Brian Stanbridge

Air Vice-Marshal Sir Brian (Gerald Tivy) Stanbridge, KCVO CBE AFC, a senior Royal Air Force officer. He was born 6 July 1924. Joining the RAF at 18, he underwent flying training with the RAFVR.He was appointed a Pilot Officer 14 January 1944, and promoted to Flying Officer 14 July 1944, when he was a pilot in No 31 Squadron. No 31 Squadron, equipped with Dakotas, was in the Far East. He was involved in army support and supply-dropping missions in the Burma theatre.

With the disbandment of No 31, he transferred to No 47 Squadron in the United Kingdom. Initially flying Halifax A9, the squadron became the first unit to fly the Handley Page Hastings in October 1948. He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant 14 July 1947.

On 1 June 1948 he was appointed to a Permanent Commission in the rank of Flight Lieutenant, and in 1950 attended the Central Flying School. Afterwards he joined No 2 Flying Training School as a flying instructor (QFI). He later moved to the Central Flying School.

In 1952 Stanbridge was a member of the British Joint Services Mission to Burma, and in 1954 he became a pilot in The Queen’s Flight, being promoted to Squadron Leader on 1 July 1954. Whilst with The Queen’s Flight, he was the personal pilot and flying instructor to Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.He attended the Royal Naval Staff College in 1958 and on 4 August 1958 became Personal Staff Officer to the Air Officer Commanding in Chief, Coastal Command.

On 1 July 1959 he was promoted to Wing Commander and on 24 April 1960 was appointed Wing Commander - Flying, RAF St Mawgan.

He attended the Joint Services Staff College from January 1962, and on 21 December 1962 joined the RAF Directing Staff, Army Staff College, Camberley. He was promoted to Group Captain on 1 July 1963.

In 1966 he was RAF Director, Joint Anti-Submarine School/Officer Commanding, RAF Aldergrove/Senior RAF Officer, Northern Ireland. On 28 August 1966 he joined the staff of the NATO Standing Group, Washington.On 18 March 1968 he was made Group Captain - Operations, HQ Coastal Command.

Next year, on 28 November 1969, he became Air Commodore - Operations/Training, HQ No 18 Group, and was promoted to Acting Air Commodore. In January 1970 he attended the Imperial Defence College, and was promoted to substantive Air Commodore 1 January 1970.Later, he became Secretary, Chiefs of Staff Committee (10 April 1971), and then Assistant Commandant, RAF Staff College (12 December 1973). From 5 November 1973 to 27 March 1975 he held the honorary appointment of ADC to The Queen.On 17 April 1975 he was appointed Defence Services Secretary to HM The Queen, having been promoted to Acting Air Vice Marshal on 27 March 1975. He became a substantive Air Vice Marshal on 1 January 1976. He retired 6 July 1979.From 1979 to 1985 he was Director-General of the Air Transport User's Committee. He died 12 February 2003.
KCVO - 1979 (MVO - 1 Jan 1959), CBE – 1 Jan 1974, AFC – 5 Jun 1952, KCVSA - 14 Jun 1943

Reference

* [http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Stanbridge.htm Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - Air Vice-Marshal Sir Brian Stanbridge]