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John Allan

1928 – 2014

Canadian admiral

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About John Allan

Lived 1928 – 2014 (aged 86). John Allan was a Canadian naval officer and military personnel.

Vice Admiral John Allan CMM CD (31 March 1928 – 1 May 2014) was a Canadian Forces officer who served as Commander of Maritime Command from 1 July 1979 to 6 August 1980.

Career Allan joined the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) as an Ordinary Seaman in 1946. He left the RCN in 1952 as a Petty Officer 2nd class. The next year, he re-enrolled as an Officer Cadet and was commissioned as an acting sub-lieutenant in 1954. He continued his studies at Queen's University, graduating in 1955. . He became commanding officer of the destroyer escort in 1968, project manager of the DDH 280 Program at National Defence Headquarters in 1970 and Commander First Canadian Destroyer Squadron in 1973. He went on to be Chief of Staff (Sea) in 1974, Director General Maritime Engineering and Maintenance in 1975 and Associate Assistant Deputy Minister Materiel in 1977. and Deputy Chief of Defence Staff in 1980. He served in this position until he retired in 1982.

Awards and decorations Allan's personal awards and decorations include the following:

Canadian versionCanadian Forces' Decoration (CD)with two Clasp for 32 years of services

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Queen's University
Positions held
Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, Commanding officer, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff
Awards
Commander of the Order of Military Merit (Canada); Canadian Forces Decoration; Order of Military Merit (Canada)

People in John Allan's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John Allan's

Frequently asked questions

Who was John Allan?

Canadian admiral

When was John Allan born?

John Allan was born on 31 March 1928 in Kirkland Lake.

When did John Allan die?

John Allan died on 1 May 2014 in Ottawa.

What was John Allan's occupation?

John Allan was a naval officer and military personnel.

What nationality was John Allan?

John Allan was Canadian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John Allan

· Wikidata: Q16090736

· DBpedia: John Allan (Canadian naval officer)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Allan. https://biography.guide/john-allan-naval-officer/

MLA: "John Allan." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-allan-naval-officer/.

Chicago: "John Allan." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-allan-naval-officer/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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