John Willis
Encyclopedia
Air Chief Marshal
Sir John Frederick Willis GBE
, KCB
, FRAeS
(27 October 1937 – 9 January 2008), was a senior Royal Air Force
officer.
and the RAF College Cranwell
. Willis gained his RAF commission in 1958 and went on to fly Vulcan
bombers. He went on to be Commanding Officer
of No 27 Squadron
at RAF Scampton
. He was appointed Deputy Director of Air Staff Plans at the Ministry of Defence
in 1979, Station Commander at RAF Akrotiri
on Cyprus
in 1982 and Director of Air Staff Briefing & Co-ordination at the Ministry of Defence in 1985. Later that year he was made Chief of the Special Weapons Branch at Headquarters SHAPE
.
In 1989 he was appointed Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Policy & Nuclear). He went on to be one of the RAF's most senior commanders, becoming Director-General of Training in 1991, Air Officer Commanding
-in Chief of Support Command
in 1992 and the Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff at the Ministry of Defence
in 1995. He retired from the Royal Air Force
in 1997.
In retirement he was a member of the Council of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne
and a patron of the Second World War Experience Centre. He was also actively involved in his local Royal Air Forces Association
.
, Sir John met his wife
Merrill, who was a nurse. They had been married
since 1960. They had five children together, Johnathon, David, Kate, Rachel, and Rob. Sir John had ten grandchildren; Rebecca, Micheal, Gregory, William, Joe, Ben, Finn, Ella, Millie and Sarah.
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Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir John Frederick Willis GBE
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...
, KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, FRAeS
Royal Aeronautical Society
The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a multidisciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community.-Function:...
(27 October 1937 – 9 January 2008), was a senior 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.
Flying career
John Frederick Willis was born in London and educated at Dulwich CollegeDulwich College
Dulwich College is an independent school for boys in Dulwich, southeast London, England. The college was founded in 1619 by Edward Alleyn, a successful Elizabethan actor, with the original purpose of educating 12 poor scholars as the foundation of "God's Gift". It currently has about 1,600 boys,...
and the RAF College Cranwell
Cranwell
Cranwell is a village situated in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire. It is part of the Civil Parish of Cranwell and Byard's Leap and is located 3.95 miles north-north-west of Sleaford and 16.3 miles south-east of the county town of Lincoln...
. Willis gained his RAF commission in 1958 and went on to fly Vulcan
Avro Vulcan
The Avro Vulcan, sometimes referred to as the Hawker Siddeley Vulcan, was a jet-powered delta wing strategic bomber, operated by the Royal Air Force from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A V Roe & Co designed the Vulcan in response to Specification B.35/46. Of the three V bombers produced,...
bombers. He went on to be Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of No 27 Squadron
No. 27 Squadron RAF
No. 27 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Boeing Chinook HC2 from RAF Odiham.-The Great War:27 Squadron formed at Hounslow Heath Aerodrome on 5 November 1915, soon being equipped with Martinsyde Elephant fighter aircraft, hence the use of an elephant for the squadron badge...
at RAF Scampton
RAF Scampton
Royal Air Force Station Scampton is a Royal Air Force station situated north of Lincoln in England, near the village of Scampton, on the site of an old First World War landing field.-First World War:...
. He was appointed Deputy Director of Air Staff Plans at the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
in 1979, Station Commander at RAF Akrotiri
RAF Akrotiri
Royal Air Force Station Akrotiri, more commonly known as RAF Akrotiri , is a large Royal Air Force station, on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It is located in the Western Sovereign Base Area, one of two areas which comprise Akrotiri and Dhekelia, a British Overseas Territory, administered as a...
on Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
in 1982 and Director of Air Staff Briefing & Co-ordination at the Ministry of Defence in 1985. Later that year he was made Chief of the Special Weapons Branch at Headquarters SHAPE
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is the central command of NATO military forces. It is located at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons...
.
In 1989 he was appointed Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Policy & Nuclear). He went on to be one of the RAF's most senior commanders, becoming Director-General of Training in 1991, Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding is a title given in the air forces of Commonwealth nations to an air officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, an air vice marshal might be the AOC 38 Group...
-in Chief of Support Command
RAF Support Command
-History:It was formed on 31 August 1973 by the renaming of Maintenance Command, with No. 90 Group being added to it. Its responsibilities included all logistical and maintenance support requirements of the RAF...
in 1992 and the Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff at the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
in 1995. He retired from 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 1997.
In retirement he was a member of the Council of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle University is a major research-intensive university located in Newcastle upon Tyne in the north-east of England. It was established as a School of Medicine and Surgery in 1834 and became the University of Newcastle upon Tyne by an Act of Parliament in August 1963. Newcastle University is...
and a patron of the Second World War Experience Centre. He was also actively involved in his local Royal Air Forces Association
Royal Air Forces Association
The Royal Air Forces Association, more often known as RAF Association, or simply RAFA, is a UK based charitable organization which provides care and support to serving and retired members of the "Royal Air Forces" and their dependents.The organisation, which was formed in 1943, receives no funding...
.
Personal life
In 1959, while living in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Sir John met his wife
Wife
A wife is a female partner in a marriage. The rights and obligations of the wife regarding her spouse and others, and her status in the community and in law, varies between cultures and has varied over time.-Origin and etymology:...
Merrill, who was a nurse. They had been married
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
since 1960. They had five children together, Johnathon, David, Kate, Rachel, and Rob. Sir John had ten grandchildren; Rebecca, Micheal, Gregory, William, Joe, Ben, Finn, Ella, Millie and Sarah.
External links
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