Air Chief Marshal Sir John Frederick Willis GBE, KCB, FRAeS (27 October 1937 – 9 January 2008) was a senior Royal Air Force officer.
Sir John Willis | |
|---|---|
| Born | 27 October 1937 London, England |
| Died | 9 January 2008 (aged 70) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1955–1997 |
| Rank | Air Chief Marshal |
| Commands | Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff (1995–97) Support Command (1992–94) RAF Akrotiri (1982–84) No. 27 Squadron (1975–77) |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath |
Flying career
editJohn Frederick Willis was born in London and educated at Dulwich College and the RAF College Cranwell.[1] Willis gained his RAF commission in 1958 and went on to fly Vulcan bombers.[1] He went on to be Commanding Officer of No. 27 Squadron at RAF Scampton.[1] He was appointed deputy director of Air Staff Plans at the Ministry of Defence in 1979, Station Commander at RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus in 1982 and Director of Air Staff Briefing & Co-ordination at the Ministry of Defence in 1985.[2] Later that year he was made Chief of the Special Weapons Branch at Headquarters SHAPE.[2]
In 1989 he was appointed Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Policy & Nuclear).[1] He went on to be one of the RAF's most senior commanders, becoming Director-General of Training in 1991, Air Officer Commanding-in Chief of Support Command in 1992 and the Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff at the Ministry of Defence in 1995.[1] He retired from the Royal Air Force in 1997.[1]
In retirement he was a member of the council of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and a patron of the Second World War Experience Centre. He was also actively involved in his local Royal Air Forces Association.[3]
Personal life
editIn 1959, while living in London, Sir John met his wife Merrill, who was a nurse. They married in 1960. They had five children together, Jonathan, David, Kate, Rachel, and Rob. Sir John had fourteen grandchildren: Rebecca, Michael, Gregory, William, Joe, Ben, Finn, Ella, Myles, George, Sarah, Daisy, Pip and Heidi.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Telegraph.co.uk – Obituary of Air Chief Marshal Sir John Willis[dead link]
- ^ a b Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Chief Marshal Sir John Willis
- ^ a b "Sudden death of outstanding military ace". Northumberland Gazette. 10 January 2008. Archived from the original on 12 January 2008. Retrieved 18 March 2009.