Marshal of the RAF Sir John Slessor

[Warmtoast]

Marshal of the RAF Sir John Slessor

I was intrigued by a letter in The Times last week referring to Lt John Slessor as being wounded in the Sudan during WWI. Firstly because I didn’t know we were occupied in fighting in Sudan at the time and secondly because this young RFC Lieutenant was to become one of the most influential leaders in WW2 eventually reaching the rank of Marshal of the R.A.F. and from 1950-1952 he was Chief of Air Staff.
As CAS Marshal of the RAF Sir John Slessor, made a farewell visit to RAF Thornhill in late 1952. Sir John retired from the RAF on 31st December 1952.


Anyway here’s what the letter said:
The wounding of Lt John Slessor (The First World War, August 6th) was not his first aerial mishap In October the previous year he was the first British pilot to engage an attacking Zeppelin over London, albeit unsuccessfully. At the end of this anti-Zeppelin night patrol he pranged his BE2c landing in fog at Sutton Farm airfield.
His misdemeanour did nothing to harm his military career. He was knighted in 1943 and in 1950 appointed Marshal of the R.A.F., the service’s commander-in-chief.
Julian Evans, Chesham, Bucks.

Unfortunately I’d missed the original piece in The Times dated 6th August about his WW1 service in the Sudan, but with a little research managed to find the original press cutting detailing his activity whilst there - see below.


http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Thornhill/John%20Slessor/Image1_zps2afzmkgu.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Thornhill/John%20Slessor/Image2_zpsig8b68bz.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Thornhill/John%20Slessor/Image3_zpsdk41ivli.jpg



…and the reason for my interest? Whilst serving at R.A.F. Thornhill (5 FTS), S. Rhodesia I actually managed to photograph the great man when he made a visit to the Rhodesian Air Training Group including Thornhill in April 1952. There are two photos attached the first photo was published in BUKA RAF Thornhill’s station magazine. Among others in this photo is the AOC the RATG, Air Commodore Guy ‘Smokey’ Bearne with his hands on his hips.


http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Thornhill/John%20Slessor/Slessor%20-%20Arrival%2013th%20April%201952%20Cropped_zpslr8lsez4.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/RAF%20Thornhill/John%20Slessor/Marshal%20of%20the%20RAF%20Sir%20John%20Slessor_zpsaqcqdheu. jpg

The second is the photo I took of Sir John Slessor being greeted by the Thornhill’s Commanding Officer (Group Captain Waring) and his wife. On the left is Sir John’s son John an instructor at 5 FTS. John junior eventually went on to command 83 Sqn flying Vulcan’s. John jnr eventually rose to the rank of Group Captain and died a couple of years ago.
Sir John Chief of Air Staff from 1950-1952, Marshal of the RAF Sir John Slessor, made a farewell visit to RAF Thornhill in late 1952. Sir John Slessor retired from the RAF on 31 December 1952

Sutton’s Farm mentioned above became R.A.F. Hornchurch

[seven g]

For the full story from Slessor himself try and get a copy of his autobiography, 'The Central Blue' published c 1957. It's a good read. I got an old copy last year from the South American internet book shop. In his day you had to ride horses at Staff College.

[Tankertrashnav]

I knew about operations in The Sudan because about 25 years ago when I was running a shop selling militaria I met an old chap who told me that he had served there in the 1st World War as an officer with a Sudanese Camel Corps unit. He won the Military Cross there for some action or another, making him one of the few officers ever to have won the MC on a camel, I'm guessing! At the time I happened to know another gentleman who had also won the MC (more conventionally in France) and both of them agreed to bring their medals in for me to photograph. Sad to think that all these people are now long gone.

By the way, seven g - that company whose name you have forgotten is called Amazon ;)

[Phil_R]

What astonishes me about that is the sheer amount of detail in that newspaper article. Don't suspect that the average RAF press officer is likely to give the journalists nearly as much these days. Names of aircrew? Dates, times and places? Weapons employed? Unheard of, surely.

[chopper2004]

His son J.A.G. Slessor ended up following in the fathers footsteps and joining the RAF.

I believe he was the third RAF exchange officer to the US Air Force academy in the early 60s and was instrumental in introducing air experience flights for the cadet during 3 out of their four years at Colorado Springs.

cheers

[Basil]

Though the natives were not astonished to see machines in the air, they were surprised beyond expression when men alighted from them.
How communication has changed, and in the second half of my lifetime. What happens in Timbuktu is known in Fiji in seconds.

Thank you for the OP, warmtoast.

[teeteringhead]

His son J.A.G. Slessor ended up following in the fathers footsteps and joining the RAF. ..and commanded the "Secret Hampshire Helicopter Base" in the early 70s.

Whilst he was Staish, the awful white on blue name badges came in. We were all told that a MAXIMUM of 2 initials would be allowed - a particular grump for a certain CJET C***b.

But of course John Arthur Guinness Slessor (Sir John married the beer heiress IIRC) got all of his ........ quelle surprise ............

[handysnaks]

His son J.A.G. Slessor ended up following in the fathers footsteps and joining the RAF.

..and his son went into the RGJ if I remember correctly and then became a pilot in the AAC!!

[manxexile]

His son was Station Commander of RAF Odiham in the early 70s.

[MPN11]

IIRC he was also known as "The Lesser Slessor" :ooh:

I had the interesting experience of interacting [whilst NOT under his command] with the "Lesser Elworthy" when he was Staish at Leuchars. I was part of the visiting DISTAFF from 11 Gp for an Exercise, and advised him that driving around in his 'shiny black' with pennant flying in 'wartime' would ensure 'Exercise Snipers' would kill him the next time I saw him. 'Sir' was last seen in a shaggy SWB Landrover doing his rounds.

Curiously, LEU kept demanding I came back as DISTAFF for their regular ScotADEXs ... which disrupted my tranquil office life at Bentley Priory. Happy days! :)