Douglas Harries
Douglas Harries | |
|---|---|
| Born | 30 March 1893 Second World War |
| Awards | Air Force Cross |
Sir Douglas Harries Second World War, retiring as an air vice-marshal in 1946. Outside of his military career, Harries played first-class cricket for the Free Foresters.
Early life and military career
Harries was born at Sidcup and attended the Britannia Royal Naval College, graduating into the Royal Navy as a midshipman. After graduating he served aboard HMS Defence, HMS Indomitable, HMS Dryad, and HMS Collingwood.[1] By October 1913, he had been promoted to the rank of sub-lieutenant.[2]
He served during the early stages of the
First World War with the Royal Navy, before being seconded to the Royal Naval Air Service, where he was the commanding officer of Polegate Airship Station in 1915.[1] He was promoted from the rank of flight lieutenant to flight commander in July 1916.[3] By February 1917, he was a squadron commander at RNAS Kingsnorth.[1][4] In August 1917, he was decorated by Italy with the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus.[5] He was seconded to the Airship Branch in April 1918, and was appointed to the Air Ministry as a staff officer in June of the same year.[6] He was awarded the Air Force Cross in the 1919 New Year Honours.[7]
Royal Air Force service
Following the end of the war, Harries was awarded a permanent commission in the
wing commander in January 1926 and the following month he was posted to an RAF depot in Egypt.[12][1] He was appointed as head of the Intelligence Branch at the Directorate of Military Intelligence in 1930, before serving at the commanding officer of RAF Ramlah in Mandatory Palestine and RAF Amman in Transjordan in 1935 and 1936 respectively.[1] He was promoted to the rank of group captain in July 1935,[13] before being promoted to the rank of air commodore in November 1938.[14]
Shortly before the outbreak of the
Second World War, Harries was the air officer commanding RAF Cranwell.[1] He was the air officer commanding No. 23 (Training) Group in January 1942, succeeding Keith Park.[1] The following month he was made an acting air vice-marshal.[15] He was made an MBE in the 1943 New Year Honours.[16] He was promoted to the rank of air vice-marshal in November 1944.[17] Following the war, he retired from active service in August 1946,[18] in addition to being made a Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1947 New Year Honours.[19] He died in December 1972 at Crondall, Hampshire
.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Air Vice-Marshal Sir Douglas Harries". www.rafweb.org. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
- ^ "No. 28762". The London Gazette. 7 October 1913. p. 6981.
- ^ "No. 29687". The London Gazette. 28 July 1916. p. 7841.
- ^ "No. 30156". The London Gazette. 29 June 1917. p. 6413.
- ^ "No. 30227". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 August 1917. p. 8209.
- ^ "No. 30852". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 August 1918. p. 9703.
- ^ "No. 31098". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1918. p. 97.
- ^ "No. 31569". The London Gazette. 26 September 1919. p. 11919.
- ^ "No. 31755". The London Gazette. 27 January 1920. p. 1099.
- ^ "First-Class Matches played by Douglas Harries". CricketArchive. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
- ^ "First-class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Douglas Harries". CricketArchive. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
- ^ "No. 33195". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1925. p. 10.
- ^ "No. 34176". The London Gazette. 2 July 1935. p. 4262.
- ^ "No. 34566". The London Gazette. 1 November 1938. p. 6820.
- ^ "No. 35444". The London Gazette. 3 February 1942. p. 564.
- ^ "No. 35841". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1942. p. 4.
- ^ "No. 36802". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 November 1944. p. 5327.
- ^ "No. 37708". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 August 1946. p. 4390.
- ^ "No. 37835". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1946. p. 4.