John Lapsley

Sir John Hugh Lapsley
Sir John Hugh Lapsley
Born	24 September 1916; India
Died	21 September 1995 (aged 78); Deben, Suffolk, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1932–1973
Rank	Air Marshal
Commands held	Coastal Command (1968–69); No. 19 (Reconnaissance) Group (1967–68); RAF Wahn (1954–56); Air Fighting Development Squadron (1949–51); No. 74 Squadron (1947–49); No. 125 Wing (1943–44); No. 274 Squadron (1941)
Battles/wars	Second World War
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire; Companion of the Order of the Bath; Distinguished Flying Cross; Air Force Cross; Mentioned in Despatches (2)
Other work	Save the Children Fund

Air Marshal Sir John Hugh Lapsley, KBE, CB, DFC, AFC (24 September 1916 – 21 November 1995)^[1] was a British fighter pilot of the Second World War and, later, a senior Royal Air Force commander.

RAF career

Lapsely joined the Royal Air Force as an Aircraft Apprentice in 1935 later being awarded a cadetship at the RAF College Cranwell.^[2] In 1937 he was appointed to a permanent commission and a posting to No. 32 Squadron.^[2] By February 1941 he was in command of No. 274 Squadron in Malta, originally with Gloster Gladiator biplane fighters which were soon replaced by the Hawker Hurricane.^[2] He was shot down near Tobruk on 19 April 1941 and was repatriated back to England to recover.^[2] At first he was only fit for instructional duties but by 1943 he was in command of No. 125 Wing with the Hawker Typhoon fighter bomber.^[2]

After the war he attended the RAF Staff College, Bracknell and then became Officer Commanding No. 74 Squadron before taking command of the Air Fighting Development Squadron in 1949 and then taking over responsibility for Flying at the Central Flying Establishment in 1951.^[2] He went on to be Station Commander at RAF Wahn in 1954, Deputy Chief of Staff at Headquarters Second Tactical Air Force in 1961 and Director of the Defence Operations Staff on formation of the Ministry of Defence in 1964.^[2] He became Air Officer Commanding No. 19 (Reconnaissance) Group in 1967 and Air Officer Commander-in-Chief, Coastal Command in 1968. Whilst serving as Commander-in Chief won Coastal Commands Scratch Golf Championship in 1969.^[2] In that capacity he accepted the first Nimrod aircraft into service in October 1969.^[3] His last appointment was as Head of the British Defence Staff in Washington, D.C. in 1970 before retiring in 1973.^[2] Whilst serving as Commander-in Chief he won Coastal Command's Scratch Golf Championship in 1969.

In retirement he became Director General of the Save the Children Fund.^[4]

He is buried in the churchyard of St Mary's at Benhall in Suffolk.

References

^ Christopher Shores (2008). "LAPSLEY. John Hugh". Aces High, Volume 2: A Further Tribute to the Most Notable Fighter Pilots of the British and Commonwealth Air Forces in WWII, Volume 2. Grub Street Publishing. ISBN 9781909808430.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Marshall Lapsley
^ Four-jet Sub-Hunter Handover Flight International, 9 October 1969
^ National Archives

Military offices
Preceded by Sir Paul Holder	Air Officer C-in-C Coastal Command 1968–1969	Succeeded by None
Preceded by Sir George Lea	Head of the British Defence Staff in Washington, D.C. 1970–1973	Succeeded by Sir Ian Easton

[1] Christopher Shores (2008). "LAPSLEY. John Hugh". Aces High, Volume 2: A Further Tribute to the Most Notable Fighter Pilots of the British and Commonwealth Air Forces in WWII, Volume 2. Grub Street Publishing. ISBN 9781909808430.

[air-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Marshall Lapsley

[3] Four-jet Sub-Hunter Handover Flight International, 9 October 1969

[4] National Archives

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