Kenneth Cross

Air Chief Marshal Sir Kenneth Brian Boyd Cross, (4 October 1911 – 18 June 2003) was a senior Royal Air Force commander. He was commonly known as Bing.

RAF career The eldest son of Pembroke Henry Cokayne Cross (1884–1964) a chartered surveyor, and Jeanie Boyd (1888–1944), he was educated at Hilsea College in Portsmouth, Havant High School, and Kingswood School. Cross joined the Royal Air Force in April 1930. He first served with No. 25 Squadron in 1931, before a spell as instructor with 5 FTS at Sealand. In 1934 he was part of the Cambridge University Air Squadron. In December 1938 Squadron Leader Cross was appointed Auxiliary Liaison Officer at HQ, No 12 Group, Fighter Command.

Cross served in the Second World War and in October 1939 was appointed Officer Commanding No. 46 Squadron, conducting flying missions over Norway. For his service in Norway he was awarded the Norwegian War Cross with sword. Ordered to return to the United Kingdom in June 1940, his pilots achieved the seemingly impossible task of landing all their Hurricanes on the aircraft carrier HMS Glorious without arresting gear, He became Air Commodore, Training at Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Air Force in March 1944 and Director of Overseas Operations (Tactical) in June 1944. Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Transport Command in 1963. He retired in 1967.

Family In 1945 he married Brenda Megan Powell, a former Women's Auxiliary Air Force office; they had two sons and a daughter.