Richard Jordan (RAF officer)
Encyclopedia
Air Marshal
Sir Richard Bowen Jordan KCB DFC
ADC RAF
(born 7 February 1902 – died 24 April 1994) was a bomber pilot and squadron commander during the Second World War, a senior Royal Air Force
officer during the Second World War and sixth Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps
, in the post war period of the early 1950s.
Sir Richard was one of the very first cadets at the new RAF College Cranwell in 1921, at the age of 19, where he learned to fly. He represented the college at both cricket and rugby having been appointed in the rank of Flight Cadet Sergeant. On graduation he was granted a permanent commission in the rank of Pilot Officer
in 1922 and posted as a pilot to No. 2 Squadron RAF
. Promoted to Flying Officer
in June 1924 he moved to No. 28 Squadron RAF
in February 1926.
On the 12 December 1928, Jordan was promoted to Flight Lieutenant
and the following month he transferred to India
as a Headquarters Staff officer at No. 2 (Indian Wing) Station, RAF Risalpur
. Returning to the UK two years later he was held as a supernumerary
officer at the RAF Central Depot
before embarking on an eight year secondment as a test pilot
at the Royal Aircraft Establishment
’s military experimental division at Farnborough
. During his time there, he was promoted to Squadron Leader
in 1936.
In January 1938 he temporarily ceased flying duties and took up an appointment as a Staff Officer in the RAF’s Directorate of Peace Organisation. Returning to operational flying Jordan was promoted to Wing Commander
and appointed as Officer Commanding No. 83 Squadron RAF
in August 1939. Posted to RAF Manston
briefly as Station Commander he then became Officer Commanding No. 214 Squadron RAF
where he remained on combat duty until July 1944. On the night of 2 June 1941 Jordan took off from RAF Stradishall
in Vickers Wellington
No. W5450 for a bombing operation over Berlin. His squadron successfully attacked the target and turned for home. At 06:00, having crossed the English coast, Jordan’s aircraft stalled and crashed 7 miles south west of Bury St Edmunds. Although it crashed into a copse of trees, there was no fire and most of the crew were unhurt, returning to the Stradishall on the back of a farm cart. Jordan was awarded with the DFC
on 22 August 1941.
Over a three year period he held several transient ranks in quick succession, including Temporary Group Captain
, Acting Air Commodore
, Group Captain (War Substantive)
and Temporary Air Commodore
while serving as the Director of Overseas Transport Operations.
Just after the Second World War finished Jordan was promoted to the substantive rank of Air Commodore
and served as AOC, RAF India & Pakistan from July 1947 until February 1948 when he was appointed as AOC, RAF Gibraltar
.
at RAF Bentley Priory
from Air Commodore the Earl of Bandon
. In April 1949 Jordan was additionally appointed Aide de Camp to King George VI. Jordan was Commandant ROC when, on 1 March 1950 the Air Officer Commanding in Chief, RAF Fighter Command
assumed direct administrative control of the Corps. Under this change Headquarters Royal Observer Corps continued to operate in its existing form but assumed a status that was comparable with that of a Fighter Command group headquarters.
After lengthy negotiations with Buckingham Palace
staff, Jordan formally invited His Majesty King George VI to assume the position of Air Commodore in Chief of the ROC. On 11 April 1950 in recognition of the Corps' record of service during the twenty-five years of its existence, His Majesty King George VI honoured the Corps by accepting the invitation.
and took up his final posting as AOC in C of RAF Maintenance Command
. A Companion of the Order of the Bath
since 1947 he was further honoured by being Knighted in the Birthday Honours List of May 1956. In June 1958 his personal De Havilland Devon
crashed near Largs
in Scotland while apparently en-route to his headquarters at RAF Andover
to collect passengers: he was not on board at the time.
Jordan retired from the RAF on 2 June 1958. He died on 24 April 1994 at the age of 92.
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 Richard Bowen Jordan KCB 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...
ADC 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...
