Donald Randall Evans
Encyclopedia
Air Chief Marshal
Sir Donald Randell Evans KBE
CB
DFC
(31 January 1912 – 9 April 1975) was an innovator in night fighting tactics in World War II
and conducted the signals planning for the Sicily and Normandy invasions
.
before entering the RAF College Cranwell
in 1930 where he won the Humanities Prize.
where he was a signals officer at the outbreak of World War II
. In 1941, he was given command of the Fighter Interception Unit at Ford and was responsible for introducing successful new tactics. He personally shot down two enemy fighters and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
in 1942. At the age of thirty, he was promoted to Group Captain and went to Headquarters No. 11 (Fighter) Group
in charge of night operations. In 1943, he was posted to the Mediterranean where he undertook the air side of signals planning for the Sicily invasion
. Later he performed similar duties in the Allied Expeditionary Air Force
for the Normandy landings.
. He became Director of Operational Requirements at the Air Ministry
in 1952. In 1957 to 1958 he was Senior Air Staff Officer, Fighter Command, and from 1959 to 1961 commandant of the School of Land-Air Warfare. He was promoted to Air Vice Marshal and appointed Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff at the Ministry of Defence
in 1961. An important step was his appointment as Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff working party in the reorganisation of the Ministry of Defence in 1963. As The Times reported, "with an already established reputation as a progressive mind on joint planning he worked closely with the then Chief of the Defence Staff, Lord Mountbatten
to try to ensure that unification became a real integration of the policy making functions of the three services, a step resisted at that time by some less flexible senior officers."
In 1964, he was appointed KBE
, promoted to Air Chief Marshal and assumed the role of Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Technical Training Command
until 1966 when he became Air Secretary
. In 1968 he became the last Commandant of the Imperial Defence College
before it was renamed the Royal College of Defence Studies
and then retired in 1970.
Upon retirement he became consultant on aviation matters to Ferranti
in Edinburgh
, Chairman of the Board of Governors at the Star and Garter Home in Richmond, and Chairman of the group advising Lord Dulverton on the creation of the Overlord Embroidery that commemorated the D-Day landings. At the time of his death he was President of “The Old Cranwellian Association”.
His funeral took place in Richmond, Surrey before a memorial service at St Clement Danes
, The Strand on 9 May 1975. The eulogy was read by the Earl of Bandon with excerpts reported in that year's Old Cranwellian. He described Evans as a man of “courage, humility and integrity interwoven into his character”. He also stated that his rise in the Royal Air Force had been the more remarkable because “Donald suffered intolerably from bad health from his early youth, and all through his life”.
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir Donald Randell Evans KBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
(31 January 1912 – 9 April 1975) was an innovator in night fighting tactics in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and conducted the signals planning for the Sicily and Normandy invasions
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
.
Early life
Born the son of Colonel Percy Evans, who had been Assistant Director Medical Services for the British Expeditionary Forces (1915–1917), Evans was educated at Wellington CollegeWellington College, Berkshire
-Former pupils:Notable former pupils include historian P. J. Marshall, architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, impressionist Rory Bremner, Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, author Sebastian Faulks, language school pioneer John Haycraft, political journalist Robin Oakley, actor Sir Christopher...
before entering the RAF College Cranwell
Royal Air Force College Cranwell
The Royal Air Force College is the Royal Air Force training and education academy which provides initial training to all RAF personnel who are preparing to be commissioned officers. The College also provides initial training to aircrew cadets and is responsible for all RAF recruiting along with...
in 1930 where he won the Humanities Prize.
Second World War
Following service in the Middle East, Evans joined RAF Fighter CommandRAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
where he was a signals officer at the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In 1941, he was given command of the Fighter Interception Unit at Ford and was responsible for introducing successful new tactics. He personally shot down two enemy fighters and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
in 1942. At the age of thirty, he was promoted to Group Captain and went to Headquarters No. 11 (Fighter) Group
No. 11 Group RAF
No. 11 Group was a group in the Royal Air Force for various periods in the 20th century, finally disbanding in 1996. Its most famous service was during 1940 when it defended London and the south-east against the attacks of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain.-First World War:No. 11 Group was...
in charge of night operations. In 1943, he was posted to the Mediterranean where he undertook the air side of signals planning for the Sicily invasion
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
. Later he performed similar duties in the Allied Expeditionary Air Force
Allied Expeditionary Air Force
The Allied Expeditionary Air Force was a component of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force which controlled the tactical air power of the Allied forces during Operation Overlord.Its effectiveness was less than optimal on two counts...
for the Normandy landings.
