David Craig, Baron Craig of Radley
Marshal of the Royal Air Force David Brownrigg Craig, Baron Craig of Radley, GCB, OBE (born 17 September 1929) is a retired Royal Air Force officer and member of the House of Lords. He was a fast jet pilot in the 1950s, a squadron commander in the 1960s and a station commander in the 1970s. He served as Chief of the Air Staff during the late 1980s, when the Boeing Airborne early warning and control system was ordered and the European Fighter programme was being developed. He then served as Chief of the Defence Staff during the Gulf War. He was granted a life peerage as Baron Craig of Radley after his retirement from active service in 1991, sitting as a crossbencher. As of 2022, he is the last living officer in the British Armed Forces to have held a five-star rank whilst on active service.
The Lord Craig of Radley | |
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Official portrait, 2020 | |
Born | Dublin, Ireland | 17 September 1929
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/ | Royal Air Force |
Years of service | 1951–1991 |
Rank | Marshal of the Royal Air Force |
Commands held | Chief of the Defence Staff (1988–91) Chief of the Air Staff (1985–88) RAF Strike Command (1982–85) No. 1 Group (1978–80) RAF Akrotiri (1972–74) RAF Cranwell (1968–70) No. 35 Squadron (1963–65) |
Battles/wars | Gulf War |
Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Officer of the Order of the British Empire Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air |
Other work | Convenor of the Crossbench Peers |