Dennis Cambell

Rear-Admiral Dennis Royle Farquharson Cambell, (13 November 1907 – 6 April 2000) was a flag officer of the Royal Navy, who invented the angled flight deck.

Naval career Educated first Edinburgh House School, (now Ballard School) then at Westminster School, Cambell was a Special Entry Cadet from 1925 in the training ship .

From 15 September 1926, Cambell served as a midshipman on (in the Battle Cruiser Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet). On 14 September 1939 they lost two Skuas from the sub-flight he was leading whilst attacking and on 26 September they shot down a Dornier Do 18, this being the first German aircraft to be shot down during the Second World War by any British aircraft. It was during this period that he devised the angled flight deck working in collaboration with Lewis Boddington of RAF Farnborough.

In September 1954 Cambell was appointed as the first captain of the new carrier , which was commissioned in February 1955. In September 1956 he was again at the Admiralty this time as Director of Naval Air Warfare.

Cambell's final appointment was as Flag Officer, Flying Training at Yeovilton from 15 October 1957. In 1958 he was made an Officer of the American Legion of Merit and in 1960, on retirement, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (London Gazette 1.1.60; Investiture 9.2.60.) From 19 October 1960 he was in the Retired List. On retirement he became European Sales Director for Hiller and then Hughes Helicopters, and then Director of Executive Travel.