Hugh Constantine

Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Alex Constantine KBE CB DSO (23 May 1908 – 16 April 1992) was a Royal Air Force officer who became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Flying Training Command.

RAF career
Educated at Christ's Hospital, Constantine joined the Royal Air force as a cadet in 1926. He served in World War II initially as Officer Commanding No. 214 Squadron and then as Station Commander at RAF Elsham Wolds. He continued his war service as Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters No. 1 Group in 1942, as Deputy Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters RAF Bomber Command in 1943 and as Air Officer Commanding No. 5 Group in 1945. In this capacity he worked closely with Barnes Wallis and used Grand Slam bombs and Tallboy bombs against key industrial targets in Germany.

After the War he became Chief Intelligence Officer with the Control Commission in Germany and was then appointed Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters No. 205 Group. He went on to be Director of Intelligence (Operations) at the Air Ministry in 1951, Air Officer Administration at Headquarters RAF Fighter Command in 1952 and Air Officer Commanding No. 25 (Training) Group in 1954. His final posts were as Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans & Policy at Headquarters SHAPE in 1956, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Flying Training Command in 1959 and Commandant of the Imperial Defence College in 1961 before retiring in 1964.

In retirement he was made an honorary Doctor of Laws at the University of Warwick.

Family
In 1937 he became married to Helen; they had one daughter.

Honours and awards

 * Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire - 1 Jan 1958 (CBE - 8 Jun 1944)
 * Companion of the Order of the Bath - 1 Jan 1946
 * Distinguished Service Order - 22 Sep 1942
 * Mentioned in Despatches - 23 Jul 1937, 24 Sep 1941, 11 Jun 1942, 1 Jan 1945, 194?
 * Polonia Restituta, 3rd Class (Poland) - 12 Jun 1945
 * Doctor of Laws (Hon) (Warwick) - 1978.