Benjamin Ball (RAF officer)

Air Vice Marshal Sir Benjamin Ball, KBE, CB (6 September 1912 – 24 January 1977) was a Royal Air Force officer who served as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Signals Command from 1966 until its disbandment in 1969.

For the English-French physician, see Benjamin Ball (physician).

Sir Benjamin Ball
Born(1912-09-06)6 September 1912
Died24 January 1977(1977-01-24) (aged 64)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchRoyal Air Force
Years of service1934–69
RankAir Vice Marshal
Commands heldSignals Command (1966–69)
RAF Debden (1951–53)
Battles/warsSecond World War
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Companion of the Order of the Bath
Mentioned in Despatches

RAF career

Ball joined the Royal Air Force as a cadet in 1934.[1] He served in the Second World War as a signals officer at RAF Bircham Newton and then at Headquarters RAF Reserve Command, as Chief Signals Officer in the Training Commands of the Royal Canadian Air Force and as Group Captain, Operations with No. 26 Group.[1] After the War he became Chief Signals Officer at Headquarters Bomber Command and then became Director of Signals in the British Joint Services Mission to Washington D. C.[1] He went on to be Station Commander at RAF Debden in 1951, Deputy Director of Operational Requirements at the Air Ministry in 1953 and Chief Signals Officer at Headquarters Bomber Command in 1957.[1] His last appointments were as Deputy Chief Signals Officer at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in 1960, as Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters Technical Training Command in 1963 and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Signals Command in 1966 before retiring in 1969.[1]

He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the New Year Honours List in 1969.[2]

gollark: Also the fact that most stuff, even if it uses DC internally (most things probably do), runs off mains AC and has some sort of built-in/shipped-with-it power supply, and there aren't really common standards for high-powered lower-voltage DC connectors around. Except USB-C, I guess? That goes to 100W.
gollark: I guess it depends on exactly what you do, and the resistance of the wires.
gollark: Which is as far as I know more an issue of low voltages than DC itself, but DC means you can't change the voltage very easily.
gollark: There is the problem that low-voltage DC loses power more quickly over longer distances.
gollark: Yes, you're right, let's just replace our lightbulbs with idealized magic visible light emitters.

References
  1. Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Vice-Marshal Sir Benjamin Ball
  2. "No. 44740". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1969. p. 7.
Military offices
Preceded by
Sir Thomas Shirley		 Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Signals Command
1966–1969		 Post disbanded
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