Harold Lydford

Sir Harold Lydford
Born (1898-05-07)7 May 1898
Died 20 September 1979(1979-09-20) (aged 81)
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army (1916–18)
Royal Air Force (1918–56)
Years of service 1916–56
Rank Air Marshal
Commands held Home Command (1952–56)
No. 18 Group (1950–52)
RAF Regiment (1948–50)
British Forces Aden (1945–48)
No. 28 Group (1944–45)
Battles/wars First World War
Second World War
Awards Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Companion of the Order of the Bath
Air Force Cross
Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States)

Air Marshal Sir Harold Thomas Lydford, KBE, CB, AFC (7 May 1898 – 20 September 1979) was a First World War pilot in the Royal Flying Corps and senior commander in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and the post-war decade.

RAF career

Lydford was commissioned into the Special Reserve of the Royal Flying Corps in 1917.[1] He transferred to the Royal Air Force after the war and served as a pilot with No. 208 Squadron in Constantinople.[1] He served in the Second World War as Deputy Director of Organisation and Director of Organisation at the Air Ministry before being appointed Air Officer Commanding No. 28 Group in 1944 and Air Officer Commanding British Forces Aden in March 1945.[1]

After the War he served as Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment, Air Officer Commanding No. 18 Group and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Home Command before retiring in 1956.[1] In retirement he became a Director of Electro Mechanisms Limited[2] and Chairman of the Royal Air Forces Association.[3]

References

Military offices
Preceded by
John Quinnell
Air Officer Commanding No. 28 Group
1944–1945
Succeeded by
Andrew MacGregor
Preceded by
Frank McNamara
Air Officer Commanding British Forces Aden
1945–1948
Succeeded by
Alick Stevens
Preceded by
Alfred Robinson
Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment
1948–1950
Succeeded by
Stephen Strafford
Preceded by
David Carnegie
Air Officer Commanding No. 18 Group
1950–1952
Succeeded by
Robert Ragg
Preceded by
Sir Ronald Ivelaw-Chapman
Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Home Command
1952–1956
Succeeded by
Sir Douglas Macfadyen
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