(born 7 February 1902 – died 24 April 1994) was a bomber pilot and squadron commander during the Second World War, 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 during the Second World War and sixth Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps
Royal Observer Corps
The Royal Observer Corps was a civil defence organisation operating in the United Kingdom between 29 October 1925 and 31 December 1995, when the Corps' civilian volunteers were stood down....
, in the post war period of the early 1950s.
Early Royal Air Force career
Educated at Marlborough CollegeMarlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
Sir Richard was one of the very first cadets at the new RAF College Cranwell in 1921, at the age of 19, where he learned to fly. He represented the college at both cricket and rugby having been appointed in the rank of Flight Cadet Sergeant. On graduation he was granted a permanent commission in the rank of Pilot Officer
Pilot 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...
in 1922 and posted as a pilot to No. 2 Squadron RAF
No. 2 Squadron RAF
No. 2 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is currently one of two RAF squadrons operating in the reconnaissance role with the Tornado GR4A and GR4 and is based at RAF Marham, Norfolk.No. II Squadron holds claim to being "the oldest heavier-than-air flying machine squadron in the world", along with No...
. Promoted to Flying Officer
Flying Officer
Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
in June 1924 he moved to No. 28 Squadron RAF
No. 28 Squadron RAF
No. 28 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Merlin HC3/HC3A from RAF Benson.-World War I:No. 28 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed on 7 November 1915. Initially a training squadron it became a fighter squadron equipped with the Sopwith Camel.After the end of World War I No. 28...
in February 1926.
On the 12 December 1928, Jordan was promoted to 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"...
and the following month he transferred to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
as a Headquarters Staff officer at No. 2 (Indian Wing) Station, RAF Risalpur
Risalpur
Risalpur is a city in Nowshera District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, on the Nowshera-Mardan Road. It is nearly 45 km from Peshawar and 15 km from Mardan and is located at 34°4'52N 71°58'21E. In a basin some 1014 feet above sea level, it is bounded on the south and west by the Kabul and...
. Returning to the UK two years later he was held as a supernumerary
Supernumerary
A Supernumerary is an additional member of an organization. A supernumerary is also a non-regular member of a staff, a member of the staff or an employee who works in a public office who is not part of the manpower complement...
officer at the RAF Central Depot
RAF Uxbridge
RAF Uxbridge was a Royal Air Force station in Uxbridge within the London Borough of Hillingdon. Its grounds covered originally belonging to the Hillingdon House estate, which was purchased by the British Government in 1915, three years before the founding of the RAF...
before embarking on an eight year secondment as a test pilot
Test pilot
A test pilot is an aviator who flies new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques or FTTs, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated....
at the Royal Aircraft Establishment
Royal Aircraft Establishment
The Royal Aircraft Establishment , was a British research establishment, known by several different names during its history, that eventually came under the aegis of the UK Ministry of Defence , before finally losing its identity in mergers with other institutions.The first site was at Farnborough...
’s military experimental division at Farnborough
Farnborough, Hampshire
-History:Name changes: Ferneberga ; Farnburghe, Farenberg ; Farnborowe, Fremborough, Fameborough .Tower Hill, Cove: There is substantial evidence...
. During his time there, he was promoted 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...
in 1936.
In January 1938 he temporarily ceased flying duties and took up an appointment as a Staff Officer in the RAF’s Directorate of Peace Organisation. Returning to operational flying Jordan was 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...
and appointed as Officer Commanding No. 83 Squadron RAF
No. 83 Squadron RAF
No. 83 Squadron RAF was a Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force squadron active from 1917 until 1969. It was operative during both World War I and World War II.-Establishment and early service:...
in August 1939. Posted to RAF Manston
RAF Manston
RAF Manston was an RAF station in the north-east of Kent, at on the Isle of Thanet from 1916 until 1996. The site is now split between a commercial airport Kent International Airport and a continuing military use by the Defence Fire Training and Development Centre , following on from a long...
briefly as Station Commander he then became Officer Commanding No. 214 Squadron RAF
No. 214 Squadron RAF
-History:No 214 Squadron was formed from No. 14 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service , itself formerly No. 7A Squadron RNAS only taking on the new number in 9 December 1917. With the creation of the RAF from the Royal Flying Corps and the RNAS on 1 April 1918 it received the number 214. It was later...
