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John Whitley

1905 – 1997

RAF air marshal

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About John Whitley

Lived 1905 – 1997 (aged 92).

Air Marshal Sir John Rene Whitley, (7 September 1905 – 26 December 1997) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and also in the post-war years.

RAF career Whitley joined the Royal Air Force in 1926. While serving in India, he was awarded the Air Force Cross for relief flights after the 1935 Quetta earthquake. Returning to England, he continued his war service as Station Commander at RAF Lissett and then as Air Officer Commanding No. 43 Base. He went on to be Air Officer Commanding No. 4 Group and then Air Officer Commanding No. 8 Group.

After the war he served as Assistant Air Officer Administration at Headquarters Air Command South East Asia and then as Station Commander at RAF Karachi. He was appointed Director of Organisation (Establishments) at the Air Ministry in 1947 and Air Officer Administration at Headquarters Second Tactical Air Force in 1951. He went on to be Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group in 1953, Air Member for Personnel in 1957 and Inspector-General of the RAF in 1959 before retiring in 1962.

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Important facts

Birth century
Awards
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire; Companion of the Order of the Bath; Distinguished Service Order; Air Force Cross; Air Force Cross (United Kingdom); Mentioned in Despatches

People in John Whitley's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John Whitley's

Frequently asked questions

Who was John Whitley?

RAF air marshal (1905-1997)

When was John Whitley born?

John Whitley was born on 7 September 1905.

When did John Whitley die?

John Whitley died on 26 December 1997.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John Whitley

· Wikidata: Q6263880

· DBpedia: John Whitley (RAF officer)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Whitley. https://biography.guide/john-whitley/

MLA: "John Whitley." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-whitley/.

Chicago: "John Whitley." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-whitley/.

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