Brian Burnett

Air Chief Marshal Sir Brian Kenyon Burnett, (10 March 1913 – 16 September 2011) was a British senior Royal Air Force officer who became Air Secretary and served as the last Commander-in-Chief of Far East Command.

Early life The grandson of Ernest Burnett, Burnett was born in Hyderabad in India, where his father was principal of Nizam College. He was educated at Charterhouse School, Heidelberg University and Wadham College in Oxford.

RAF career

Burnett joined the Reserve of Air Force Officers in 1932 and transferred to the RAF in 1934. Burnett's name came to prominence in 1938, when he was the navigator and second pilot of a Wellesley bomber that completed a record-breaking non-stop flight of 7,158 miles from Ismailia in Egypt to Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, for which Burnett was awarded the AFC.

He served in World War II as Commander of No. 51 Whitley Squadron and then as Commander of No. 33 Air Navigation School in Canada before becoming Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters No. 25 Group in 1944. His last appointment was as Commander-in-Chief Far East Command in Singapore in 1970 before he retired in 1972. Burnett also felt that the Royal Box should be utilised when members of the royal family were not in attendance and implemented this rule.

Personal and sporting achievements Burnett was a keen sports player and received many accolades including two Blues at Oxford University (tennis & squash). Prior and post Second World War he won the Army squash championships and was undefeated at squash in the world from 1937 to 1939. He also played in the post-war 1946 Wimbledon Championships.

He married Valerie St. Ludger (d. 2003) and continued to live an active life playing tennis and skiing until he was over 90. He is survived by his two sons Robert and Bruce.