Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation

Air Commodore F R D Swain

(Francis) Ronald Downs            b: 31 Aug 1903                r: 14 Jul 1954            d: 28 Sep 1989

CB - 1 Jan 1954, CBE - 1 Jan 1946 (OBE - 17 Mar 1941), AFC - 1 Feb 1937, MiD - 1 Jan 1941.

Plt Off (P): 21 Aug 1922, Plt Off: 21 Feb 1923, Fg Off: 21 Feb 1924, Flt Lt: 1 Jul 1928, Sqn Ldr: 1 Jun 1936, Wg Cdr: 1 Apr 1939, (T) Gp Capt: 1 Sep 1941, Act A/Cdre: 17 May 1944, Gp Capt (WS): 17 Nov 1944, Act A/Cdre: 1 Mar 1946?, Gp Capt: 1 Oct 1946, A/Cdre: 1 Jan 1949.

xx xxx xxxx:           Officer, 55th Wessex Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (Territorial Force)

21 Aug 1922:           Initial Officer Training, RAF Depot? 

 2 Sep 1922:            U/T Pilot, No 5 FTS.

20 Aug 1923:           Supernumerary, RAF Depot.

22 Oct 1923:           Pilot, No 2 Sqn.

 9 Jun 1924:             Pilot, No 11 Sqn.

 1 Mar 1926:            QFI, No 2 FTS.

11 Aug 1927:           Staff, Home Aircraft Depot

 1 Mar 1929:            Flight Commander, No 23 Sqn.

13 Nov 1929:           Flight Commander, No 6 Sqn.

28 Mar - 20 Jun 1933:        Leader, Cairo-Rhodesian Flight (No 6 Sqn)

12 Sep 1933:            Adjutant, No 208 Sqn (Atlas - Heliopolis)

30 Dec 1934:            Posted to Home Establishment

15 Feb 1935:            Pilot, Experimental Section, RAE.

xx xxx 1936:              Officer Commanding, Advanced Training Squadron, RAF College Cranwell

 8 Apr 1937:             Officer Commanding, No 1 Sqn. (Fury I/Hurricane I)

24 Jan 1938:             Attended RAF Staff College.

31 Dec 1938:            Air Staff, HQ No 6 (Auxiliary) Group.

xx xxx xxxx:              SASO, HQ No 6 (Bomber) Group

xx xxx xxxx:              Officer Commanding, RAF Bottesford

 6 May 1943:            Officer Commanding, No 19 OTU/RAF Kinloss

11 Oct 1943:            SOA, HQ No 8 (PFF) Group.

17 May 1944:           Base Commander, No 13 Base

15 Dec 1945:           Staff Officer/Supernumerary, HQ Bomber Command

 1 Mar 1946:            AOA, No 219 Group.

xx xxx xxxx:              AOC, No 205 Group

21 Feb 1949:            AOC, No 28 Group.

16 Aug 1950:            SASO/Deputy Head of Air Force Staff, British Joint Services Mission, Washington.

During 1933 he commanded the Cairo-Rhodesia Flight and in 1936 he was involved in high altitude experiments conducted at RAE and on 28 September 1936 he set a new World Altitude Record of 49,967ft in Bristol 138A, K4879.

This page was last updated on 11/05/21

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