Air Vice-Marshal Air vice-marshal (Air Vce Mshl or AVM) is an air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometime ...

The Honourable ''The Honourable'' (Commonwealth English) or ''The Honorable'' (American English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific Style ...

David Paul Murray, (born 1960) is a retired senior

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

officer. He served as

Defence Services Secretary The Defence Services Secretary is a senior member of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. Responsibilities The Defence Services Secretary is the senior member of the Royal Household responsible for liaison between the Sov ...

in the Royal Household from 2010 to 2012. He is currently a member of the Veterans Advisory Board and a Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Suffolk.

Military career

The son of

Baron Murray of Epping Forest Lionel Murray, Baron Murray of Epping Forest, (2 August 1922 – 20 May 2004) was a British Labour Party politician and trade union leader. He served as the General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress from 1973 to 1984. Early life Murray wa ...

, the former TUC General Secretary Len Murray, Murray was commissioned into the

on 27 March 1980 in the rank of acting pilot officer. He was promoted to

pilot officer Pilot officer (Plt Off or P/O) is a junior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Pilot officer is the lowest ran ...

on 27 September, and to

flying officer Flying officer (Fg Offr or F/O) is a junior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Flying officer is immediately ...

on 5 July 1982. Murray served as station commander

RAF Halton Royal Air Force Halton, or more simply RAF Halton, is one of the largest Royal Air Force stations in the United Kingdom. It is located near the village of Halton near Wendover, Buckinghamshire. The site has been in use since the First World ...

and then at

Worthy Down Camp MOD Worthy Down is a tri-service establishment in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It forms part of the wider Winchester Garrison and houses the headquarters of the Defence School of Logistics and Administration (DSLA), as well as the headquarter ...

before becoming garrison commander at

Winchester Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...

and then commandant of the Defence College of Police and Personnel Administration. Murray served on operational tours in the Falkland Islands, on UN peace-keeping duties in Bosnia and Sierra Leone. He also served in Africa, Australia, Cyprus and Germany. He became assistant chief of staff training in the RAF in 2006 and head of Ministry of Defence Personnel Strategy and Programmes in 2009 before he was promoted to

air vice marshal Air vice-marshal (Air Vce Mshl or AVM) is an air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries which have historical British infl ...

in 2010 and appointed as

and Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Personnel). Murray led the

Diamond Jubilee Armed Forces Parade and Muster The Diamond Jubilee Armed Forces Parade and Muster was a military parade held at Windsor Castle and Home Park in Windsor, Berkshire, England, organised as part of the Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Performed as a tribute to t ...

in 2012. Having been appointed a

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

in the

1996 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1996 were appointments by most of the sixteen Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and honorary ones to citizens of other c ...

and an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

in the

1999 Birthday Honours The 1999 Queen's Birthday Honours to celebrate the Queen's Official Birthday were announced on 7 June 1999 in New Zealand and Niue, and on 12 June 1999 in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms. The recipients of honours are displayed h ...

, Murray was invested as a

Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the ...

(CVO) for his services as Defence Services Secretary in October 2012. He officially retired from the Royal Air Force on 21 January 2013.

Later life

In October 2012, Murray became chief executive of national Armed Forces charity

SSAFA SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, also known as the Soldiers', Sailors', and Airmen's Families Association, is a UK charity that provides trusted support to serving men and women and veterans from the British Armed Forces and their families or dep ...

. As chief executive of

, Murray led an organisation with an annual turnover of more than £55m, 900 paid staff (mainly medical professionals and social workers) and over 7500 volunteers, providing practical support and assistance to more than 50,000 people each year, from D-Day veterans to young soldiers wounded in Afghanistan. In September 2016, Murray was appointed controller/chief executive of the RAF Benevolent Fund. Founded in 1919, the RAF Benevolent Fund is the RAF's leading welfare charity supporting serving and former members of the RAF as well as their families. Annually, the charity spends over £18m supporting more than 41,000 members of the RAF family. Murray stepped down from the RAF Benevolent Fund in April 2020, succeeded by Air Vice Marshal Chris Elliot. In October 2020, Murray was appointed to the Veterans Advisory Board. In February 2021 he was named a Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Suffolk. In September 2021, Murray was appointed to the Royal Household as a

Gentleman Usher Gentleman Usher and Lady Usher are titles for some officers of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom. For a list of office-holders from the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660 up to the present day see List of Lady and Gentleman Ushers. Gen ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, David 1960 births Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Living people Officers of the Order of the British Empire Royal Air Force air marshals Sons of life peers