David Crooks (RNZAF officer)

David Crooks
Born(1931-12-08)8 December 1931
Rangiora, New Zealand[1]
Died9 March 2022(2022-03-09) (aged 90)
Wellington, New Zealand
AllegianceNew Zealand
Service / branchRoyal New Zealand Air Force
Years of servicec.1950–1987
RankAir Marshal
Service numberC300083
CommandsChief of the Defence Staff
Chief of the Air Staff
AwardsCompanion of the Order of the Bath
Officer of the Order of the British Empire

Air Marshal David Manson Crooks, CB, OBE (8 December 1931 – 9 March 2022) was a senior commander of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. He was Chief of the Air Staff from April 1983 to October 1986 and Chief of the Defence Staff thereafter until 1987 when he retired.[2]

Crooks was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1969 Queen's Birthday Honours,[3] and a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1985 New Year Honours.[4]

Crooks retired from the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1987. In retirement he served on the board of the RNZAF Museum Trust.[5] He died in Wellington on 9 March 2022, at the age of 90.[6]

  1. ^ Taylor, Alister; Coddington, Deborah (1994). Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand. Auckland: New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa. pp. 111–112. ISBN 0-908578-34-2.
  2. ^ McGibbon, I.C., ed. (2000). The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Military History. Oxford University Press. p. 129. ISBN 0195583760.
  3. ^ "No. 44865". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 June 1969. p. 6002.
  4. ^ "No. 49970". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 31 December 1984. p. 4.
  5. ^ "An Unofficial Guide to the Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum". Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  6. ^ Naish, Joanne (11 March 2022). "Former Defence Force chief Air Marshal David Crooks dies aged 90". Stuff. Retrieved 11 March 2022.