Christopher Foxley-Norris
Template:Short description Template:Redirect-distinguish Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Neil Foxley-Norris, Template:Postnominals (16 March 1917 – 28 September 2003) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force (RAF). A squadron commander during the Second World War, he later served as Commander-in-Chief RAF Germany in the late 1960s.
Early life
Christopher Neil Foxley-Norris was born on 16 March 1917, a younger son of Major John Percivall Foxley-Norris (1886–1924) and his wife, Dorothy Brabant Smith. His paternal grandfather was the clergyman William Foxley Norris, who served as Dean of Westminster.[1][2] He was educated at Winchester College and then Trinity College, Oxford, where he read law.[3] He joined the Oxford University Air Squadron in 1936.[3] Foxley-Norris was awarded a Harmsworth scholarship (worth £200) to read for the Bar.[3] The outbreak of war prevented him from taking his final exams. The Bar Council requested the money back, but Foxley-Norris made an arrangement with them that he would leave it to them in his will.[3]
Second World War
Foxley-Norris was commissioned in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve after graduating and was called up for active service in 1939.[3] He undertook initial flying training at No. 9 Flying Training School at RAF Hullavington and completed the training at No 1 School of Army Co-operation. His first posting on completion of training was to No. 13 Squadron RAF flying Lysanders in the Battle of France.[3]
Following the fall of France and the start of the Battle of Britain, the need for Army Co-operation pilots was greatly reduced while that for fighter pilots was increased. As such, Foxley-Norris was posted to No. 3 Squadron flying Hurricanes from RAF Turnhouse.[3]
He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his actions, published in the London Gazette on 29 May 1945:[4]
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Post-war RAF career
After the war, Foxley-Norris became station commander at RAF Stradishall and then at RAF West Malling.[3] He undertook the Senior Officers' War Course at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, and a course at the Imperial Defence College (now the Royal College of Defence Studies) in Belgrave Square in 1961.[3] He went on to be Director of Organisation at the Air Ministry in 1962, Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff in 1963 and Air Officer Commanding No. 224 Group in 1964.[3]
In 1967, Foxley-Norris was appointed Director-General of RAF Organisation at the newly unified Ministry of Defence.[3] He was promoted to air marshal and took command of RAF Germany and of the 2nd Tactical Air Force in 1968.[3] Foxley-Norris was knighted in the 1969 New Year Honours.[3] His final post, with the rank of air chief marshal, was Chief of Personnel and Logistics in 1971.[3] He retired from active service in 1974.[3]
Foxley-Norris was one of the umpires for the 1974 Sandhurst wargame on Operation Sea Lion.[5]
UK pro-smoking lobby organisation FOREST was launched on 19 June 1979,[6] with Foxley-Norris as its chairman. Foxley-Norris retired as the organisation's public figurehead in 1989, and was replaced by Lord Harris of High Cross.
Family
Foxley-Norris married Joan (née Lovell Hughes, now Lady Foxley-Norris) in 1948. They had no children. Joan served as a nurse during the war, and worked with injured pilots. Following his death, she took his place at many Battle of Britain events which were held and was also a regular visitor to RAF Benson.
His funeral took place at St Mary Devoted at Turville, near Stokenchurch, on 7 October 2003. Memorial services were held at Westminster Abbey on 29 January 2004[7] and at St. Clement Danes, the Central Church of the Royal Air Force, London in April 2004.
References
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- ↑ A. C. Fox-Davies. Armorial Families. 1929. pp. 1443–4
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Bibliography
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External links
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- Medal Bar of Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Neil Foxley-Norris GCB, DSO, OBE, FRSA at the Royal Air Force Museum.
- Pages with script errors
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- Royal Air Force air marshals
- 1917 births
- 2003 deaths
- British World War II fighter pilots
- Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford
- People educated at Winchester College
- Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
- Officers of the Order of the British Empire
- Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
- Royal Air Force pilots of World War II
- Military personnel from Birkenhead
- The Few
- Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II
- Graduates of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich
- Fellows of the Royal Society of Arts