Glenn Torpy

Last updated

Sir Glenn Torpy
Sir Glen Torpy at the Global Air Chiefs Conference (crop).jpg
Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy in September 2007
Born (1953-07-27) 27 July 1953 (age 70)
Ely, Cambridgeshire
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Air Force
Years of service1974–2009
Rank Air Chief Marshal
Commands held Chief of the Air Staff (2006–09)
Chief of Joint Operations (2004–06)
No. 1 Group (2001–03)
RAF Bruggen (1995–97)
No. 13 Squadron (1989–92)
Battles/wars Gulf War
Iraq War
Awards Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Distinguished Service Order
Officer of the Legion of Merit (United States)

Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Lester Torpy, GCB , CBE , DSO (born 27 July 1953) is a retired senior Royal Air Force (RAF) commander. He was a fast jet pilot in the late 1970s and 1980s, saw active service during the Gulf War and then went on to higher command. He was the air component commander on Operation Telic (British operations in Iraq) and served as Chief of the Air Staff, the professional head of the RAF, from 2006 to 2009. In that role Torpy hosted the RAF's biggest air display in two decades, and argued for consolidation of all British air power in the hands of the RAF.

Contents

Early life

The son of Gordon Torpy and Susan Torpy (née Lindsey), [1] Torpy obtained a BSc degree in aeronautical engineering from Imperial College London. [2]

Military career

Torpy joined the Royal Air Force as a pilot officer on 8 September 1974, [3] and spent his early career, after he left the RAF College Cranwell, undertaking flying duties in Jaguar aircraft before qualifying as a weapons instructor on Hawk aircraft. [2] He was promoted to flying officer on 8 March 1975, with seniority backdated to 8 June 1973, [4] flight lieutenant on 8 December 1975, [5] and squadron leader on 1 July 1983. [6]

Tornado, a type flown by Torpy in the 1980s Tornado-JH01.JPG
Tornado, a type flown by Torpy in the 1980s

Torpy's early commands included a tour as a squadron leader in Tornado aircraft before being appointed Officer Commanding No. 13 Squadron in 1989. [1] Having been promoted to wing commander on 1 July 1989, [7] Torpy saw active service during the Gulf War with No. 13 Squadron and was subsequently appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order. [8] He was made personal staff officer to the Air Officer Commanding RAF Strike Command in 1992. [1]

Promoted to group captain on 1 July 1993, [9] Torpy was appointed station commander at RAF Bruggen, Germany, in 1995. [10] After promotion to air commodore on 1 January 1997, [11] he attended the Royal College of Defence Studies in 1997. [1] He was appointed Assistant Chief of Staff (Operations) at Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood in 1998 and director of air operations at the Ministry of Defence in 1999. [1] Torpy was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2000 New Year Honours [12] and became Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Operations) at the Ministry of Defence in 2000. [1]

From 2001 to 2003 Torpy was Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group, [13] and also served as the air component commander for Operation Telic (British operations in Iraq). [2] He was awarded the Legion of Merit (Degree of Officer) from the United States in "recognition of gallant and distinguished services during coalition operations in Iraq" in 2003. [14] He was promoted to air vice marshal on 1 January 2001, [15] and to air marshal on 18 July 2003. [16]

From 2003 to 2004 Torpy was deputy commander-in-chief at RAF Strike Command. [1] On 26 July 2004, he was appointed chief of joint operations at the Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood. [17] He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 2005 New Year Honours. [18]

With promotion to air chief marshal on 13 April 2006, [19] Torpy became Chief of the Air Staff and an air aide-de-camp to Her Majesty the Queen on 13 April 2006. [19] He was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the 2008 Birthday Honours. [20] In July 2008, Torpy hosted the RAF's biggest air display in two decades, as a 35-mile-long (56 km) procession of aircraft flew past the queen to commemorate the service's 90th anniversary. [21] Controversially, in June 2009, he argued for consolidation of all British air power in the hands of the RAF, effectively questioning the future of the Royal Navy's jet aircraft. [22]

Torpy retired from the RAF in July 2009, and became senior military advisor to BAE Systems. [23] He is also Chairman of the Trustees of the RAF Museum and a governor of Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School. [23]

Personal life

Torpy married Christine Jackson in 1977. His interests include golf, hill walking, military history and cabinet making. [1]

Related Research Articles

Air Chief Marshal Sir Brian Kevin Burridge, is a retired Royal Air Force officer. A former Nimrod pilot, Burridge was in overall command of British forces under Operation Telic during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Johns</span> Royal Air Force Air Chief Marshal (born 1939)

Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Edward Johns, is a retired senior Royal Air Force commander. He was a fighter pilot in the 1960s, commanding officer of a squadron during the 1970s and a station commander in the 1980s. Johns served as one of three British directors of operations on the senior planning staff for Operation Granby in 1991 and then acted as a supporting commander for joint operations in the Balkans in 1994. As Chief of the Air Staff he advised the British Government on the air force aspects of the Strategic Defence Review and on NATO's air campaign in Kosovo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jock Stirrup</span> Senior commander in Britains Royal Air Force

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Graham Eric Stirrup, Baron Stirrup,, informally known as Jock Stirrup, is a former senior Royal Air Force commander who was the Chief of the Defence Staff from 2006 until his retirement in late 2010. He is now a Crossbench member of the House of Lords. In April 2013, he was appointed a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter by Queen Elizabeth II.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Ted Squire, was a senior Royal Air Force officer. He was a fast jet pilot in the 1970s, a squadron commander during the Falklands War, and a senior air commander in the 1990s. Squire served as Chief of the Air Staff from 2000 to 2003. In retirement he was the chairman of the board of trustees of the Imperial War Museum and vice-chairman of the board of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Dickson (RAF officer)</span> Marshal of the Royal Air Force (1898-1987)

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir William Forster Dickson, was a Royal Naval Air Service aviator during the First World War, a senior officer in the Royal Air Force during the inter-war years and a Royal Air Force commander during and after the Second World War. Dickson was Chief of the Air Staff in the mid-1950s, in which role his main preoccupation was the establishment of the V Force and the necessary supporting weapons, airfields and personnel. He also served as the first Chief of the Defence Staff in the late 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dermot Boyle</span> Marshal of the Royal Air Force (1904-1993)

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Dermot Alexander Boyle, was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force. He served in the Second World War initially as a staff officer with the Advanced Air Striking Force in Reims in which capacity he organised the evacuation of the Force through Brest in May 1940. His war service included tours as a bomber squadron commander, as a station commander and also as an air group commander. He was Chief of the Air Staff in the late 1950s and, in that role, deployed British air power during the Suez Crisis in October 1956 and defended the RAF against the views of Duncan Sandys, the Minister for Defence, who believed that the V bomber force rendered manned fighter aircraft redundant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Elworthy, Baron Elworthy</span>

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Samuel Charles Elworthy, Baron Elworthy, was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force. He served as commander of a squadron of Blenheim bombers and then as a station commander during the Second World War. He became Chief of the Air Staff in the mid-1960s and implemented the cancellation of the TSR-2 strike aircraft and the HS681 military transport aircraft programmes. He also became Chief of the Defence Staff in which role he oversaw the evacuation from Aden in November 1967 and had to respond to the growing crisis in Northern Ireland in the late 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Grandy</span> Marshal of the Royal Air Force (1913–2004)

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir John Grandy, was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force. He was the only officer who fought and commanded a squadron during the Battle of Britain to reach the post of Chief of the Air Staff. In the latter role he implemented the final stages of the RAF's withdrawal from the Persian Gulf and the Far East, oversaw the ordering and subsequent cancellation of the F-111 strike aircraft and handed over Britain's nuclear deterrent role to the Royal Navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denis Spotswood</span> Marshal of the Royal Air Force (1916-2001)

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Denis Frank Spotswood, was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force. He fought in the Second World War as a flying boat pilot and then as a coastal reconnaissance squadron commander during Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa. He served as a station commander in the late 1940s and early 1950s before becoming a senior air commander in the late 1950s. As the Chief of the Air Staff in the early 1970s he had a major role in implementing the defence savings demanded by the Heath Government in the face of economic difficulties at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keith Williamson</span> Marshal of the Royal Air Force (1928-2018)

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Keith Alec Williamson, was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force. He served with the Royal Australian Air Force flying Meteors in a ground attack role during the Korean War. He was a squadron commander and then a station commander during the 1960s and a senior air commander in the 1980s. He was Chief of the Air Staff during the early 1980s at the time of the emergency airlift of food and supplies to Ethiopia.

Air Marshal David Walker, was a senior Royal Air Force officer. He was the Deputy Commander, Allied Joint Force Command at Brunssum in the Netherlands from 2011 to 2013, having previously served for over three years as Deputy Commander, Allied Air Component Command at Ramstein in Germany. Prior to that appointment he was Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Garwood</span>

Air Marshal Sir Richard Frank Garwood, is a retired senior Royal Air Force officer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Peach</span> Royal Air Force officer (born 1956)

Air Chief Marshal Stuart William Peach, Baron Peach, is a British retired senior Royal Air Force officer. After training as a navigator, Peach commanded IX (Bomber) Squadron and then became Deputy Station Commander RAF Bruggen. He was deployed as NATO Air Commander (Forward) in Kosovo in 2000. He went on to be Chief of Defence Intelligence in 2006, Chief of Joint Operations in 2009 and the first Commander of Joint Forces Command in December 2011 before being appointed Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff in May 2013. Peach succeeded General Sir Nick Houghton as Chief of the Defence Staff on 14 July 2016. He succeeded General Petr Pavel as Chairman of the NATO Military Committee on 29 June 2018, serving as such until his retirement from NATO in June 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Dalton</span> Royal Air Force air marshal

