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William Dickson (RAF officer)
Encyclopedia
Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Sir William Forster Dickson GCB
, KBE
, DSO
, AFC
(24 September 1898 – 12 September 1987) was a Royal Naval Air Service
aviator during World War I
, an middle-ranking Royal Air Force
officer during the inter-war years and a senior Royal Air Force commander during and after World War II
. For his last military appointment in the late 1950s, Dickson served as the first Chief of the Defence Staff
(CDS) of the United Kingdom and thus the professional head of the British Armed Forces.
. He was a direct descendent of Admiral Horatio Nelson
through his mother. Dickson was educated both at Bowden House in the Sussex
town of Seaford
and at Haileybury College
.
in 1916 and after completing flying training, he served as a pilot at RNAS Grain on the Isle of Grain
. Later in the War he was a pilot on HMS Furious
where he carried out pioneering work, performing deck landings and taking part in the first bombing raid from an aircraft carrier in history. He transferred to the Royal Air Force
on its creation in April 1918. Dickson spent the last few weeks of the War on HMS Revenge
before taking up duties on HMS Queen Elizabeth
in 1919.
The early 1920s saw Dickson transfer rapidly from one post to another. In March 1920 he was appointed to the staff at RAF Gosport and two months later he was appointed as a pilot on No. 210 Squadron
which was based at Gosport and had recently been reformed. Just under a year later in April 1921, Dickson returned to sea on board the aircraft carrier HMS Argus
and at the start of 1922 Dickson was sent to the Royal Aircraft Establishment
at Farnborough where he served as a test pilot. It was not until 1923 that Dickson's career became more settled. In May he was appointed the Personal Advisor to the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
and Director of Operations and Intelligence, Air Commodore
John Steel
and he remained in this post until July 1926 when he was removed from duties due to illness to No. 56 Squadron
. In 1930 he became Personal Assistant to the Air Officer Commanding RAF India
.
He was appointed Officer Commanding No. 25 Squadron in January 1935 and then joined the Directing Staff at the RAF Staff College, Bracknell
in March 1936.
, Dickson was on the staff of the Directorate of Plans in the rank of wing commander
. He was appointed to the Joint Planning Staff, which was a subcommittee of the Chiefs of Staff Committee
and involved supporting the planning carried out by Winston Churchill
and the senior British military commanders. Dickson continued in this work for the first two years of the War, receiving a temporary promotion to group captain
at the start of 1940, being appointed Director of Plans in March 1941 and gaining an acting promotion to air commodore
in April 1941.
In May 1942 Dickson took up post as the Senior Air Staff Officer at the Headquarters of No. 9 (Fighter) Group
. However, Dickson did not remain as a staff officer for long. The following month he was appointed Air Officer Commanding
No. 9 (Fighter) Group and later in 1942 he took up command of No. 10 Group
. While serving as AOC No. 10 Group, Dickson accompanied C-in-C Fighter Command
Air Marshal Leigh-Mallory
on an visit to the Air Headquarters in the Western Desert
. On their return to Great Britain, Dickson was given the task of setting up No. 83 Group
, which as the first composite group
would provide the model for the future groups of the soon to be established Second Tactical Air Force
which was formed for the planned invasion of Europe.
Although Dickson had spent considerable time in planning and preparation for the invasion of Nazi occupied Europe, he did not take part in the operations. In late 1943 he was granted a temporary promotion to air vice-marshal
and in April 1944 he was given command of the Desert Air Force
(formerly the Air Headquarters in the Western Desert) which was operating in Italy after the Allied victory in North Africa in 1943.
Towards the very end of 1944, Dickson was recalled to London, taking up the post of Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Policy), a post which he held throughout the rest of the War and into mid-1946.
in 1946, Commander-in-Chief
RAF Mediterranean & Middle East
in 1948, and Air Member for Supply and Organisation
in 1950.
