Arthur John Capel

Air Vice-Marshal Arthur John Capel, CB, DSO, DFC, DL, JP (11 December 1894 – 18 April 1979) was a senior Royal Air Force officer.

Arthur John Capel
Born(1894-12-11)11 December 1894
Died18 April 1979(1979-04-18) (aged 84)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army (1914–18)
Royal Air Force (1918–45)
Years of service1914–1945
RankAir Vice-Marshal
Commands heldNo. 20 Group RAF (1941)
No. 22 Group RAF (1940)
School of Army Co-operation (1936–38)
No. 5 Squadron RAF (1923–28)
No. 43 Squadron RAF (1919)
No. 92 Squadron RAF (1919)
No. 94 Squadron RAF (1917–19)
Battles/warsFirst World War
Pink's War
Second World War
AwardsCompanion of the Order of the Bath
Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Flying Cross
Mentioned in Despatches (3)

Military career

Having served in the British Army during the First World War in the Somerset Light Infantry and then Royal Flying Corps, Capel joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) on its creation in 1918. He was involved in Pink's War, the RAF's first independent operation that was an air-to-ground campaign in Waziristan, and for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order.[1] He rose up the ranks, and served as Commandant of the School of Army Co-operation (1936–1938), Air Officer Commanding (AOC) No. 22 (Army Co-operation) Group (1940), and AOC No. 20 (Training) Group (1941). During the Second World War, he served in the United Kingdom, France and the Middle East.[2][3][4]

Later career

After retiring from the RAF in 1945, Capel served as a magistrate and councillor in Somerset, and was High Sheriff of Somerset for 1952.[2][3][4]

References
  1. "No. 33104". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 November 1925. p. 7601. The KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the undermentioned rewards in recognition of gallant and distinguished service in connection with the operations carried out by the Royal Air Force in Waziristan, 9th March, 1925, to 1st May, 1925 :— Awarded the Distinguished Service Order. Squadron Leader Arthur John CAPEL, D.F.C.
  2. "Capel, Arthur John (Oral history)". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  3. "Air Vice-Marshal A J Capel". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. 3 May 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  4. "Capel, Air Vice-Marshal Arthur John, (1894–18 April 1979), JP; DL". Who Was Who. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U152970. ISBN 978-0-19-954089-1.
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