Francis John Linnell

Air Marshal Sir Francis John Linnell KBE CB (born 16 March 1892, Died 3 November 1944) was a British military officer who saw active service in World War I and World War II. He was Controller of Research and Development of the Ministry of Aircraft Production during the development of the Bouncing bomb, the weapon eventually employed in Operation Chastise. 'Jack' was Dubbed Sir Francis in the desert in front of the British press by King George VI and posthumously invested as a Commander in the Legion of Merit by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Career
Francis John Linnell was born on Isle of Thanet, Margate and was educated at Bloxham School.

World War I
"Jack" joined the Royal Naval Reserve as temporary warrant-telegraphist in September 1914, serving with the Royal Naval Air Service in France and Belgium. He learnt to fly at the Grahame-White Flying School Hendon. Flying a Grahame-White Biplane he gained Royal Aero Club Certificate No.1338 in June 1915. Flt Sub-Lt Linnell was responsible for carrying out trials in a special Blackburn-built B.E.2c. The unique aircraft No.3999 was ordered by Admiralty for W/T experiments, it was fitted with a 70 hp Renault engine and had a top speed of 72 mph. Blackburn-built B.E.2cs are recognisable by the ringed airscrew motif on the fin and saw active service in every theatre during the war.

From March 1916 till the end of 1919 he served with the Grand Fleet as a pilot on HMS Campania, HMS Repulse and HMS Furious and was Mentioned in Despatches twice. He ended the Great War with a permanent commission of Captain in the newly formed Royal Air Force.

The Dunning Memorial Cup, given annually to the officer that has done the most to further aviation in connection with the fleet, was awarded Linnell in 1920 "... for flights which led to important developments in artillery and reconnaissance observation."

Inter war years
From 1920 he worked as a Royal Air Force (RAF) Communications Officer at the Department of Civil Aviation, then transferred to Signals Staff duties at the Air Ministry in 1925. He was awarded the OBE in June 1923, the citation reads, "This officer has done exceptionally good work in connection with Signals. His liaison with the Navy and the Army has been excellent." He received special thanks from the Air Council for preparing the handbook on air communications and intelligence systems for the air defence of Great Britain.

His first command in October 1930 was No. 9 Squadron RAF located at RAF Manston and then in September 1931 Wg Cdr Linnell was Officer Commanding RAF Malta. He spent 1933 attending the course at RN Staff College Greenwich after which he took command of No. 99 Squadron RAF

He became the first Station Commander at RAF Mildenhall four days before it hosted 70,000 people for the start of the RAeC MacRobertson Air Race (England to Australia) of 1934. Then in July 1935, the year of the Silver Jubilee, RAF Mildenhall welcomed King George V for the first ever Royal review of the RAF. Linnell returned to the Air Ministry in July 1935 as Deputy Director of Organisation, Department of A.M.S.O.

World War II
After attending Imperial Defence College from the beginning of 1939 until August, he was attached to HQ RAF Bomber Command as Air Officer Administration and Mentioned in Despatches in 1940. In February 1941 he joined the Air Ministry as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff in charge of Training. On March, 1941 he was awarded the Companion of the Order of the Bath (C.B.). He was appointed Controller of Research and Development Ministry of Aircraft Production and an additional Member of the Air Council in June of the same year.

From May 1943 Air Marshal Linnell was Deputy AO C-in-C, RAF Mediterranean and Middle East and He rejoined the Air Ministry in July 1944 for special duties. He died on active service, 3 November 1944, in a car accident in Oxfordshire, aged fifty-two. He was cremated at Charing (Kent County) Crematorium.

Project Upkeep
Linnell was apparently against the idea of a bouncing bomb reasoning that it was drawing development resources away from the prototype high altitude bomber Vickers Windsor, his thinking may have been influenced by Charles Craven, the Chairman at Vickers.

Early in 1943, tests authorised by Linnell in June 1942 at the instigation of Sir Henry Tizard, indicated that a bouncing bomb was technically feasible. A meeting between the Air Ministry, RAF Bomber Command and MAP decided to continue development of project Upkeep with a proposal to have a fully trained squadron ready by May. AOC-in-C of RAF Bomber Command Harris thought differently and saw the project as a waste of precious Lancasters. However Chief of the Air Staff Portal was convinced by film footage of the tests and ordered three Lancasters allocated to the project. One week later, at a meeting convened by Linnell, the number of Lancasters ordered had risen to a squadron and Operation Chastise was planned for that spring.

