Sir Denis Spotswood | |
|---|---|
 Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Denis Spotswood | |
| Born | 26 September 1916 Lewisham, London |
| Died | 11 November 2001 (aged 85) Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1936–1974 |
| Rank | Marshal of the Royal Air Force |
| Commands | Chief of the Air Staff (1971–74) RAF Strike Command (1968–71) RAF Germany (1965–68) No. 3 (Bomber) Group (1964–65) RAF College Cranwell (1958–61) RAF Linton-on-Ouse (1954–56) RAF Coltishall (1948) RAF Horsham St Faith (1947–48) No. 500 Squadron (1942–43) |
| Battles / wars | Second World War |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order Distinguished Flying Cross Mentioned in Despatches (2) Officer of the Legion of Merit (United States) |
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Denis Frank Spotswood, GCB, CBE, DSO, DFC (26 September 1916 – 11 November 2001) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force. He fought in the Second World War as a flying boat pilot and then as a coastal reconnaissance squadron commander during Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa. He served as a station commander in the late 1940s and early 1950s before becoming a senior air commander in the late 1950s. As the Chief of the Air Staff in the early 1970s he had a major role in implementing the defence savings demanded by the Heath Government in the face of economic difficulties at the time.