Post-war RAF career
After the war he graduated from RAF Staff College, commanded the Telecommunications Flying Unit at Defford from 1946 to 1948 before being put in charge of plans at Headquarters RAF Fighter CommandRAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
. He became Director of Operational Requirements at the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
in 1952. In 1957 to 1958 he was Senior Air Staff Officer, Fighter Command, and from 1959 to 1961 commandant of the School of Land-Air Warfare. He was promoted to Air Vice Marshal and appointed Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff at the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
in 1961. An important step was his appointment as Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff working party in the reorganisation of the Ministry of Defence in 1963. As The Times reported, "with an already established reputation as a progressive mind on joint planning he worked closely with the then Chief of the Defence Staff, Lord Mountbatten
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas George Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS , was a British statesman and naval officer, and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
to try to ensure that unification became a real integration of the policy making functions of the three services, a step resisted at that time by some less flexible senior officers."
In 1964, he was appointed KBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, promoted to Air Chief Marshal and assumed the role of Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Technical Training Command
RAF Technical Training Command
Technical Training Command was an organization within the Royal Air Force which controlled units responsible for delivering aircraft maintenance training and other non-flying training, initially in Berkshire then in Cambridgeshire.-History:...
until 1966 when he became Air Secretary
Air Secretary
The Air Secretary is the Royal Air Force appointment of which the incumbent is responsible for policy direction on personnel management for members of the RAF. From 1978 to 1983 the Air Secretary was more often referred to as Air Officer Commanding Royal Air Force Personnel Management Centre. It is...
. In 1968 he became the last Commandant of the Imperial Defence College
Commandant Royal College of Defence Studies
The Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies was a UK senior serving military officer between 1972 and 2001. The post rotated through the three branches of the armed forces in turn. In 1971 the old Imperial Defence College became the Royal College of Defence Studies...
before it was renamed the Royal College of Defence Studies
Royal College of Defence Studies
The Royal College of Defence Studies is an internationally-renowned institution and component of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom...
and then retired in 1970.
Upon retirement he became consultant on aviation matters to Ferranti
Ferranti
Ferranti or Ferranti International plc was a UK electrical engineering and equipment firm that operated for over a century from 1885 until it went bankrupt in 1993. Known primarily for defence electronics, the Company was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but ceased trading in 1993.The...
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Chairman of the Board of Governors at the Star and Garter Home in Richmond, and Chairman of the group advising Lord Dulverton on the creation of the Overlord Embroidery that commemorated the D-Day landings. At the time of his death he was President of “The Old Cranwellian Association”.
Family
Evans married first Pauline Breech with whom he had two children Nigel (1943-) and Judith (1944–1945) and, secondly, Squadron Leader Phillip Hunter's widow, Eleanor (née Christie) with whom he had one son, James (1953-). Lady Eleanor Evans had one son by her first marriage, Nigel Hunter.His funeral took place in Richmond, Surrey before a memorial service at St Clement Danes
St Clement Danes
St Clement Danes is a church in the City of Westminster, London. It is situated outside the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand. The current building was completed in 1682 by Sir Christopher Wren and it now functions as the central church of the Royal Air Force.The church is sometimes claimed to...
, The Strand on 9 May 1975. The eulogy was read by the Earl of Bandon with excerpts reported in that year's Old Cranwellian. He described Evans as a man of “courage, humility and integrity interwoven into his character”. He also stated that his rise in the Royal Air Force had been the more remarkable because “Donald suffered intolerably from bad health from his early youth, and all through his life”.
Honours and awards
- Knight Commander of the Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
- 1 January 1964 (CBE - 1 January 1944) - Companion of the Order of the Bath – 1 January 1955
- Distinguished Flying CrossDistinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
– 14 July 1942 - Mentioned in Despatches - 17 March 1941, 11 June 1942
- Bronze Star MedalBronze Star MedalThe Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
(United States) – 15 March 1946