Douglas Lowe (RAF officer)

Sir Douglas Charles Lowe
Born (1922-03-14) 14 March 1922
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch  Royal Air Force
Years of service 1940–1983
Rank Air Chief Marshal
Commands held Controller Aircraft
No. 18 Group
Near East Air Force
RAF Cranwell
Battles/wars Second World War
Awards Knight 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] (born 14 March 1922) 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]

References

  1. ↑ http://thepeerage.com/p42107.htm#i421063
  2. ↑ Birthdays The Independent, 14 March 1998
  3. ↑ http://www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk/online/content/index965.htm
  4. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 35914. p. 932. 15 February 1943. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  5. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 36175. p. 4138. 14 September 1943. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  6. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 36084. p. 3095. 6 July 1943. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  7. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 36488. p. 1943. 25 April 1944. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  8. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 36866. p. 73. 29 December 1944. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  9. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 36909. p. 574. 23 January 1945. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  10. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37598. p. 2816. 4 June 1946. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  11. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37870. p. 600. 31 January 1947. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  12. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37895. p. 1038. 28 February 1947. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  13. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 39586. p. 3582. 27 June 1952. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  14. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 41266. p. 7594. 27 December 1957. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  15. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 42721. p. 5302. 29 June 1962. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  16. ↑ Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – RAF Station Commanders – Lincolnshire and East Midlands
  17. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 44039. p. 7468. 30 June 1966. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  18. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 45013. p. 221. 5 January 1970. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  19. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 45384. p. 5959. 4 June 1971. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  20. ↑ Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Group No's 10 – 19
  21. ↑ Defence Flight International, 18 September 1975
  22. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack 1983
  23. ↑ Birthdays The Times, 14 March 2007
  24. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 49503. p. 13293. 10 October 1983. Retrieved 2009-11-23.
Military offices
Preceded by
R G Knott		 Senior Air Staff Officer Near East Air Force
1969–1971 		Succeeded by
Robert Freer
Preceded by
Michael Giddings		 Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operational Requirements)
1971–1973 		Succeeded by
D Bower
Preceded by
Sir Anthony Heward		 Air Officer Commanding No. 18 Group
1973–1975 		Succeeded by
Sir Robert Freer
Preceded by
Sir Neil Wheeler		 Controller Aircraft
1975–1982 		Succeeded by
Sir John Rogers
Preceded by
Sir David Cardwell		 Chief of Defence Procurement
1982–1983 		Succeeded by
Sir David Perry
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