Percy Bernard, 5th Earl of Bandon

Air Chief Marshal Percy Ronald Gardner Bernard, 5th Earl of Bandon, (30 August 1904 – 8 February 1979) was an Anglo-Irish aristocrat who served as a senior commander in the Royal Air Force in the mid-20th century. He was a squadron, station and group commander during the Second World War, and the fifth Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps after the war. He was awarded the American Distinguished Flying Cross and Bronze Star Medal in 1946.

Early life Born in Gillingham, Kent, Bernard was the elder of twin boys by twenty minutes and the son of Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Percy Hamilton Bernard and Lettice Mina Paget. His mother was the daughter of Captain Gerald Cecil Stewart Paget, son of Lord Alfred Paget, younger son of Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey. On his father's side he was a great-grandson of the Right Reverend Hon. Charles Bernard, Bishop of Tuam, younger son of James Bernard, 2nd Earl of Bandon. His family resided in a house on the Theobald's Park estate in Hertfordshire where the eccentric horse breeder and owner Lady Meux had loaned his parents a house.

Early RAF career The Earl graduated from Cranwell in December 1924 and was posted as a pilot to No 4 Squadron RAF in the rank of pilot officer. Two years later he was promoted to flying officer and appointed as a Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI) at No 5 Flying Training School RAF. when the Earl was posted to RAF Ternhill in Shropshire as a flight commander at No 10 Flying Training School. As AOC he very unofficially continued to fly on operational sorties, removing his air commodore rank badges and flying instead in a flying officer's uniform.

Royal Observer Corps In December 1945 the Earl became the fifth Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps, During this period, his portrait was painted by Elva Blacker; it is now in the RAF Museum.

On 1 July 1959, Lord Bandon was promoted to air chief marshal and his final RAF appointment came on 1 March 1961 when he became Commander, Allied Air Forces Central Europe.