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John Day

Name : John Day

Air Chief Marshal Sir John Day was educated at the Kings School, Canterbury and Imperial College, University of London where he read aeronautical engineering. His first tour was on No 72 Squadron at RAF Odiham flying Wessex helicopters and then, following the CFS course, he instructed on jet Provosts at RAF Linton-on-Ouse. On promotion to Squadron Leader in 1976, he was appointed to command Oxford University Air Squadron, after which he returned to the Support Helicopter Force as a flight commander on No 18 Squadron at RAF Gutersloh. Attendance at the RAF Staff College, Bracknell in 1981 was followed by a tour as the Personal Staff Officer to the Air Member for Personnel, and in 1983 he assumed command of No 72 Squadron at RAF Aldergrove, again flying Wessex. He then spent a year at the RAF Personnel Management Centre at Barnwood where he was responsible for managing the careers of General Duties wing commanders. This was followed by a tour as Group Captain Support Helicopters/Air at Headquarters No 1 Group, RAF Upavon where he was involved in developing joint operations and the joint Forces Headquarters concept. He then commanded RAF Odiham, operating Puma and Chinook helicopters. He attended the 1990 Course at the Royal College of Defence Studies before being promoted to Air Commodore and being appointed as the Director of Air Force Plans and Programmes in the Ministry of Defence. Following promotion to Air-Vice Marshal in 1994, he was appointed as the Air Officer Commanding No 1 Group, responsible for all the Royal Air Forces Strike Attack, Offensive Support, Reconnaissance & Support Helicopter forces. In May 1997, he was promoted to Air Marshal and appointed Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Commitments) in the Ministry of Defence where his primary responsibility was to be the United Kingdoms Director of Operations, which included overseeing the Kosovo campaign and operations over Iraq. He then served from March 2000 as the Air Member for Personnel and Commander-in-Chief Personnel and Training Command. He took up his current appointment as Commander-in-Chief Strike Command in April 2001 on promotion to Air Chief Marshal. Air Chief Marshal Day is the President of the Royal Air Force Rugby Union, the No 72 Squadron Association and his local Branch of the Royal British Legion. He also sits on the Council of the Burma Star Association. Sir John and his wife, Jane, have 2 sons. One is a Captain in the Royal Regiment of Artillery, and the other is an Accountant working in investment banking.

Artwork signed by this Pilot or Aircrew

Wessex Over South Armagh by Michael Rondot.

Aircraft for : John Day
A list of all aircraft associated with John Day. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name.
Aircraft	Info
Wessex Click the name above to see prints featuring Wessex aircraft. Manufacturer : Westland	Wessex For over 33 years, the Wessex has been at the centre of RAF operations in Northern Ireland. As a reliable workhorse the Wessex has no equal, but after 31st March 2002 the Mighty Wessex will be retired from frontline operations. No.72 Squadron received its first Wessex in 1964 at RAF Odiham and deployed to Northern Ireland on 15th August 1969 when Air Marshal Sir Tim Jenner (then a junior pilot) landed the first Wessex at the start of the current Troubles. Since then, the Wessex has been employed on all major security operations as well as day-to-day troop carrying and re-supply tasks. It enjoys a unique reputation as a tough and reliable foundry-built aircraft and will be sorely missed by the aircrew who regard it as an indestructible evergreen