Personal life
Only son of William Henry and Kate Linnell, he had one sister, Marjorie Clare. On 26 May 1917, 'Jack' married Margaret Christabel Carpenter of St Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex, at Christ Church, Turnham Green. They had no children.

Honours
Linnell was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in June 1923, and during March 1941 he was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).

Knighted
In a ceremony that had not been performed for many years, Linnell was Knighted in the field by King George VI, at an operational airport in the Tunisian desert. He was advanced from an Officer to a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE)

Legion of Merit
He was posthumously invested as a Commander of the Legion of Merit (U.S.A.) in recognition of his outstanding services in the Mediterranean theatre of operations from 29 February – 29 June 1944. The decoration was presented to his widow, Lady Linnell, by Brig. Gen. E. F. Koenig, U.S.A.A.F., at a special ceremony in London.





















Not referenced

 * Movie held by British Pathe News showing Sir F.J. Linnell being knighted in the desert by George VI. (time index 5:20)
 * Picture at the National Portrait Gallery of Sir Francis John Linnell.
 * Imperial War Museum, ROYAL AIR FORCE OPERATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA, 1940-1943.
 * Picture held by the Imperial War Museum showing THE AIR MINISTRY, 1939-1945.
 * BROADHURST PRIVATE COLLECTION.(Reel 5) held by Imperial War Museum and also Colonial Film
 * Flt Sub-Lt Linnell
 * Staff Officer 2nd Class
 * Recommended for OBE
 * Squadron Leader Linnell
 * Gp Capt Linnell
 * Air Cdre Linnell
 * The Canberra Times 13 April 1943.
 * The Times, 5 December 1944.
 * The Sydney Morning Herald, 4 November 1944.
 * Commonwealth War Graves Commission, LINNELL, SIR FRANCIS JOHN.
 * Royal United Services Institution. Journal Volume 86, Issue 542, 1941.
 * Picture held by Science and Society Picture Library showing recipients of the Order of the Bath 10 April 1941.
 * Auction of; Five to Squadron Leader J. H. S. Mitchell, Royal Air Force, 1939-1945 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; Defence Medal; War Medal. In original box of issue, with corresponding miniatures. The lot comes with a quantity of photographs, documents and general paperwork relaing to him and Air Marshal Sir John Linnell, Secret letters. Details of Air Council Post War Planning Committee. An interesting lot.
 * RAF Movements Training History - work in progress.
 * Air Cdre Linnell
 * The Canberra Times 13 April 1943.
 * The Times, 5 December 1944.
 * The Sydney Morning Herald, 4 November 1944.
 * Commonwealth War Graves Commission, LINNELL, SIR FRANCIS JOHN.
 * Royal United Services Institution. Journal Volume 86, Issue 542, 1941.
 * Picture held by Science and Society Picture Library showing recipients of the Order of the Bath 10 April 1941.
 * Auction of; Five to Squadron Leader J. H. S. Mitchell, Royal Air Force, 1939-1945 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; Defence Medal; War Medal. In original box of issue, with corresponding miniatures. The lot comes with a quantity of photographs, documents and general paperwork relaing to him and Air Marshal Sir John Linnell, Secret letters. Details of Air Council Post War Planning Committee. An interesting lot.
 * RAF Movements Training History - work in progress.
 * The Sydney Morning Herald, 4 November 1944.
 * Commonwealth War Graves Commission, LINNELL, SIR FRANCIS JOHN.
 * Royal United Services Institution. Journal Volume 86, Issue 542, 1941.
 * Picture held by Science and Society Picture Library showing recipients of the Order of the Bath 10 April 1941.
 * Auction of; Five to Squadron Leader J. H. S. Mitchell, Royal Air Force, 1939-1945 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; Defence Medal; War Medal. In original box of issue, with corresponding miniatures. The lot comes with a quantity of photographs, documents and general paperwork relaing to him and Air Marshal Sir John Linnell, Secret letters. Details of Air Council Post War Planning Committee. An interesting lot.
 * RAF Movements Training History - work in progress.