Dermot Boyle

Sir Dermot Boyle
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Dermot Boyle Crown Copyright
Born	2 October 1904
Died	5 May 1993 (age 88)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1922–1959
Rank	Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Commands held	Chief of the Air Staff Fighter Command No.1 (Bomber) Group No.11 Group RAF Stradishall
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Air Force Cross Mention in Despatches (3)

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Dermot Alexander Boyle GCB, KCVO, KBE, AFC, RAF (2 October 1904–5 May 1993) was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force.

RAF career

Brought up in Abbeyleix in County Laois in Ireland and educated at Saint Columba's College, Dublin,^[1] Boyle joined the Royal Air Force in 1922 as a flight cadet at the RAF College Cranwell.^[2]

Notably, he was appointed Officer Commanding No. 83 Squadron in January 1937 and again in November 1940 before becoming Assistant Secretary of the Committee of Imperial Defence in February 1941.^[3] He went on to be Officer Commanding RAF Stradishall in January 1942 and Senior Air Staff Officer at No. 83 Group in May 1943.^[3] He was then appointed Air Officer Commanding No. 85 (Base) Group in April 1945 and Air Officer Commanding No. 11 Group in July 1945.^[3]

After the War he became Commandant of the RAF Staff College, Bracknell in 1947, Director General of Manning at the Air Ministry in 1949, Air Officer Commanding No.1 (Bomber) Group in 1951, and Commander-in-Chief RAF Fighter Command in 1953.^[3] He served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1 January 1956^[4] to 1959. Boyle was the first graduate of the RAF College Cranwell to be appointed to RAF's most senior post, Chief of the Air Staff.^[2]

Later career

In retirement he became Vice-Chairman of the British Aircraft Corporation.^[5]

Family

He married Una Carey in 1931 and is survived by two sons and a daughter.^[1]

Honours and decorations

• Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath - 1 Jan 1957 (CB - 1 Jan 1946)
• Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order - 16 Jul 1953
• Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire - 1 Jan 1953 (CBE - 1 Jan 1945)
• Air Force Cross - 8 Jun 1939
• Mentioned in Despatches - 1 Jan 1941, 24 Sep 1941, 2 Jun 1943
• Commander of the Order of the Crown with Palm (Belgium) - 11 Jul 1947
• Croix de Guerre 1940 with Palms (Belgium) - 11 Jul 1947.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Sir Dermot Boyle at Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
2. ^ ^{a b} Probert, p. 51
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Dermot Boyle
4. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 40666. p. 7307. 27 December 1955. Retrieved 2010-04-15.
5. ^ Probert, p. 55

• Probert, H. (1991). High Commanders of the Royal Air Force. HMSO. ISBN 0-11-772635-4

Military offices
Preceded by J B Cole-Hamilton	Air Officer Commanding No. 11 Group 1945 – 1946	Succeeded by S D Macdonald
Preceded by G H Mills	Air Officer Commanding No. 1 (Bomber) Group 1951 – 1953	Succeeded by J R Whitley
Preceded by Sir Basil Embry	Commander-in-Chief Fighter Command 1953 – 1956	Succeeded by Sir Hubert Patch
Preceded by Sir William Dickson	Chief of the Air Staff 1956 – 1959	Succeeded by Sir Thomas Pike

Persondata
Name	Boyle, Dermot
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1904
Place of birth
Date of death	1993
Place of death