where he remained on combat duty until July 1944. On the night of 2 June 1941 Jordan took off from RAF Stradishall
RAF Stradishall
RAF Stradishall was a Royal Air Force station in Suffolk, opened in 1938.The airfield closed in 1970 and is now the site of two category C prisons: HMP Highpoint North and HMP Highpoint South...
in Vickers Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
No. W5450 for a bombing operation over Berlin. His squadron successfully attacked the target and turned for home. At 06:00, having crossed the English coast, Jordan’s aircraft stalled and crashed 7 miles south west of Bury St Edmunds. Although it crashed into a copse of trees, there was no fire and most of the crew were unhurt, returning to the Stradishall on the back of a farm cart. Jordan was awarded with the 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...
on 22 August 1941.
Over a three year period he held several transient ranks in quick succession, including Temporary Group Captain
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...
, 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...
, Group Captain (War Substantive)
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...
and Temporary Air Commodore
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
while serving as the Director of Overseas Transport Operations.
Just after the Second World War finished Jordan was promoted to the substantive rank of 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 served as AOC, RAF India & Pakistan from July 1947 until February 1948 when he was appointed as AOC, RAF Gibraltar
RAF Gibraltar
Royal Air Force Station Gibraltar, better known as RAF Gibraltar and formally as North Front, is a Royal Air Force station on Gibraltar. No military aircraft are currently stationed there, but there are regular visits...
.
Royal Observer Corps
On 1 February 1949 Jordan took over the appointment as Commandant Royal Observer CorpsRoyal Observer Corps
The Royal Observer Corps was a civil defence organisation operating in the United Kingdom between 29 October 1925 and 31 December 1995, when the Corps' civilian volunteers were stood down....
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...
from Air Commodore the Earl of Bandon
Percy Bernard, 5th Earl of Bandon
Air Chief Marshal Percy Ronald Gardner Bernard, 5th Earl of Bandon, GBE, CB, CVO, DSO, RAF was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force in the mid-20th century. He was a squadron, station and group commander during World War II and the fifth Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps after the War...
. In April 1949 Jordan was additionally appointed Aide de Camp to King George VI. Jordan was Commandant ROC when, on 1 March 1950 the Air Officer Commanding in Chief, RAF 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...
assumed direct administrative control of the Corps. Under this change Headquarters Royal Observer Corps continued to operate in its existing form but assumed a status that was comparable with that of a Fighter Command group headquarters.
After lengthy negotiations with Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
staff, Jordan formally invited His Majesty King George VI to assume the position of Air Commodore in Chief of the ROC. On 11 April 1950 in recognition of the Corps' record of service during the twenty-five years of its existence, His Majesty King George VI honoured the Corps by accepting the invitation.
Later Royal Air Force appointments
On the 20 March 1951 Jordan handed over the Commandant ROC position to Air Commodore G H Vasse. Jordan was promoted to Air Vice Marshal and appointed as AOC No. 25 Group RAF. In 1953 he became Director General of RAF Organisation, an appointment he held until January 1956. That month he was promoted to Air MarshalAir Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
and took up his final posting as AOC in C of RAF 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 :...
. A Companion of the Order of the Bath
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...
since 1947 he was further honoured by being Knighted in the Birthday Honours List of May 1956. In June 1958 his personal De Havilland Devon
De Havilland Dove
The de Havilland DH.104 Dove was a British monoplane short-haul airliner from de Havilland, the successor to the biplane de Havilland Dragon Rapide and was one of Britain's most successful post-war civil designs...
crashed near Largs
Largs
Largs is a town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland, about from Glasgow. The original name means "the slopes" in Scottish Gaelic....
in Scotland while apparently en-route to his headquarters at RAF Andover
RAF Andover
Andover Airfield is a former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station. The ICAO code for the airfield is EGWA and the IATA code is ADV...
to collect passengers: he was not on board at the time.
Jordan retired from the RAF on 2 June 1958. He died on 24 April 1994 at the age of 92.