David Harcourt-Smith
Air Chief Marshal Sir David Harcourt-Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 October 1931 |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Flying Cross |
| Relations | Air Vice Marshal Gilbert Harcourt-Smith (father) |
KCB, DFC (born 14 October 1931) is a former Royal Air Force officer who served as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at RAF Support Command
from 1984 to 1986. He is the author of Wings Over Suez, an account of air operations during the Sinai and Suez wars.
RAF career
Educated at
DH Venom fighter-bomber[2] in the Suez Crisis and Aden Emergency, where he won the Distinguished Flying Cross for gallantry and devotion to duty in 1957.[3]
Harcourt-Smith was appointed
Officer Commanding No. 54 Squadron in 1963 and Officer Commanding No. 6 Squadron in 1969 before moving on to be Station Commander at RAF Bruggen in 1972 and Commandant of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell in 1978.[1] He went on to be Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operational Requirements) in 1980, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at RAF Support Command in 1984 and Controller of Aircraft in 1986.[1] As Controller of Aircraft he oversaw the introduction of the Tucano training aircraft.[4] He retired in 1989.[1]
Family
In 1957 Harcourt-Smith married Dorothy Mary Entwistle; they had two sons and one daughter.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e Debrett's People of Today 1994
- ISBN 071101678X
- ^ "No. 41243". The London Gazette. 29 November 1957. p. 7047.
- ^ MoD admits Tucano delay Flight International, 1 February 1985