Norman Bottomley
Air Chief Marshal Sir Norman Howard Bottomley, KCB, CIE, DSO, AFC (18 September 1891 – 13 August 1970) was the Yorkshire-born successor to Arthur 'Bomber' Harris as Commander-in-Chief of RAF Bomber Command in 1945.
Sir Norman Bottomley | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 September 1891 Ripponden, West Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 13 August 1970 (aged 78) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ | British Army (1914–18) Royal Air Force (1918–48) |
| Years of service | 1914–48 |
| Rank | Air Chief Marshal |
| Commands held | Inspector-General of the RAF (1947) Bomber Command (1945–47) No. 5 Group (1940–41) No. 1 (Indian) Group (1934–38) No. 4 Squadron (1928–30) |
| Battles/wars | First World War Waziristan campaign Second World War |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire[1] Distinguished Service Order[2] Air Force Cross[3] Mentioned in Despatches (5) Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States) |
| Other work | Director of Administration at the BBC (1948–56) |
RAF career
Born in Ripponden, West Riding of Yorkshire, Bottomley was educated at Halifax School and the University of Rennes in Brittany before being commissioned into the East Yorkshire Regiment in 1914 during the First World War.[4] He served with his Regiment until transferring to the Royal Flying Corps in 1915 and becoming a pilot with No. 47 Squadron.[4]
Between the wars, Bottomley's appointments included service in the Middle East and the command of No. 4 (AC) Squadron RAF from 1928 and No. 1 (Indian) Group from 1934.[4] Bottomley was Senior Air Staff Officer at Bomber Command headquarters between 1938 and 1940, continuing in that role at the start of the Second World War, and was then appointed Air Officer Commanding No. 5 Group in November 1940.[4] He was moved to Deputy Chief of the Air Staff in 1941 and then Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operations) in 1942 before reverting to Deputy Chief of the Air Staff in 1943.[4] On 15 September 1945, he followed Sir Arthur 'Bomber' Harris as Commander-in-Chief Bomber Command, retaining command until 16 January 1947.[4]
Bottomley became Inspector-General of the RAF in 1947 and retired on 1 January 1948.[4]
From 1948 until 1956, he held the post of director of administration at the BBC, acting as director general when Sir Ian Jacob was away.[5]
References
- "No. 34396". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 May 1937. p. 3083.
- "No. 34465". The London Gazette. 21 December 1937. p. 8001.
- "No. 30989". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 November 1918. p. 12957.
- "Air Chief Marshal Sir Norman Bottomley". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
- Low Conspiracy? – Government interference in the BBC1
External links
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Wikiquote has quotations related to: Norman Bottomley |
- 1940 Photographs of Bottomley held by the National Portrait Gallery, London
- Letter from Bufton to Bottomley re Dambusters Raid
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Arthur Harris |
Air Officer Commanding No. 5 Group 1940–1941 |
Succeeded by John Slessor |
| Preceded by Arthur Harris |
Deputy Chief of the Air Staff From 3 May 1942 to 30 July 1943 the post was titled Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operations) 1941–1945 |
Succeeded by Sir Albert Durston |
| Preceded by Sir Arthur Harris |
Commander-in-Chief Bomber Command 1945–1947 |
Succeeded by Sir Hugh Saunders |
| Preceded by Sir Arthur Barratt |
Inspector-General of the RAF 1947 |
Succeeded by Sir George Pirie |