Leslie Dalton-Morris
Encyclopedia
Air Marshal
Sir Leslie Dalton-Morris KBE
CB
RAF
(7 April 1906 – 28 October 1976) was a senior Royal Air Force
commander in the middle of the twentieth century. He played a leading role in the use of signals
in the Air Force both during and after World War II
.
near Chester
. After a period as a night flying pilot, Dalton-Morris was posted to No. 15 Squadron, before being selected to attend the RAF Electrical and Wireless School in 1929. Graduating from his course as a flight lieutenant
with a permanent commission, Dalton-Morris served as the signals officer on No. 203 Squadron
in the early 1930s. After a tour of duty at the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment
at RAF Felixstowe, Dalton-Morris returned to the Electrical and Wireless School as an instructor in 1935.
In 1935 Dalton-Morris attended the RAF Staff College
at Andover, Hampshire
and received a promotion to squadron leader
and in 1938 he was sent to No. 2 Group
as a staff officer.
started, Dalton-Morris was appointed the Deputy Chief Signals Officer at the headquarters of Fighter Command
at RAF Bentley Priory
. By January 1941 Dalton-Morris had been promoted to wing commander
when he returned to No. 2 Group as a signals officer. The next year he was moved to Bomber Command
which was No. 2 Group's higher formation. He served as the Deputy Chief Signals Officer at Bomber Command's headquarters at RAF High Wycombe
.
In the summer of 1943 Dalton-Morris was promoted to acting air commodore
and took up new duties as the Senior Air Staff Officer at No. 26 (Signals) Group which controlled British Radar
stations. In early 1944 Dalton-Morris returned to Bomber Command where he served as the Chief Signals Officer.
from 1950.
In March 1952, Dalton-Morris was promoted to acting air vice-marshal
and made Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Signals). He went on to higher command as Air Officer Commanding
No 90 (Signals) Group in 1956 and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Signals Command
in 1958. In 1961 Dalton-Morris was promted to air marshal
and having exhausted senior RAF signals appointments, he became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Maintenance Command
. He retired from that post and the RAF just over two years later in July 1963.
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir Leslie Dalton-Morris KBE
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...
CB
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...
RAF
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...
(7 April 1906 – 28 October 1976) 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...
commander in the middle of the twentieth century. He played a leading role in the use of signals
Military communications
Historically, the first military communications had the form of sending/receiving simple signals . Respectively, the first distinctive tactics of military communications were called Signals, while units specializing in those tactics received the Signal Corps name...
in the Air Force both during and after World War II
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...
.
Early years
After joining the RAF as a trainee pilot in 1924, Dalton-Morris underwent instruction at No. 5 Flying Training School at SealandRAF Sealand
RAF Sealand was a former Royal Air Force station in Flintshire, north Wales and operated between 1916 and 2006.Under defence cuts announced in 2004 RAF Sealand was completely closed in April 2006. All remaining RAF units were moved to RAF Leeming...
near Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
. After a period as a night flying pilot, Dalton-Morris was posted to No. 15 Squadron, before being selected to attend the RAF Electrical and Wireless School in 1929. Graduating from his course as a 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 a permanent commission, Dalton-Morris served as the signals officer on No. 203 Squadron
No. 203 Squadron RAF
No. 203 Squadron RAF was originally formed as No. 3 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service. It was renumbered No. 203 when the Royal Air Force was formed on 1 April 1918.-First World War:...
in the early 1930s. After a tour of duty at the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment
Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment
The Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment was a British military research and test organisation. It was originally formed as the Marine Aircraft Experimental Station in October 1918 at RAF Isle of Grain, a former Royal Naval Air Service seaplane base, to design, test and evaluate seaplanes,...
at RAF Felixstowe, Dalton-Morris returned to the Electrical and Wireless School as an instructor in 1935.
In 1935 Dalton-Morris attended the RAF Staff College
RAF Staff College, Andover
The RAF Staff College at RAF Andover was the first Royal Air Force staff college to be established. Its role was the training of officers in the administrative, staff and policy apects of air force matters.-Foundation:...
at Andover, Hampshire
Andover, Hampshire
Andover is a town in the English county of Hampshire. The town is on the River Anton some 18.5 miles west of the town of Basingstoke, 18.5 miles north-west of the city of Winchester and 25 miles north of the city of Southampton...
and received a promotion to squadron leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
and in 1938 he was sent to No. 2 Group
No. 2 Group RAF
Number 2 Group is a Group of the Royal Air Force which was first activated in 1918, served from 1918–20, from 1936 through the Second World War to 1947, from 1948 to 1958, from 1993 to 1996, was reactivated in 2000, and is today part of Air Command....
as a staff officer.
World War II
The same year as World War IIWorld 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...
started, Dalton-Morris was appointed the Deputy Chief Signals Officer at the headquarters of Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
at RAF Bentley Priory
RAF Bentley Priory
RAF Bentley Priory was a non-flying Royal Air Force station near Stanmore in the London Borough of Harrow. It was famous as the headquarters of Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain and the Second World War. The RAF Bentley Priory site includes a Grade II* listed Officers' Mess and Italian...
. By January 1941 Dalton-Morris had been promoted to 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...
when he returned to No. 2 Group as a signals officer. The next year he was moved to 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...
which was No. 2 Group's higher formation. He served as the Deputy Chief Signals Officer at Bomber Command's headquarters at RAF High Wycombe
RAF High Wycombe
RAF High Wycombe is a Royal Air Force station, situated in the village of Walters Ash, near High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England. Its purpose is to serve the needs of the RAF Air Command, situated on the site. It is also the headquarters of the European Air Group...
.
In the summer of 1943 Dalton-Morris was promoted to acting air commodore
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
and took up new duties as the Senior Air Staff Officer at No. 26 (Signals) Group which controlled British Radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
stations. In early 1944 Dalton-Morris returned to Bomber Command where he served as the Chief Signals Officer.
Post-war
After the War Dalton-Morris held a number of senior signals appointments in the RAF, serving as the Director of Radio/Signals, the Commandant of the Central Signals Establishment from 1948 and the Chief Signals Officer at the headquarters of the Middle East Air ForceNear East Air Force (Royal Air Force)
The former Royal Air Force Near East Air Force, more simply known as RAF Near East Air Force, was the Command organisation that controlled all Royal Air Force assets in the Western Mediterranean .-History:...
from 1950.
In March 1952, Dalton-Morris was promoted to acting air vice-marshal
Air Vice-Marshal
Air vice-marshal is a two-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in...
and made Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Signals). He went on to higher command as 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...
No 90 (Signals) Group in 1956 and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Signals Command
RAF Signals Command
Signals Command was the RAF's command responsible for control of signals units from 1958 to 1969. It was based at RAF Medmenham near Marlow, Buckinghamshire.-History:The Command was formed on 3 November 1958 by raising No. 90 Group to Command status...
in 1958. In 1961 Dalton-Morris was promted to air marshal
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
and having exhausted senior RAF signals appointments, he became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Maintenance Command
RAF Maintenance Command
RAF Maintenance Command was the Royal Air Force command which was responsible for controlling maintenance for all the United Kingdom-based units from formation on 1 April 1938 until being renamed RAF Support Command on 31 August 1973.- History :...
. He retired from that post and the RAF just over two years later in July 1963.