He served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1953 to 1955. As such he was the only Chief of the Air Staff to have been originally commissioned in the Royal Navy (Sir Frederick Sykes
served in the Navy for a little under a year even though he was originally commissioned in the Army). He was the first and only Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee
, serving from 1 January 1956 until 1 January 1959 when he became the first Chief of the Defence Staff
, a post he held until July 1959.
In retirement he worked for a variety of charitable organisations including the Royal Central Asian Society, the Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society and the Forces Help Society.
Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Marshal of the Royal Air Force is the highest rank in the Royal Air Force. In peacetime it was granted to RAF officers in the appointment of Chief of the Defence Staff, and to retired Chiefs of the Air Staff, who were promoted to it on their last day of service. Promotions to the rank have ceased...
Sir William Forster Dickson GCB
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...
, 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...
, 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...
, AFC
Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
(24 September 1898 – 12 September 1987) was a Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
aviator during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, an middle-ranking 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 inter-war years and a senior Royal Air Force commander 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...
. For his last military appointment in the late 1950s, Dickson served as the first Chief of the Defence Staff
Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the professional head of the British Armed Forces, a senior official within the Ministry of Defence, and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister...
(CDS) of the United Kingdom and thus the professional head of the British Armed Forces.
Early life
Dickson was born in Northwood in MiddlesexMiddlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
. He was a direct descendent of Admiral Horatio Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
through his mother. Dickson was educated both at Bowden House in the Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
town of Seaford
Seaford, East Sussex
Seaford is a coastal town in the county of East Sussex, on the south coast of England. Lying east of Newhaven and Brighton and west of Eastbourne, it is the largest town in Lewes district, with a population of about 23,000....
and at Haileybury College
Haileybury and Imperial Service College
Haileybury and Imperial Service College, , is a prestigious British independent school founded in 1862. The school is located at Hertford Heath, near Hertford, from central London, on of parkland occupied until 1858 by the East India College...
.
World War I and inter-war years
Dickson joined the Royal Naval Air ServiceRoyal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
in 1916 and after completing flying training, he served as a pilot at RNAS Grain on the Isle of Grain
Isle of Grain
The Isle of Grain, in the north of Kent, England, is the easternmost point of the Hoo Peninsula. No longer an island, the Isle is almost all marshland and the Grain Marshes are an important habitat for birdlife...
. Later in the War he was a pilot on HMS Furious
HMS Furious (47)
HMS Furious was a modified cruiser built for the Royal Navy during the First World War. Designed to support the Baltic Project championed by the First Sea Lord of the Admiralty, Lord John Fisher, they were very lightly armoured and armed with only a few heavy guns. Furious was modified while...
where he carried out pioneering work, performing deck landings and taking part in the first bombing raid from an aircraft carrier in history. He transferred to 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...
on its creation in April 1918. Dickson spent the last few weeks of the War on HMS Revenge
HMS Revenge (06)
HMS Revenge was the lead ship of the Revenge class of battleships of the Royal Navy, the ninth to bear the name. She was launched during World War I in 1915. Though the class is often referred to as the Royal Sovereign class, official documents of 1914–1918 refer to the class as the Revenge class...
before taking up duties on HMS Queen Elizabeth
HMS Queen Elizabeth (1913)
HMS Queen Elizabeth was the lead ship of the Queen Elizabeth-class of dreadnought battleships, named in honour of Elizabeth I of England. She saw service in both World Wars...
in 1919.
