Freddie Sowrey

Air Marshal Sir Frederick Beresford Sowrey, (14 September 1922 – 24 July 2019) was a senior Royal Air Force officer. He served as Director of Defence Policy at the Ministry of Defence from 1968 to 1970, and Commandant of the National Defence College from 1972 to 1975.

Early life Sowrey was born on 14 September 1922 to Group Captain Frederick Sowrey. He was educated at Charterhouse, a public school in Godalming, Surrey.

RAF career Second World War Sowrey was commissioned into the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve General Duties Branch on 24 August 1941 as a pilot officer on probation (emergency). He was given the service number 107942. He received his pilot training in Canada, On 20 August 1942, his commission was confirmed and he was promoted to flying officer (war substantive). From 1942 to 1944, he undertook aerial reconnaissance in the European theatre. After a posting to the Flying Instructors School in 1944, he then served with the First Allied Airborne Army in 1945. From 1946 to 1948, he served in No. 615 (County of Surrey) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force. He attended the Fighter Gunnery School from 1949 to 1950. He was appointed Officer Commanding No. 615 Squadron in 1951, and attended RAF Staff College, Bracknell.

Sowrey served as Officer Commanding No. 46 Squadron RAF from 1958 to 1960, then as Personal Staff Officer to Air Chief Marshal Sir Thomas Pike, Chief of the Air Staff, from 1960 to 1962. He served as Commanding Officer of RAF Abingdon, Oxfordshire, for two years from 1962, and spent 1965 at the Imperial Defence College, Sowrey was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire 1965 Queen's Birthday Honours.

Sowrey served as Senior Air Staff Officer Middle East Command (Aden) from 1966 to 1967, and served as Director of Defence Policy at the Ministry of Defence from 1968 to 1970. He was a Senior Air Staff Officer in RAF Training Command from 1970 to 1972, and was promoted to that rank on 1 July 1971.

Sowrey served as Commandant of the National Defence College from November 1972 to 1975. In August 1975 he was appointed Director General of RAF Training, then served as the UK Representative at the Permanent Military Deputies Group CENTO (Central Treaty Organisation) from 1977 to 1979, before being promoted to that rank on 1 January 1978.

Sowrey was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 1978 New Year Honours, and retired from the Royal Air Force on 5 April 1980.

Post-RAF career After leaving the RAF, Sowrey was a research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies from 1980 to 1981. until appointed life vice president in 1996.

Personal life In 1946, Sowrey married Anne Margaret Haviland (née Bunbury). Together, Sowrey and his wife had two children; one son and one daughter.