Thomas Langford-Sainsbury

Air Vice Marshal Thomas Audley Langford-Sainsbury, CB, OBE, DFC, AFC & Two Bars (23 November 1897 – 21 June 1972) was a senior Royal Air Force officer who commanded British Air Forces in Egypt during the Second World War.

Thomas Langford-Sainsbury
Born(1897-11-23)23 November 1897
Died21 June 1972(1972-06-21) (aged 74)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army (1916–18)
Royal Air Force (1918–49)
Years of service1916–49
RankAir Vice Marshal
Commands heldAHQ Egypt (1944–45)
AHQ Eastern Mediterranean (1944)
No. 201 (Naval Co-operation) Group (1943–44)
No. 15 (General Reconnaissance) Group (1942–43)
No. 48 Squadron (1936–38)
No. 36 Squadron (1932–35)
Battles/warsFirst World War
Second World War
AwardsCompanion of the Order of the Bath
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Distinguished Flying Cross
Air Force Cross & Two Bars
Mentioned in Despatches

RAF career

Educated at Radley College,[1] Langford-Sainsbury was commissioned in to the Royal Flying Corps in 1916 during the First World War.[2] He went on to command No. 38 Squadron from 1932 and No. 48 Squadron from 1936.[2] Promoted to wing commander in 1937,[3] he served in the Second World War on the Air Staff at Headquarters No. 16 (Reconnaissance) Group and then as Deputy Senior Air Staff Officer at RAF Coastal Command from 1941.[2] He continued his war service as Air Officer Commanding No. 15 (General Reconnaissance) Group from 1942, Air Officer Commanding No. 201 (Naval Co-operation) Group from 1943 and Air Officer Commanding AHQ Eastern Mediterranean from 1944.[2] He was made Air Officer Commanding AHQ Egypt in November 1944 and Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters RAF Bomber Command in May 1945.[2]

After the war he served as Air Officer Administration at Headquarters British Air Forces of Occupation before retiring in 1949.[2]

References
  1. "The Radleian 1943 – No. 594 June". Radley archives. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  2. Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Vice Marshal T A Langford-Sainsbury
  3. Service notes and news Flight International, 8 April 1937
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