Squadrons for : John Day
A list of all squadrons known to have been served with by John Day. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name.
Squadron	Info
No.18 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 11th May 1915 Fate : 18 Squadron took part in the UK's deployment to the Gulf following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait Burma Animo et fide - With courage and faith Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.18 Sqn RAF	No.18 Sqn RAF The squadron was formed on 11 May 1915 at Northolt as part of the Royal Flying Corps. It arrived in France on 19 November 1915, principally equipped with the Vickers FB5 'Gunbus', supplemented by a few Airco DH.2s and Bristol Scouts, and operating in the Army cooperation role. By April 1916 the squadron had re-equipped with FE2bs. Victor Huston became a flying ace piloting one of these. The squadron was heavily deployed during the Battle of the Somme, where it was attached to the Cavalry Corps and trained to assist it in the event on any breakthrough, but towards the end of the year and into early 1917, was increasingly deployed on night operations as its F.E.2bs became more vulnerable during daylight operations. The squadron re-equipped with Airco DH.4s from June 1917, although operations continued with F.E.2 until at least August 1917 as its DH.4s were equipped with the unreliable RAF 3 engine. Once these reliability problems were solved, the squadron, began to specialise in long-range attacks, but this changed in March 1918 when the Germans launched Operation Michael, the opening move of their Spring Offensive. 18 Squadron was among many units deployed to stop the German attacks, resorting to low level attacks as well as more conventional medium level operations. As the Germans switched the focus of their operations northwards in the Battle of the Lys, the squadron was again heavily involved, and on 12 April, the squadron carried out six separate attacks in the vicinity of Merville, with 13 pilots flying between them 44 flying hours that day George Darvill became an ace on DH.4s, scoring nine victories. In September 1918, the squadron began to re-equip with Airco DH.9As, this process continuing until November that year. By the end of the war, the squadron had claimed 200 air-to-air victories. Following the Armistice of 11 November 1918 that ended the fighting on the Western Front, 18 Squadron moved into Germany in support of the Occupation of the Rhineland in early 1919, carrying mail between the British Army of the Rhine and the United Kingdom. The squadron returned to Britain in September 1919 and disbanded at Weston-on-the-Green on 31 December 1919 reformed in October 1931 at Upper Heyford with Harts and then Hinds. As part of the Air Component of the BEF and equipped with Blenheims, No. 18 Squadron suffered heavy losses in their attempts to stem the German advance the Europe before being withdrawn to the UK in May 1940. The Squadron was then assigned to anti-shipping duties, but during one raid over France in August 1941, one aircraft dropped a box over St Omer airfield containing an artificial leg. It was a spare for Wing Commander Douglas Bader. The Squadron then moved to North Africa with the Blenheim V and took up day bombing duties. During an unescorted raid on Chouigui airfield in December 1942 led by Wing Commander HG Malcolm, his aircraft was shot down and he was posthumously awarded the VC. During 1943-45, No. 18 Squadron supported the allied advance through Italy before moving to Greece in September 1945, disbanding there a year later. Between 1946 and 1950 No 18 squadron was disbanded and re-formed several times. In 1953 the squadron reformed at RAF Scampton with Canberras. In May 1955 the squadron moved to RAF Upwood. Whilst at Upwood the squadron had Detachments to Cyprus (Nicosia) October 1955 to December 1955 and dispanded in January 1957. The squadron reformed again in December 1958 at RAF Finningley, equipped with Vickers Valiant. The Squadron was next operational in 1964, equipped with the Westland Wessex HC.2 at RAF Odiham, formed when the Wessex Trials unit was divided to form 18 and 72 Sqn. It then moved to RAF Gütersloh, Westphalia in support of the BAOR in Germany from 1965 to 1980.[citation needed] During this time a detachment was operated at RAF Nicosia, Cyprus, in support of the United Nations force. The squadron received its Chinooks HC.1s in 1981 During the Falklands War in 1982, four Chinooks were dispatched on the cargo ship Atlantic Conveyor, but three were lost when the vessel was sunk. The sole surviving aircraft gave sterling service on the islands in the months that followed and today operates 18 of the helicopters. The Chinook HC.2, equivalent to the US Army CH-47D standard, began to enter RAF service in 1993. 18 Squadron was the only Chinook squadron that took part in Operation Corporate during the Falklands War in 1982. All the Chinooks were lost, except one, when the Atlantic Conveyor was sunk. The remaining aircraft (Bravo November, ZA718) flew almost continuously until the end of the conflict. The pilot of the aircraft Squadron Leader Richard "Dick" Langworthy AFC RAF was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for his part in the air operations. 18 Squadron took part in the UK's deployment to the Gulf following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. 15 HC.2s were sent from No. 7, No. 18, and No. 27 squadrons during Operation Telic. .
No.72 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 28th June 1917 Fate : Disbanded 12th November 1981 Basutoland Swift Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.72 Sqn RAF	No.72 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available.

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