Alexander Gray (RAF officer)

Template:Short description Template:About Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox military person Air Vice Marshal Alexander Gray, Template:Postnominals (8 September 1896 – 16 May 1980) was a senior Royal Air Force leader during the Second World War.

RAF career

Gray was commissioned into the 7th Battalion of the Princess Louise's (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) in 1915 having briefly served as a private soldier in the Highland Light Infantry in the early days of the First World War.<ref name=air>Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation Air Vice Marshal A Gray</ref> He was appointed Officer Commanding No. 55 Squadron in December 1917.<ref name=air/> He went on to command No. 12 Squadron from 1923 and No. 7 Squadron from 1934 before becoming Deputy Director of Training at the Air Ministry in 1936.<ref name=air/>

During the Second World War he was Station Commander at RAF Manston becoming a group captain at the headquarters of No. 9 Group in 1940.<ref name=air/> He continued his war service as Air Officer Commanding No. 223 (Composite) Group from 1942, Air Officer Commanding No. 224 Group from 1943 and Air Commander at Eastern Air Command from 1944.<ref name=air/> From February 1945 he was Director of Training at the Air Ministry.<ref name=air/> He was awarded the United States Distinguished Flying Cross for his service in the Second World War.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>

After the war he served as Air Officer Commanding AHQ Iraq before retiring in 1949.<ref name=air/>

References

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