Alexander Gray (RAF officer)

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Alexander Gray
Born(1896-09-08)8 September 1896
Died 16 May 1980(1980-05-16) (aged 83)
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army (1914–18)
Royal Air Force (1918–49)
Years of service 1914–49
Rank Air Vice Marshal
Commands held AHQ Iraq (1947–49)
No. 224 Group (1943–44)
No. 223 (Composite) Group (1942–43)
RAF Manston (1939–40)
No. 7 Squadron (1934–35)
No. 12 Squadron (1923–26)
No. 55 Squadron (1917–18)
Battles/wars First World War
Second World War
Awards Companion of the Order of the Bath
Military Cross
Mentioned in Despatches (2)
Croix de guerre (France)
Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)

Air Vice Marshal Alexander Gray, CB, MC (8 September 1896 – 16 May 1980) was a senior Royal Air Force leader during the Second World War.

Military Cross third-level military decoration of the British Armed Forces, Commonwealth officers

The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries.

Royal Air Force Aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces

The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's aerial warfare force. Formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world. Following victory over the Central Powers in 1918 the RAF emerged as, at the time, the largest air force in the world. Since its formation, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history. In particular, it played a large part in the Second World War where it fought its most famous campaign, the Battle of Britain.

RAF career

Gray was commissioned into the 7th Battalion of the Princess Louise's (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) in 1915 having briefly served as a private soldier in the Highland Light Infantry in the early days of the First World War. [1] He was appointed Officer Commanding No. 55 Squadron in December 1917. [1] He went on to command No. 12 Squadron from 1923 and No. 7 Squadron from 1934 before becoming Deputy Director of Training at the Air Ministry in 1936. [1]

Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders former infantry regiment of the British Army

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1881 until amalgamation into the Royal Regiment of Scotland on 28 March 2006.

Highland Light Infantry

The Highland Light Infantry (HLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1881. It took part in the First and Second World Wars, until it was amalgamated with the Royal Scots Fusiliers in 1959 to form the Royal Highland Fusiliers which later merged with the Royal Scots Borderers, the Black Watch, the Highlanders and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders to form the Royal Regiment of Scotland, becoming the 2nd Battalion of the new regiment.

No. 55 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1916 as a unit of the Royal Flying Corps. No. 55 Squadron was the last RAF Squadron to operationally fly the Handley Page Victor, in its Victor K.2 in-flight refuelling tanker role. It was subsequently a navigator training squadron based at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire. The squadron operated the Hawker Siddeley Dominie, a military version of the HS.125 business jet, until January 2011.

During the Second World War he was Station Commander at RAF Manston becoming a group captain at Headquarters 9 (Fighter) Group in 1940. [1] He continued his war service as Air Officer Commanding No. 223 (Composite) Group from 1942, Air Officer Commanding No. 224 Group from 1943 and Air Commander at Eastern Air Command from 1944. [1] From February 1945 he was Director of Training at the Air Ministry. [1] He was awarded the United States Distinguished Flying Cross for his service in the Second World War. [2]

RAF Manston RAF station in the north-east of Kent

RAF Manston was an RAF station in the north-east of Kent, at grid reference TR334663 on the Isle of Thanet from 1916 until 1996. The site was split between a commercial airport Kent International Airport (KIA), since closed, and a continuing military use by the Defence Fire Training and Development Centre (DFTDC), following on from a long-standing training facility for RAF firefighters at the Manston base. In March 2017, RAF Manston became the HQ for the 3rd battalion Princess of Wales Royal Regiment (PWRR).

Group captain Senior commissioned rank which originated in the Royal Air Force

Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in many air forces. Group captain has a NATO rank code of OF-5, meaning that it ranks above wing commander, immediately below air commodore and is the equivalent of the naval rank of captain and the rank of colonel in other services.

No. 9 Group RAF was a group of the Royal Air Force.

After the war he served as Air Officer Commanding AHQ Iraq before retiring in 1949. [1]

AHQ Iraq

AHQ Iraq was a command of the Royal Air Force (RAF).

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation Air Vice Marshal A Gray
  2. ↑ "No. 36566". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 June 1944. p. 2876.
Military offices
Preceded by
Stephen Strafford 		Air Officer Commanding Air HQ Iraq
1947–1949 		Succeeded by
Unknown
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