Winskill, Archibald Little "Archie"

Date of birth:: January 24th, 1917 (Penrith/Cumbria, Great Britain)
Date of death:: August 9th, 2005
Service number:: 740365/84702
Nationality:: British

Biography

Archie Little Winskill also received the CBE (June 11th, 1960), CVO (june 2nd, 1973), KCVO (December 31st, 1979). He was knighted on February 20th, 1980.

Promotions:
April 1937: Sergeant;
August 25th, 1940: Pilot Officer on probation (seniority August 15th, 1940);
August 25th, 1941: Pilot Officer;
August 25th, 1941: Flying Officer (war subs., seniority August 15th, 1941);
1941: Acting Flight Lieutenant;
April 1942: Acting Squadron Leader;
July 14th, 1942: Flight Lieutenant (war subs.);
November 1942: Temporary Squadron Leader;
December 21st, 1943: Acting Wing Commander;
June 21st, 1944: Squadron Leader (war subs.);
February 25th, 1947: Squadron Leader (seniority September 1st, 1945);
January 1st, 1953: Wing Commander;
August 1st, 1958: Acting Group Captain;
July 1st, 1959: Group Captain;
1963: Air Commodore.

Career:
?: Penrith Grammar School;
?: Carlisle Grammar School;
April 1937: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserves;
September 1939: Staff Pilot No. 1 Armament Training Camp, Catfoss;
August 1940: No. 7 Operational Training Unit;
?: Pilot No. 54 Squadron;
?: Pilot No. 72 Squadron;
October 1940: Pilot No. 603 Squadron;
January 1941: Pilot No. 41 Squadron;
1941: Flight Commander No. 41 Squadron;
1942: Flight Commander No. 611 Squadron;
April 1942: Commanding Officer No. 165 Squadron;
August 1942: Commanding Officer No. 222 Squadron;
November 1942: Commanding Officer No. 232 Squadron;
September 1943: Instructor Ventral Gunnery School, Catfoss;
December 21st, 1943: Chief Instructor Central Gunnery School, Catfoss;
?: Commanding Officer Central Gunnery School, Catfoss;
1944: Army Staff College;
? - 1947: Air Staff, Air Ministry;
August 1947: Commanding Officer No. 17 Squadron, Japan;
February 1948: Air Adviser, Belgian Air Force;
?: Wing Commander Operations, Headquarters Fighter Command;
1951: Wing Commander Scottish Wing, RAF Turnhouse;
1956: Commanding Officer RAF Turnhouse;
July 1957: Air Staff, Headquarters 2nd Tactical Air Force;
August 1st, 1958: Group Captain Operations, Headquarters of RAF Germany;
September 13th, 1960: Commanding Officer RAF Duxford;
September 25th, 1961: Deputy Director, Department of the Air Secretary;
February 28th, 1964: Air Attache, Paris;
?: Director Public Relations, Royal Air Force;
February 15th, 1968 - January 28th, 1982: Captain of The Queen's Flight/Extra Equerry to Her Majesty;
December 18th, 1968: Retirement.

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Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Acting Flight Lieutenant
Unit:: No. 41 Squadron, Royal Air Force
Awarded on:: January 6th, 1942

Citation:
"This officer has carried out over 250 hours operational flying and has destroyed at least 3 enemy aircraft. One day in August, 1941, he attacked 2 Messerschmitt 109's which attempted to intercept our bombers. He destroyed one of the enemy fighters and his action certainly saved the bombers from serious attack."

LG 35404/123.

Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Acting Squadron Leader
Unit:: No. 232 Squadron, Royal Air Force
Awarded on:: July 27th, 1943

Citation:
"Sqn. Ldr. Winskill has completed a very strenuous tour of duty, and has led his squadron on a very large number of sorties in the North African theatre of war. On one occasion his aircraft was shot down into the sea, and on another he was forced to leave it by parachute because the engine caught tire.
Since the award of the D.F.C. this officer has destroyed one enemy aircraft and shared in the destruction of another in the air; in addition he has destroyed two on the ground and completed many successful attacks on enemy transport and machine-gun posts."

Second DFC awarded in the form of a bar to be worn on the ribbon of the first DFC.
LG 36108/3383.

Air Efficiency Award (AE)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:: 1944

Sources

- The London Gazette of 4th October 1940, Issue 34960
- Supplement to The London Gazette of 2nd January 1942, Issue 35404, dated 6th January 1942
- The London Gazette of 27th January 1942, Issue 35435
- Third Supplement to The London Gazette of 13th October 1942, Issue 35747, dated 16th October 1942
- Third Supplement to The London Gazette of 23rd July 1943, Issue 36108, dated 27th July 1943
- Third Supplement to The London Gazette of 1st August 1944, Issue 36639, dated 4th August 1944
- Second Supplement to The London Gazette of 25th February 1947, Issue 37892, dated 28th February 1947
- Eighth Supplement to The London Gazette of 30th December 1952, Issue 39739, dated 1st January 1953
- Second Supplement to The London Gazette of 26th June 1959, Issue 41753, dated 30th June 1959
- Supplement to The London Gazette of 17th January 1969, Issue 44770, dated 21st January 1969
- Battle of Britain London Monument