John Gingell

Air Chief Marshal
Sir John Gingell
GBE KCB KCVO
Air Chief Marshal Sir John Gingell GBE KCB KCVO
Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod
	In office; 14 January 1985 – January 1992
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Preceded by	Sir David House
Succeeded by	Sir Richard Thomas
Personal details
Born	3 February 1925
Died	10 December 2009 (aged 84)
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire; Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath; Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
Military service
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch/service	Royal Air Force (1943–45, 1951–84); Royal Navy (1945–51)
Years of service	1943–84
Rank	Air Chief Marshal
Commands	Support Command (1980–81); Air Member for Personnel (1978–80); No. 23 Group (1974–75); No. 27 Squadron (1963–65)
Battles/wars	Second World War

Air Chief Marshal Sir John Gingell, GBE, KCB, KCVO (3 February 1925 – 10 December 2009)^[1] was a senior Royal Air Force commander and Gentleman usher of the Black Rod.

Military career

The son of Ernest (1895–1981) and Hilda (née Attwood; 1894–1957) Gingell, he was educated at St Boniface's Catholic College, Plymouth. He was commissioned into the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in April 1945.^[2] A few months later he transferred into the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, serving in the Fleet Air Arm. In 1951 he returned to the Royal Air Force was posted to flying duties on No. 58 Squadron.^[2]

In 1963 he was appointed Officer Commanding No. 27 Squadron flying Vulcan B2s equipped with Blue Steel missiles and in 1966 he became deputy director of the Defence Operations Staff at the Ministry of Defence.^[2] He went on to be Military Assistant to Chairman of the Military Committee at NATO Headquarters in 1968, Air Officer Administration at Headquarters RAF Germany in 1970 and Air Officer Commanding No. 23 Group in 1973.^[2] After that he became Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Policy) in 1975, Air Member for Personnel in 1978 and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Support Command in 1980.^[2] His last appointment was as Deputy Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Central Europe in 1981 before he retired in 1984.^[2]

In 1949 he married Prudence Johnson; the couple had two sons and a daughter, John, Nicholas and Alexandra.^[4]^[5]

^ "John Gingell". The Times. 16 December 2009. Retrieved 25 December 2009.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Air Chief Marshal Sir John Gingell profile, rafweb.org; accessed 5 June 2014.
^ "Lords Sitting of 13 January 1992: Tributes to Sir John Gingell". Hansard. 534 cc1-4. London: UK Parliament. 13 January 1992.
^ "Air Chief Marshal Sir John Gingell obituary". The Telegraph. 23 December 2009. Retrieved 25 December 2009.
^ Gingell family tree, gingell.com; accessed 5 June 2014.

Military offices
Preceded by Harold Bird-Wilson	Air Officer Commanding No. 23 Group 1973–1975	Succeeded by Group disbanded
Preceded by Sir John Aiken	Air Member for Personnel 1978–1980	Succeeded by Sir Charles Ness
Preceded by Sir Keith Williamson	Commander-in-Chief Support Command 1980–1981	Succeeded by Sir Michael Beavis
Preceded by Sir Peter Terry	Deputy Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Central Europe 1981–1984	Succeeded by Sir Michael Beavis
Government offices
Preceded by Sir David House	Black Rod 1985–1992	Succeeded by Sir Richard Thomas