Gareth Clayton (RAF officer)

Sir Gareth Clayton
Born	13 November 1914
Died	5 February 1992 (aged 77)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1936–1972
Rank	Air Chief Marshal
Commands held	Air Secretary (1970–72) No. 11 Group (1962–63) RAF Honington (1955–56) RAF Cottesmore (1954–55) No. 576 Squadron (1943–44)
Battles/wars	Second World War
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar Mentioned in Despatches Order of the Cloud and Banner (China)

Air Chief Marshal Sir Gareth Thomas Butler Clayton KCB, DFC & Bar (13 November 1914 – 5 February 1992) was a senior Royal Air Force officer who served as Air Secretary from 1970 to 1972.

RAF career

Clayton joined the Royal Air Force in 1936.^[1] He served in World War II as a Flight Commander with No. 25 Squadron and then with No. 100 Squadron before being appointed Officer Commanding No. 576 Squadron in 1943 and then Deputy Station Commander at RAF Faldingworth in 1944.^[1] He then served on the Air Staff at No. 1 Group and as a Staff Officer on the Future Operational Plans Staff at the Air Ministry.^[1]

After the War he became Air Attaché in Lisbon and then Station Commander first at RAF Cottesmore and then at RAF Honington.^[1] He was appointed Director of Operations – Air Transport & Overseas Theatres in 1959, Air Officer Commanding No. 11 Group in 1962 and Chief of Staff for the Second Tactical Air Force in 1963.^[1] He went on to be Director-General of RAF Personnel Services in 1966, Chief of Staff at Headquarters RAF Strike Command in 1969^[2] and Air Secretary in 1970 before retiring in 1972.^[1]

Further reading

• Clayton, Sir Gareth (1992). And Then There Was One!. Gareth Clayton. ASIN B0032Q68GY.

References

1. Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Marshal Sir Gareth Clayton
2. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 45051. p. 2556. 3 March 1970. Retrieved 2011-03-26.