John Gingell

Sir John Gingell
Born	(1925-02-03)3 February 1925
Died
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Air Force (1943–45, 1951–84) Royal Navy (1945–51)
Years of service	1943–1984
Rank	Air Chief Marshal
Commands held	RAF Support Command Air Member for Personnel No. 23 Group No. 27 Squadron
Battles/wars	Second World War
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order

Air Chief Marshal Sir John Gingell GBE, KCB, KCVO, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , (3 February 1925 – 10 December 2009) was a senior Royal Air Force commander.

Military career

The son of Ernest (1895–1981) and Hilda (née Attwood; 1894–1957) Gingell, he was educated at St Boniface's Catholic College, Plymouth. He was commissioned into the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in April 1945. A few months later he transferred into the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, serving in the Fleet Air Arm. In 1951 he returned to the Royal Air Force was posted to flying duties on No. 58 Squadron.

In 1963 he was appointed Officer Commanding No. 27 Squadron flying Vulcan B2s equipped with Blue Steel missiles and in 1966 he became Deputy Director of the Defence Operations Staff at the Ministry of Defence. He went on to be Military Assistant to Chairman of the Military Committee at NATO Headquarters in 1968, Air Officer Administration at Headquarters RAF Germany in 1970 and Air Officer Commanding No. 23 Group in 1974. After that he became Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Policy) in 1975, Air Member for Personnel in 1978 and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at RAF Support Command in 1980. His last appointment was as Deputy Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Central Europe in 1981 before he retired in 1984.

In retirement Gingell served as Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod in the Houses of Parliament until 1992.

Family

In 1949 he married Prudence Johnson; the couple had two sons and a daughter, John, Nicholas and Alexandra.

References

Military offices
Preceded by Sir John Aiken	Air Member for Personnel 1978–1980	Succeeded by Sir Charles Ness
Preceded by Sir Keith Williamson	Commander-in-Chief Support Command 1980–1981	Succeeded by Sir Michael Beavis
Preceded by Sir Peter Terry	Deputy Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Central Europe 1981–1984	Succeeded by Sir Michael Beavis
Government offices
Preceded by Sir David House	Black Rod 1985–1992	Succeeded by Sir Richard Thomas