The early 1920s saw Dickson transfer rapidly from one post to another. In March 1920 he was appointed to the staff at RAF Gosport and two months later he was appointed as a pilot on No. 210 Squadron
No. 210 Squadron RAF
No. 210 Squadron was a Royal Air Force unit established in World War I. Disbanded and reformed a number of times in the ensuing years, it operated as a fighter squadron during World War I and as a maritime patrol squadron during the Spanish Civil War, World War II and the Cold War before it was...
which was based at Gosport and had recently been reformed. Just under a year later in April 1921, Dickson returned to sea on board the aircraft carrier HMS Argus
HMS Argus (I49)
HMS Argus was a British aircraft carrier that served in the Royal Navy from 1918–1944. She was converted from an ocean liner under construction when the First World War began, and became the world's first example of what is now the standard pattern of aircraft carrier, with a full-length flight...
and at the start of 1922 Dickson was sent to 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...
at Farnborough where he served as a test pilot. It was not until 1923 that Dickson's career became more settled. In May he was appointed the Personal Advisor to the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
The Deputy Chief of the Air Staff was a senior appointment in the Royal Air Force. The incumbent was the deputy to the Chief of the Air Staff. The post existed from 1918 to 1968 or 1969...
and Director of Operations and Intelligence, Air Commodore
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
John Steel
John Miles Steel
Air Chief Marshal Sir John Miles Steel GCB, KBE, CMG, RAF was a senior Royal Air Force commander.-Military career:...
and he remained in this post until July 1926 when he was removed from duties due to illness to No. 56 Squadron
No. 56 Squadron RAF
Number 56 Squadron is one of the oldest and most successful squadrons of the Royal Air Force, with battle honours from many of the significant air campaigns of both World War I and World War II...
. In 1930 he became Personal Assistant to the Air Officer Commanding RAF India
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
.
He was appointed Officer Commanding No. 25 Squadron in January 1935 and then joined the Directing Staff at the RAF Staff College, Bracknell
RAF Staff College, Bracknell
The RAF Staff College at Bracknell was a Royal Air Force staff college active for most of the second half of the 20th century. Its role was the training of staff officers in the administrative, staff and policy aspects of air force matters...
in March 1936.
World War II
At the start of 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...
, Dickson was on the staff of the Directorate of Plans in the rank of 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...
. He was appointed to the Joint Planning Staff, which was a subcommittee of the Chiefs of Staff Committee
Chiefs of Staff Committee
The Chiefs of Staff Committee is composed of the most senior military personnel in the British Armed Forces.-History:The Chiefs of Staff Committee was initially established as a sub-committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence in 1923. It remained as such until the abolition of the CID upon the...
and involved supporting the planning carried out by Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
and the senior British military commanders. Dickson continued in this work for the first two years of the War, receiving a temporary promotion to 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...
at the start of 1940, being appointed Director of Plans in March 1941 and gaining an acting promotion to air commodore
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
in April 1941.
In May 1942 Dickson took up post as the Senior Air Staff Officer at the Headquarters of No. 9 (Fighter) Group
No. 9 Group RAF
-History:No. 9 Group RAF was first formed on 1 April 1918 in No. 2 Area. The next month it was transferred to South-Western Area and then disbanded on 15 May 1919....
. However, Dickson did not remain as a staff officer for long. The following month he was appointed 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. 9 (Fighter) Group and later in 1942 he took up command of No. 10 Group
No. 10 Group RAF
No. 10 Group of the Royal Air Force was formed on 1 April 1918 in No. 2 Area. On 8 May of the next year it was transferred to South-Western Area. In 1919 it was transferred to Coastal Area where it remained until it was disbanded on 18 January 1932....
. While serving as AOC No. 10 Group, Dickson accompanied C-in-C 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...
Air Marshal Leigh-Mallory
Trafford Leigh-Mallory
Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory KCB, DSO & Bar was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force. Leigh-Mallory served as a Royal Flying Corps pilot and squadron commander during World War I...
on an visit to the Air Headquarters in the Western Desert
Desert Air Force
The Desert Air Force , also known chronologically as Air Headquarters Western Desert, Air Headquarters Libya, AHQ Western Desert, the Western Desert Air Force, Desert Air Force, and the First Tactical Air Force , was an Allied tactical air force initially created from No...
