Sir Ronald Lees
Born(1910-04-27)27 April 1910
Broken Hill, New South Wales
Died18 May 1991(1991-05-18) (aged 81)
Adelaide, South Australia
Allegiance
  • Australia
  • United Kingdom
Service/branch
Years of service1930–1966
RankAir Marshal
Commands held
Battles/warsSecond World War
Awards

Air Marshal Sir Ronald Beresford Lees, KCB, CBE, DFC & Bar (27 April 1910 – 18 May 1991) was a senior Royal Air Force commander.

Early life

Lees was born in Broken Hill, New South Wales, the son of John Thomas Lees and Eliza Jane Moyle.[1] He was educated at Prince Alfred's College and St Peter's College, Adelaide, and later read mathematics at the University of Adelaide.[2]

RAF career

In January 1930, Lees joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as a cadet at Point Cook, Victoria, and in January 1931 took up a short-service commission in the Royal Air Force (RAF).[2][3] He was made Officer Commanding No. 72 Squadron in 1938 and served in the Second World War, taking part in the Battle of Britain in 1940.[4] During the war he served as Station Commander at RAF Coltishall, as Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters No. 242 Group and then on the Sicily Invasion Force.[3]

After the war, Lees became Station Commander at RAF Bassingbourn.[3] He was appointed Air Officer Commanding No. 83 Group in 1952, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operations) in 1955 and Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters RAF Fighter Command in 1958.[3] He went on to be Deputy Chief of the Air Staff in 1960 and Commander-in-Chief of RAF Germany and Second Tactical Air Force in 1963 before retiring in 1966.[3]

References

  1. ^ New South Wales Certificate of Entry in Register of Births, 281913 (1910 / 549)
  2. ^ a b A Few of "The Few", Dennis Newton, Australian War Memorial, 1990, ISBN 0 642 14991 7
  3. ^ a b c d e Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Marshal Sir Ronald Lees
  4. ^ Our Few of the Few
Military offices Preceded bySir Charles Elworthy Deputy Chief of the Air Staff 1960–1963 Succeeded bySir Christopher Hartley Preceded bySir John Grandy Commander-in-Chief RAF GermanyAlso Commander of the Second Tactical Air Force 1963–1965 Succeeded bySir Denis Spotswood
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