No. 232 Group (1945–46) RAF Staff College, Bracknell (1949–51) RAF Home Command (1951–52) Royal Australian Air Force (1952–54)
Battles/wars
World War I
Western Front
World War II
European theatre
South East Asian theatre
Burma campaign
Awards
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Distinguished Flying Cross
Mentioned in Despatches
Bronze Star (US)
Air Chief Marshal Sir James Donald Innes Hardman, GBE, KCB, DFC (21 February 1899 – 2 March 1982), known as Donald Hardman, was a senior Royal Air Force commander. He began his flying career as a fighter pilot in World War I, achieving nine victories to become an ace. During World War II, Hardman held senior staff and operational posts. He was Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) from 1952 to 1954, after which he served as a member of the British Air Council until retiring in 1958.
Born in Lancashire, Hardman joined the Royal Flying Corps in 1917 and was posted to the Western Front the following year. He flew Sopwith Dolphins with No. 19 Squadron, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross for his fighting skills. Between the wars he served with No. 31 Squadron in India and No. 216 Squadron in Egypt. A wing commander at the outbreak of World War II, Hardman was attached to the Air Ministry for several years before being posted in 1944 to South East Asia, where he commanded No. 232 (Transport) Group during the Burma campaign. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1940 and a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1945, and was also mentioned in despatches.
Finishing the war an air commodore, Hardman served successively as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff, Commandant of RAF Staff College, Bracknell, and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Home Command, before becoming RAAF CAS in January 1952. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath the same year. As CAS he was responsible for reorganising the RAAF's geographically based command-and-control system into a functional structure. Returning to Britain, he became Air Member for Supply and Organisation in May 1954, and was promoted to air chief marshal the following year. He was raised to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire in January 1958, shortly before his retirement.
Air Chief Marshal Sir James Donald Innes Hardman, GBE, KCB, DFC (21 February 1899 – 2 March 1982), known as DonaldHardman, was a senior Royal Air Force...
(1892–1964), geneticist and evolutionary biologist Air Chief Marshal Sir DonaldHardman Tim Henman (born 1974), tennis player Tom Hiddleston (born 1981), actor...
In January 1952, Air Marshal Jones was succeeded by Air Marshal Sir DonaldHardman of the Royal Air Force. The decision by Prime Minister Robert Menzies...
Australia in late 1954. In 1953, a Royal Air Force officer, Air Marshal Sir DonaldHardman, was brought out to Australia to become Chief of the Air Staff. He reorganised...
(honorary), Nils Thomas Svenningsen (honorary) 1958: 1st Baron Citrine, DonaldHardman, Claude Pelly, Denis Truscott, Sir Harold Yarrow, Bt. 1959: John Balfour...
Stanley Goble William Anderson Sir Charles Burnett George Jones Sir DonaldHardman Sir John McCauley Sir Frederick Scherger Sir Valston Hancock Sir Alister...
lines; this radical change would await Jones' successor, Air Marshal Sir DonaldHardman. You always got a straight answer from Scherger, even when you didn't...
February – Henry Gage, 6th Viscount Gage, peer (born 1895) 2 March – Sir DonaldHardman, air chief marshal (born 1899) 3 March – Ivy Cavendish-Bentinck, Duchess...
William Franklin Hardman Jr. (April 6, 1933 – December 6, 1990) was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhornist who chiefly played hard bop. He was married...
1978) 3 February – Doris Speed, actress (died 1994) 21 February – Sir DonaldHardman, Royal Air Force commander (died 1982) 13 March – William Lovelock,...
promoted 1 January 1985, promoted marshal of the RAF 6 November 1992 Sir DonaldHardman 1 April 1955 2 years, 303 days 29 January 1958 Air Member for...
Chief Marshal Sir John Whitworth-Jones 1 May 1954 Air Chief Marshal Sir DonaldHardman 1 January 1958 Air Chief Marshal Sir Walter Dawson 8 April 1960 Air...
Air Chief Marshal Mark Donald Binskin, AC (born 20 March 1960) is a senior officer in the Royal Australian Air Force Reserve. He served as Chief of Air...
Stanley Goble William Anderson Sir Charles Burnett George Jones Sir DonaldHardman Sir John McCauley Sir Frederick Scherger Sir Valston Hancock Sir Alister...
Christian of Hanover Prince Ernst August of Hanover Air Chief Marshal Sir DonaldHardman, flying ace, CAF (RAAF) Fred Hargreaves, footballer for Blackburn Rovers...
Clifford Hardman "Clive" Brook (1 June 1887 – 17 November 1974) was an English film actor. After making his first screen appearance in 1920, Brook emerged...
the Royal Australian Air Force. He eventually selected Air Marshal DonaldHardman as the "outstanding candidate" for the Australian post, trying to avoid...
RAF officer, Air Marshal DonaldHardman, who was well versed in the functional command system employed in Britain. Hardman believed that restructuring...
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