Commandant Royal Observer Corps
The Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps (CROC) was the
The origins of the ROC go back to Metropolitan Observation Service of World War I which was founded by Air Vice Marshal Edward Ashmore.[1] However, Ashmore never held the post of ROC Commandant. The first two commandants were recently retired RAF Air Commodores, the next two were Auxiliary Air Force officers and the remainder were serving RAF officers. The last three commandants held the appointment in addition to their primary appointment as Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) at Headquarters No. 11/18 Group RAF, which was colocated with HQROC at RAF Bentley Priory.
The organisation had started as the volunteer civilian Observer Corps in 1925 and became the uniformed Royal Observer Corps in 1941 as part of the RAF in recognition of their invaluable services during the Battle of Britain. Despite several attempts by the
Commandants in chronological order
| Order | Date of appointment | Name of Commandant | Final rank at RAF retirement |
| 1st | 1 March 1929 | E A D Masterman[2] | Air Commodore |
| 2nd | 1 March 1936 | A D Warrington-Morris[3] | Air Commodore |
| 3rd | 1 June 1942 | G H Ambler[4] | Air Vice-Marshal
|
| 4th | 23 June 1943 | F Crerar[5] | Air Commodore |
| 5th | 7 October 1945 | Percy Bernard, 5th Earl of Bandon[6] | Air Chief Marshal
|
| 6th | 1 February 1949 | R B Jordan[7] | Air Marshal
|
| 7th | 20 March 1951 | G H Vasse[8]
|
Air Commodore |
| 8th | 29 March 1954 | J H T Simpson[9]
|
Air Commodore |
| 9th | 29 June 1959 | J M Warfield[10] | Air Commodore |
| 10th | 29 May 1961 | C M Wight-Boycott[11] | Air Commodore |
| 11th | 3 June 1964 | J H Greswell[12] | Air Commodore |
| 12th | 28 June 1968 | D F Rixson[13] | Air Commodore |
| 13th | 4 January 1971 | E B Sismore | Air Commodore |
| 14th | 24 May 1973 | R K Orrock[14] | Air Commodore |
| 15th | 8 November 1975 | M H Miller | Air Commodore |
| 16th | 23 April 1977 | J F G Howe
|
Air Vice-Marshal
|
| 17th | 12 April 1981 | R J Offord | Air Commodore |
| 18th | 19 February 1983 | G P Black | Air Vice-Marshal
|
| 19th | 28 September 1984 | J Broughton | Air Commodore |
| 20th | 5 December 1986 | I Horrocks | Air Commodore |
| 21st | 22 December 1989 | G M Boddy | Air Commodore |
| 22nd | 1 Apr 1992 | M P Donaldson | Air Vice Marshal
|
| 23rd | 1 Feb 1993 | C R Spink | Air Marshal
|
| 24th and last |
16 June 1995 | M K Widdowson | Air Commodore |
| - | 31 March 1996 | ROC Stood Down | - |
Commandant's insignia
-
Air Commodore rank braid -
Commandant's Pennant, flown on staff car's front wing when on RAF Stations and in ROC compounds -
Commandant's star plate displayed on the staff car's front bumper
See also
References
- ^ Barrass, M. B. "Maj Gen Ashmore". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.
- ^ Barrass, M. B. "E A D Masterman". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.
- ^ Barrass, M. B. "A Warrington-Morris". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.
- ^ Barrass, M. B. "G A Ambler". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.
- ^ Barrass, M. B. "F Crerar". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.
- ^ Barrass, M. B. "5th Earl Bandon". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.
- ^ Barrass, M. B. "R Jordan". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.
- ^ Barrass, M. B. "G H Vasse". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.
- ^ Barrass, M. B. "J H T Simpson". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.
- ^ Barrass, M. B. "J M Warfield". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.
- ^ Barrass, M. B. "C Wight-Boycott". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.
- ^ Barrass, M. B. "J H Greswell". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.
- ^ Barrass, M. B. "D F Rixson". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.
- ^ Barrass, M. B. "R K Orrock". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.
External links
- "Units directly responsible to Ministry level: Royal Observer Corps". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation.