David Harcourt-Smith

Sir David Harcourt-Smith
Born	14 October 1931
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1952–1989
Rank	Air Chief Marshal
Commands held	No. 54 Squadron No. 6 Squadron RAF Bruggen RAF College Cranwell RAF Support Command
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Flying Cross

Air Chief Marshal Sir David Harcourt-Smith GBE KCB DFC (born 14 October 1931) is a former Royal Air Force officer who became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at RAF Support Command.

RAF career

Educated at Felsted School and RAF College Cranwell, Harcourt-Smith was commissioned into the Royal Air Force in 1952.^[1] He served in Aden where he won the DFC for gallentry and devotion to duty in 1957.^[2]

He was appointed Officer Commanding No. 54 Squadron in 1963 and Officer Commanding No. 6 Squadron in 1969 before moving on to be Station Commander at RAF Bruggen in 1972 and Commandant of the RAF College Cranwell in 1978.^[1] He went on to be Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operational Requirements) in 1980, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at RAF Support Command in 1984 and Controller of Aircraft in 1986.^[1] As Controller of Aircraft he oversaw the introduction of the Tucano training aircraft.^[3] He retired in 1989.^[1]

Family

In 1957 he married Dorothy Mary Entwistle; they had two sons and one daughter.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} Debrett's People of Today 1994
2. ^ London Gazette: no. 41243. p. 7047. 29 November 1957. Retrieved 2011-01-03.
3. ^ MoD admits Tucano delay Flight International, 1 February 1985

Military offices
Preceded by Sir Michael Beavis	Commander-in-Chief Support Command 1984–1986	Succeeded by Sir John Sutton

Persondata
Name	Harcourt-Smith, David
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	14 October 1931
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death