Sir Harry Burton
by Walter Bird
bromide print, 5 October 1967
NPG x166273
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Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
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Harry b:
2 May 1919
r: 2 May 1973
d: 30 Nov 1993
KCB
– 12 Jun 1971 (CB – 1 Jan 1970), CBE - 1
Jan 1963 (MBE – 1 Jan 1945), DSO – 29 Jul 1941, MiD
- 1 Jan 1942.
Act
Plt Off (P):
9 Aug 1937, Plt Off: 24 May 1938, Fg
Off: 24 Dec 1939, Flt Lt: 24 Dec
1940, (T) Sqn Ldr: 1 Mar 1942, Act
Wg Cdr: 28 Feb 1943, Sqn Ldr (WS):
28 Aug 1943, Sqn Ldr: 1 Aug 1947, Wg
Cdr: 1 Jul 1952, Gp Capt: 1 Jul
1958, Act A/Cdre: 10 Jun 1963, A/Cdre:
1 Jul 1963, Act
AVM: 1 Nov 1965,
AVM: 1 Jan 1966,
Act AM: 1 Oct 1970, AM: 1 Jan
1971.
Sir Harry Burton
by Walter Bird
bromide print, 5 October 1967
NPG x166273
9
Aug 1937:
Granted a Short Service Commission.
xx xxx 1937: U/T Pilot, No ? FTS
26 Mar 1938: Attended School of Air Navigation
11
Jun 1938:
Pilot, No 215 Sqn.
14 - 28 Jan 1940: Attended Blind Approach Course, RAF Boscombe Down
xx
xxx xxxx:
Pilot, No 149 Sqn
6
Sep 1940:
Prisoner of War.
12 Jul 1941:
Transferred to the Reserve and called up for Air Force Service
22 Oct 1941: Air Staff, HQ No 44 (Ferry) Group.
28
May 1943:
Air Staff, HQ Transport Command
xx
Jan 1945:
Officer Commanding, No 242 Sqn.
xx
Feb 1945:
Officer Commanding, No 238 Sqn.
23 Apr 1946: Air Staff, HQ Transport Command
10
Dec 1946:
Appointed to Permanent Commission in the rank of Flight Lieutenant
(retaining rank current at the time)
11
Dec 1950:
Seconded to Indian Air Force.
28
Jul 1958:
Group Captain - Organisation, HQ Bomber Command.
xx
xxx 1960:
Officer Commanding, RAF Scampton.
10
Jun 1963:
SASO, HQ No 3 Group.
1
Nov 1965:
Air Executive to Deputy for Nuclear Affairs, SHAPE.
15
Dec 1967:
AOC, No 23 (Training) Group.
6 Feb 1970: ?
1
Oct 1970:
AOC in C, Air Support Command.
1 Sep 1972: AOC, No 46 Group
Sir Harry Burton joined the RAF on a short service
commission in 1937 and following his pilot training, he was posted to No 215
Squadron based at Driffield, although shortly after he joined them, the squadron
moved to Honington. With 215 he
initially flew Harrows, but in July 1939 the squadron began re-equipping with
Wellingtons. By September 1940 he had
transferred to No 149 Squadron in on the night of the 5-6 he was flying
Wellington R3163 on a 'razzling' operation over the Black Forest when his
aircraft was shot down with he and his crew being captured.
Harry Burton had no intention, however, of spending the rest of the war
in 'the cage' and in 1941 managed to escape and make his way back to Britain,
becoming the first man to escape from Germany and return to Britain in WW2.
No 238 Sqn was based at Adelaide in Australia and was
one of three Dakota squadrons tasked with meeting the air transport requirements
of the whole Far Eastern area being part of No 300 Group, Transport Command.
As AOC in C, Air Support Command, he was responsible
for battlefield support of the Army which included both logistic support with
fleets of strategic and tactical transports, including helicopters, and tactical
offensive support with Harriers. The absorption of these
asset into Strike Command saw the disbandment of his command, however, pending
the appointment of an AOC to control the strategic transport fleet, which had
been designated No 46 Group, Sir Harry oversaw the transition until the New
Year.
In 1995, his wife renamed the North Wing of the RAF
Benevolent Fund's Princess Marina House in Sussex, the Burton Wing in Sir
Harry's honour. Sir Harry had been
Chairman of the home's Management Committee
for 17 years from 1979.
This page was last updated on 27/11/23
C B E Burt-Andrews
