Hugh Champion de Crespigny

Air Vice Marshal Hugh Vivian Champion de Crespigny, (8 April 1897 – 20 June 1969), often referred to as Vivian Champion de Crespigny, was a Royal Flying Corps pilot who fought in France during the First World War, and senior Royal Air Force officer who commanded British Air Forces in Persia and Iraq during the Second World War.

Early years De Crespigny was born in Brighton, Victoria, the fourth son of Philip Champion de Crespigny (4 January 1850 – 11 March 1927), manager of the Bank of Victoria in Melbourne, and Philip's second wife Sophia Montgomery Grattan née Beggs (1870–1936). He was educated at Brighton Grammar School. In August 1914, following the outbreak of the First World War, he enlisted with the 7th Battalion of the Australian Army as a private. In 1915 he was recommended for a commission in the Suffolk Regiment, and from there graduated to the Royal Flying Corps' special reserve.

RAF career De Crespigny joined the Special Reserve of the Royal Flying Corps in 1915. He went on to be Officer Commanding No. 29 Squadron on the Western Front and then Officer Commanding No. 65 Squadron also on the Western Front. After the war he went to India where he commanded No. 60 Squadron and then No. 39 Squadron and finally No. 2 (Indian) Wing. and stood as their candidate for the British Parliament in Newark, but was narrowly beaten by the sitting Conservative member, Lt-Col. Sidney Shephard. He was a leader in the campaign to fly great numbers of children from the devastated regions of Germany to England before the winter of 1945, when it was predicted millions of homeless would die from the cold.

De Crespigny retired from the RAF in 1945. He oversaw relief efforts for the area, much of the population being in a pitiable condition, exacerbated by mass migration from East Germany, and with rising incidence of tuberculosis.

In 1948 De Crespigny was succeeded as commissioner by William Asbury and stayed in Kiel as British consul until 1956. He later lived at Vierville in Natal, South Africa. He died at Pietermaritzburg, Natal, South Africa.

Recognition De Crespigny was awarded the Military Cross in May 1916.

Citation for the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross in the London Gazette – 3 December 1918

He was invested as a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 1943 New Year Honours for his service with the RAF during the Second World War.

Family De Crespigny married Sylvia Ethel Usher in Fovant, Wiltshire, on 7 October 1926. They had four sons: Robert Vivian Champion de Crespigny (12 October 1927 – 14 December 1929) Hugh Philip Champion de Crespigny (1928 – 24 April 2004) Anthony Richard Champion de Crespigny (26 September 1930 – 15 November 2008) Julian Augustus Claude Champion de Crespigny (1934–1974)

His brother was Air Commodore Claude Champion de Crespigny.