. On their return to Great Britain, Dickson was given the task of setting up No. 83 Group
No. 83 Group RAF
No. 83 Group was a group within the Royal Air Force's 2nd Tactical Air Force during the Second World War and the post-war era. In 2006, the group was re-established as No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group.-History:...
, which as the first composite group
Group (air force)
A group is a military aviation unit, a component of military organization and a military formation. Usage of the terms group and wing differ from one country to another, as well as different branches of a defence force, in some cases...
would provide the model for the future groups of the soon to be established Second Tactical Air Force
RAF Second Tactical Air Force
The former RAF Second Tactical Air Force was one of three tactical air forces within the Royal Air Force during and after the Second World War...
which was formed for the planned invasion of Europe.
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 in April 1944 he was given command of the Desert Air Force
Desert Air Force
The Desert Air Force , also known chronologically as Air Headquarters Western Desert, Air Headquarters Libya, AHQ Western Desert, the Western Desert Air Force, Desert Air Force, and the First Tactical Air Force , was an Allied tactical air force initially created from No...
(formerly the Air Headquarters in the Western Desert) which was operating in Italy after the Allied victory in North Africa in 1943.
Towards the very end of 1944, Dickson was recalled to London, taking up the post of Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Policy), a post which he held throughout the rest of the War and into mid-1946.
Post War and later life
He was appointed Vice-Chief of the Air StaffVice-Chief of the Air Staff (United Kingdom)
The British Vice-Chief of the Air Staff was the post occupied by the senior Royal Air Force officer who served as a senior assistant to the Chief of the Air Staff. The post was created during World War II on 22 April 1940 and its incumbement sat on the Air Council...
in 1946, Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
RAF Mediterranean & Middle East
Near 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:...
in 1948, and Air Member for Supply and Organisation
Air Member for Supply and Organisation
The Air Member for Supply and Organisation was the senior Royal Air Force officer responsible for procurement matters: he was a member of the Air Force Board...
in 1950.
He served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1953 to 1955. As such he was the only Chief of the Air Staff to have been originally commissioned in the Royal Navy (Sir Frederick Sykes
Frederick Sykes
Air Vice-Marshal The Right Honourable Sir Frederick Hugh Sykes GCSI, GCIE, GBE, KCB, CMG was a military officer, British statesman and politician....
served in the Navy for a little under a year even though he was originally commissioned in the Army). He was the first and only Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee
Chiefs of Staff Committee
The Chiefs of Staff Committee is composed of the most senior military personnel in the British Armed Forces.-History:The Chiefs of Staff Committee was initially established as a sub-committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence in 1923. It remained as such until the abolition of the CID upon the...
, serving from 1 January 1956 until 1 January 1959 when he became the first Chief of the Defence Staff
Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the professional head of the British Armed Forces, a senior official within the Ministry of Defence, and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister...
, a post he held until July 1959.
In retirement he worked for a variety of charitable organisations including the Royal Central Asian Society, the Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society and the Forces Help Society.
Honours and decorations
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath - 1 Jan 1953 (KCB - 1 Jan 1952, CB - 11 Jun 1942)
- Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire – 1 Jan 1946, (CBE - 5 Jul 1945: OBE - 4 Jun 1934)
- Distinguished Service OrderDistinguished Service OrderThe 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...
- 21 Sep 1918 - Air Force CrossAir Force Cross (United Kingdom)The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
- 3 Jun 1922 - Mentioned in Despatches - 1 Oct 1917, 1 Jan 1919, 26 Jun 1931
- Order of Suvorov 3rd ClassOrder of SuvorovThe Order of Suvorov is a Soviet award, named after Aleksandr Suvorov , that was established on July 29, 1942 by a decision of the Presidium of Supreme Soviet of the USSR. This decoration was created to award senior army personnel for exceptional leadership in combat operations...
(USSR) - 11 Apr 1944 - Commander, Legion of MeritLegion of MeritThe Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
(United States) - 13 Nov 1945