Robert Oxland

Air Vice Marshal Robert Dickinson Oxland, (4 April 1889 – 27 October 1959) was a senior Royal Air Force officer and member of Bomber Command during the Second World War. He was air officer commanding No. 1 Group from 1940 to 1943.

Early life Robert Dickinson Oxland was born in Sydenham on 4 April 1889, the son of Charles Oxland, a Mining Engineer, and his wife Eleanor. He was educated at Bedford Modern School. He was commissioned in 1915 and seconded to the Royal Flying Corps in 1916 He was with No. 20 Squadron in France in 1916 and with No. 38 Squadron in 1918. In 1926, he was responsible for organising the formation of No. 503 Squadron RAF and was its commanding officer until 1930.

Oxland was promoted to wing commander in 1930 and thereafter ‘took a series of staff appointments at home and overseas’. Oxland was Chairman of the Committee that decided to produce the four-engined heavy bombers resulting in the Stirling, Halifax and Lancaster. and his final position from 1945 was AOA, HQ Air Command South East Asia. In 1943 he was made Companion of the Order of the Bath.

Oxland was also twice mentioned in despatches, on 1 January 1943 and 8 June 1944.

Family life Oxland was a member of the United Service Club. In 1929 he married Ethel Barbara Williams, daughter of Colonel Henry David Williams. They had two daughters. He died in Maidenhead, Berkshire on 27 October 1959.