaviaYugoslaviaYugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. Despite the very heavy anti-aircraft fire, he made a straight run over the target at 9,500 feet, released his bombs and secured an excellent photograph. Both in the air and on the ground, Squadron Leader Langton has set an inspiring example and, largely owing to his untiring efforts and devotion to duty, the squadron has attained a high standard of operational efficiency.
Stud farm
A stud farm or stud in animal husbandry, is an establishment for selective breeding of livestock. The word "stud" comes from the Old English stod meaning "herd of horses, place where horses are kept for breeding" Historically, documentation of the breedings that occur on a stud farm leads to the...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
. In 1955 he was elected as 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....
and served as Chairman of its Finance Committee from 1959 to 1968 and as Chairman of Council from 1968 to 1973. He was also Chairman of the Wessex Area
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
of the National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations
National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations
The National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations was a federation of the voluntary wing of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom....
, from 1963 to 1966.
In 1968, he was appointed 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, when he was described as "Wing Commander Sir Henry Algernon Langton, D.S.O., D.F.C., Overtown House, Wroughton
Wroughton
Wroughton is a large village in Wiltshire, England. It is part of the Borough of Swindon and is south of Swindon.-History:The earliest evidence of human presence in the area is from the Mesolithic period, although this is fairly limited...
, Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
".
From 1969 until 1974 he was Chairman of the Committee 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...
.
Knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed in 1964, in 1974 he changed his surname from Langton to Calley. The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
reported:
Sir H. Langton has changed his name by deed pollDeed pollA deed poll is a legal document binding only to a single person or several persons acting jointly to express an active intention...
to Calley. He was a beneficiary in the willWill (law)A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
of a cousin. He said "The hope was expressed in the will that I would change my name. My mother was a Calley".