John Davis (RAF officer)

Air Chief Marshal Sir John Gilbert Davis GCB OBE (24 March 1911 – 3 February 1989) was a Royal Air Force officer who became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at RAF Training Command.

RAF career
Davis joined the Royal Air Force in 1933. He became a pilot and then attended specialist training in navigation before being appointed a Navigation Staff Officer at Headquarters RAF Training Command in 1939. He served in World War II initially on secondment to the Turkish Air Force and then as Officer Commanding No. 269 Squadron.

After the War he attended RAF Staff College and then joined the directing staff there. He was appointed Group Captain, Air Plans at Headquarters Middle East Air Force in 1951, Station Commander at RAF Topcliffe in 1953 and Director of Plans at the Air Ministry in 1955. He went on to be Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters RAF Bomber Command in 1958, Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group in 1959 and Air Officer Commanding RAF Malta in 1961. His last appointments were as Air Member for Supply and Organisation in 1963, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at RAF Flying Training Command in 1966 and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at RAF Training Command in 1968 before retiring in 1969.

In retirement he became Lieutenant Governor of Jersey.

Honours and awards

 * Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath – 1 January 1968 (KCB - 1 Jan 1964; CB – 1 Jun 1953)
 * Officer of the Order of the British Empire - 1 January 1945
 * Knight of the Order of St John - 20 Jun 1969
 * Air Aide-de-Camp to The Queen (5 June 1967 – 21 June 1969)
 * Mentioned in Despatches - 1 Jan 1943
 * Master of Arts (Queen's College, Cambridge) - 1937