Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation

Air Commodore J G Hearson

Air Commodore J G Hearson John Glanville

b: 5 Aug 1883

r: 1 Sep 1927

d: 9 Jan 1964

CB - 1 Jan 1919, CBE - 3 Jun 1924, DSO - 14 Jan 1916, MiD - 10 Jun 1924, SA3S - xx xxx 1917

For a list of foreign decoration abbreviations, click here

(Army): - 2 Lt: 31 Jul 1902, Lt: 22 Feb 1905, Capt: 31 Jul 1913, (T) Maj: 17 Dec 1915, (T) Lt Col: 6 May 1916, Maj: 1 Jun 1916, (B) Maj: 1 Jan 1917, Maj: 31 Jul 1917, (T) Brig-Gen: 28 Oct 1917.

(RAF): - (T) Brig-Gen [Lt Col]: 1 Apr 1918, Act Col: 22 May 1919, Wg Cdr: 1 Aug 1919, Gp Capt: 8 Aug 1919, A/Cdre: 30 Jun 1923.

Photos courtesy - Hugh Green (J G Hearson's Grandson)

xx xxx xxxx: Attended RMA Woolwich.

31 Jul 1902: Officer, Royal Engineers.

7 Oct 1905: Assistant Superintendent of Surveys, Officer, South Nigeria Boundary Commission.

12 Oct 1906: Member, Anglo/French (Niger/Chad) Boundary Commission

24 Oct 1908:

2 Mar 1910: Superintendent of Roads, Gold Coast Colony.

18 Nov 1912:

1914 Attended Central Flying School?

11 May 1915: Flight Commander, No 2 Sqn RFC?

2 Oct 1915: Returned to UK

22 Dec 1915: Officer Commanding, No 5 Sqn RFC. (BE2c – Western Front)

6 May 1916: Attached, 9th (HQ) Wing

21 Jun 1916: Officer Commanding, 15th (Corps) Wing, Reserve Army.

28 Oct 1917: Chief Staff Officer, HQ Training Division RFC.

1 Apr 1918: Director of Training.

22 May 1919: Colonel (Staff), Air Ministry

1 Aug 1919: Awarded Permanent Commission as a Lieutenant Colonel

1 Apr 1920: Commandant, RAF Depot.

xx xxx 1922: Member, British Delegation (Air Section), Paris. (British Aeronautical Advisor to the Council of Ambassadors)

1 Jun 1922: Supernumerary, RAF Depot.

28 Jul 1922: SESO, HQ Iraq Command.

22 Oct 1923: Chief Staff Officer, HQ Iraq Command.

15 Sep 1924: Supernumerary, HQ Coastal Area.

19 Jan 1925: Supernumerary - non effective (sick), RAF Depot.

1 Dec 1925: AOC, Special Reserve and Auxiliary Air Force.

18 Jul 1927: AOC, Air Defence Group

25 Aug 1927: AOC, No 1 Air Defence Group.

xx Mar 1936: Special Appointment to Directorate of Aeronautical Production.

1 May 1937: AOC, No 30 (Balloon Barrage) Group.

xx xxx 1939: ?

xx xxx xxxx: AOC, Balloon Command?

Educated at Marlborough School, he entered the RMA at Woolwich and was awarded RAeC Certificate No 1137 on 11 March 1915. He was a surveying/mapping specialist, being one of the first to produce maps from aerial photographs. From 1928 he was the Vice-President of the Port Elizabeth Light Aeroplane Club, South Africa.

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