Alec Coryton

Air Chief Marshal Sir William Alec Coryton KCB, KBE, MVO, DFC, RAF (16 February 1895 – 20 October 1981), commonly known as Alec Coryton, was a senior RAF commander in World War II.

Life
Originally commissioned as an officer in the British Army's Rifle Brigade (Special Reserve), he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps as a Lieutenant in 1918. When the RFC became the Royal Air Force he resigned his Army commission and became a Royal Air Force officer.

From 1925 to 1928, he was Officer Commanding 16 Squadron based at Old Sarum. operating the Bristol F.2 Fighter in the tactical reconnaissance role.


 * 1942 25 April AOC, No. 5 Group RAF Bomber Command. It has been claimed that the then Air Commodore Coryton was sacked by Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris for refusing to send a small force of Lancasters from his group on a sneak raid to Berlin in poor weather conditions.

In February 1943 Coryton moved to the Air Staff at the Air Ministry and was appointed Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operations) in 1944.

On 25 August 1944 he became Commander, RAF Third Tactical Air Force.


 * 1944 4 December Commander, RAF in Bengal & Burma.
 * 1944 14 December – May 1945 Assistant Air Commander, Eastern Air Command.
 * 1945 27 February Air Marshal Commanding, HQ RAF Burma

Honours and awards

 * Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath - 2 January 1950 (CB - 1 January 1942)
 * Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire - 5 July 1945
 * Member of the Royal Victorian Order - 8 August 1919
 * Distinguished Flying Cross - 21 November 1922
 * Chevalier of the Legion of Honour (France) - 1917
 * Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States) - 15 March 1946