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Douglas Lowe (RAF officer)

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Sir Douglas Charles Lowe
Born(1922-03-14)14 March 1922
Died24 January 2018(2018-01-24) (aged 95)
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Air Force
Years of service1940–1983
RankAir Chief Marshal
CommandsController Aircraft
No. 18 Group
Near East Air Force
RAF Cranwell
Battles/warsSecond World War
AwardsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Distinguished Flying Cross
Air Force Cross

Air Chief Marshal Sir Douglas Charles Lowe, GCB, DFC, AFC[1] (14 March 1922 – 24 January 2018) was a Second World War pilot and a senior commander in the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Family

Douglas Charles Lowe was born on 14 March 1922.[2] He married Doreen Elizabeth Nichols the daughter of Ralph Henry Nichols. Their only daughter, Frances Elizabeth Lowe, married Christopher Russell Bailey, the 5th Baron Glanusk.[3]

RAF career

Lowe enlisted in the RAFVR in 1940, and flew as a pilot during the Second World War. As a sergeant, he was granted an emergency commission in the RAFVR as a probationary pilot officer on 4 January 1943.[4] He was promoted to probationary flying officer on 1 July 1943.[5]

As an acting flight lieutenant with No.75 (N.Z.) Squadron, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) on 9 July 1943.[6] He was confirmed in his rank of flying officer on 23 December 1943,[7] and received a mention in dispatches in January 1945.[8] Lowe was promoted to flight lieutenant (war-substantive) on 1 January 1945.[9] In the 1946 Birthday Honours, Lowe was decorated with the Air Force Cross (AFC).[10] He remained in the RAF post-war, being awarded a permanent commission in the rank of flying officer on 1 July 1946, with a subsequent promotion to flight lieutenant on 4 July.[11][12]

Lowe was promoted to squadron leader on 1 July 1952 and to wing commander on 1 January 1958.[13][14] Promoted to group captain on 1 July 1962, he served as Station Commander RAF Cranwell from November 1963 to 1965.[15][16] With his promotion to air commodore on 1 July 1966, he attained air officer rank.[17] He was promoted to air vice-marshal on 1 January 1970 and appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB), Military Division, in the 1971 Birthday Honours.[18][19]

In 1973 Lowe was appointed Air Officer Commanding No. 18 Group and he continued in this post until 1975.[20] Thereafter, he was promoted to air chief marshal and was appointed the Controller of Aircraft:[21] he remained in that post until late 1982.[22] Lowe was the Chief of Defence Procurement at the Ministry of Defence from 1982 to 1983.[23] He retired on 22 August 1983.[24]

He died on 24 January 2018 at the age of 95.[25]

References

  1. ^ "Person Page". thepeerage.com. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  2. ^ Birthdays The Independent, 14 March 1998
  3. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 9 May 2011. Retrieved 2012-03-17. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ "No. 35914". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 February 1943. p. 932.
  5. ^ "No. 36175". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 September 1943. p. 4138.
  6. ^ "No. 36084". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 July 1943. p. 3095.
  7. ^ "No. 36488". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 April 1944. p. 1943.
  8. ^ "No. 36866". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1944. p. 73.
  9. ^ "No. 36909". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 January 1945. p. 574.
  10. ^ "No. 37598". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 June 1946. p. 2816.
  11. ^ "No. 37870". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 January 1947. p. 600.
  12. ^ "No. 37895". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 February 1947. p. 1038.
  13. ^ "No. 39586". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 June 1952. p. 3582.
  14. ^ "No. 41266". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 December 1957. p. 7594.
  15. ^ "No. 42721". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 June 1962. p. 5302.
  16. ^ "Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – RAF Station Commanders – Lincolnshire and East Midlands". rafweb.org. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  17. ^ "No. 44039". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 June 1966. p. 7468.
  18. ^ "No. 45013". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 January 1970. p. 221.
  19. ^ "No. 45384". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 June 1971. p. 5959.
  20. ^ Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Group No's 10 – 19 Archived 5 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ Defence Flight International, 18 September 1975
  22. ^ Whitaker's Almanack 1983
  23. ^ Birthdays The Times, 14 March 2007
  24. ^ "No. 49503". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 October 1983. p. 13293.
  25. ^ "Air Chief Marshal Sir Douglas Lowe – obituary". 10 April 2018. Retrieved 10 April 2018 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
Military offices
Preceded by
R G Knott
 Senior Air Staff Officer Near East Air Force
1969–1971 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operational Requirements)
1971–1973 		Succeeded by
D Bower
Preceded by Air Officer Commanding No. 18 Group
1973–1975 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Controller Aircraft
1975–1982 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief of Defence Procurement
1982–1983 		Succeeded by

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