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Gary George Dalton, is a retired senior officer of the Royal Air Force and former Lieutenant-Governor of Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Atha</span> Royal Air Force Air Marshal (born 1962)

Air Marshal Sir Stuart David Atha,, is a former senior officer of the Royal Air Force. He led No. 3 (Fighter) Squadron from 2000 to 2004, which included deployment to Iraq on Operation Telic, commanded RAF Coningsby (2006–08), No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group (2009–10) and No. 1 Group (2011–14), and served as the Air Component Commander for security during the 2012 London Olympics. Atha was RAF Deputy Commander Operations from 2016 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry North</span>

Air Marshal Sir Barry Mark North, is a retired senior Royal Air Force officer, who served as Deputy Commander (Personnel) at RAF Air Command. A helicopter pilot, North has held command appointments at all levels, notably No. 78 Squadron in the Falkland Islands, the Special Forces Flight as a squadron leader and the newly established No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group in the Middle East as an air commodore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Harwood (RAF officer)</span>

Air Vice Marshal Michael John Harwood, is a retired senior Royal Air Force officer who served as Defence Attaché and Head of the British Defence Staff – US in Washington, D.C. from 2008 to 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Pulford</span>

Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Douglas Pulford, is a retired senior Royal Air Force (RAF) commander. A helicopter pilot with operational service in Northern Ireland, the Falklands War and Iraq War, Pulford commanded RAF Odiham and No. 2 Group, and served as Assistant Chief of Defence Staff Operations, before taking up the post of Deputy Commander-in-Chief Personnel at Air Command and Air Member for Personnel in 2010. He became Chief of the Air Staff on 31 July 2013, retiring from the Royal Air Force on 12 July 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Hillier</span>

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen John Hillier, is a retired senior Royal Air Force officer, who served as Chief of the Air Staff from 2016 to 2019. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for actions in the Gulf in 1999 and was awarded the United States Bronze Star Medal for service in the Iraq War. He went on to be Air Officer Commanding No. 2 Group, Director Information Superiority at the Ministry of Defence, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Capability) and finally Chief of the Air Staff from July 2016. He was appointed chair of the Civil Aviation Authority in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Luck</span> Senior Royal Air Force officer

Air Vice-Marshal Christopher James Luck is a British charity executive and retired Royal Air Force officer. He was Commandant of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell from 2013 to 2016, and Commandant of the Joint Services Command and Staff College from 2017 to 2019. Since 2019, he has been CEO of the Shaw Trust.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Who's Who 2010, A & C Black, 2010, ISBN   978-1-4081-1414-8
  2. 1 2 3 "Brief biographical details of the senior UK commanders involved in Operation Telic". Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 25 May 2009. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  3. "No. 46440". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 December 1974. p. 13199.
  4. "No. 46513". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 March 1975. p. 3291.
  5. "No. 46757". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 December 1975. p. 15648.
  6. "No. 49406". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 July 1983. p. 8833.
  7. "No. 51799". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 July 1989. p. 7803.
  8. "No. 52588". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 June 1991. p. 16.
  9. "No. 53363". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 July 1993. p. 11374.
  10. "RAF Station Commanders – 2 TAF, BAFO & RAF Germany". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  11. "No. 54642". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 January 1997. p. 217.
  12. "No. 55711". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1999. p. 42.
  13. "Group No's 1 – 9". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Archived from the original on 13 June 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  14. "No. 57100". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 October 2003. p. 12.
  15. "No. 56078". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 January 2001. p. 14622.
  16. "No. 57018". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 August 2003. p. 9733.
  17. "Joint Defence Commands". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Archived from the original on 13 June 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  18. "No. 57509". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2004. p. 2.
  19. 1 2 "No. 57965". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 April 2006. p. 5686.
  20. "No. 58729". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 June 2008. p. 2.
  21. "Queen watches biggest RAF display for two decades". The Telegraph. London. 11 July 2008. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  22. "RAF chief predicts controversial takeover of Royal Naval air power". The Telegraph. London. 7 June 2009. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  23. 1 2 "Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy". Human Systems. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
Military offices
Preceded by
R.A. Wright
Station Commander RAF Bruggen
1995–1996
Succeeded by
Preceded by
P.V. Harris
Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group
2001–2003
Succeeded by
Preceded by Deputy Commander-in-Chief Strike Command
2003–2004
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief of Joint Operations
2004–2006
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief of the Air Staff
2006–2009
Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by
Sir Jock Stirrup
Honorary Colonel of 73 Engineer Regiment (Volunteers)
30 July 2008 – present
Incumbent