Christopher Foxley-Norris

Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Neil Foxley-Norris, (16 March 1917 – 28 September 2003) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force (RAF). A squadron commander during the Second World War, he later served as Commander-in-Chief RAF Germany in the late 1960s.

Early life Christopher Neil Foxley-Norris was born on 16 March 1917, a younger son of Major John Percivall Foxley-Norris (1886–1924) and his wife, Dorothy Brabant Smith. His paternal grandfather was the clergyman William Foxley Norris, who served as Dean of Westminster. He was educated at Winchester College and then Trinity College, Oxford, where he read law. He joined the Oxford University Air Squadron in 1936.

Middle panel of the Christopher Foxley-Norris Memorial Wall at the Battle of Britain Memorial, Capel-le-Ferne, Kent. Unveiled in July 2005, it lists all Royal Air Force aircrew known to have flown at least one sortie during the Battle of Britain.

Post-war RAF career

After the war, Foxley-Norris became station commander at RAF Stradishall and then at RAF West Malling.

UK pro-smoking lobby organisation FOREST was launched on 19 June 1979, with Foxley-Norris as its chairman. Foxley-Norris retired as the organisation's public figurehead in 1989, and was replaced by Lord Harris of High Cross.

Family Foxley-Norris married Joan (née Lovell Hughes, now Lady Foxley-Norris) in 1948. They had no children. Joan served as a nurse during the war, and worked with injured pilots. Following his death, she took his place at many Battle of Britain events which were held and was also a regular visitor to RAF Benson.

His funeral took place at St Mary Devoted at Turville, near Stokenchurch, on 7 October 2003. Memorial services were held at Westminster Abbey on 29 January 2004 and at St. Clement Danes, the Central Church of the Royal Air Force, London in April 2004.