Air Marshal Sir Albert Durston, (19 June 1894 – 24 January 1959) was a 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 ...

(RAF) officer who served as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff from 1945 to 1946.

RAF career

Durston joined the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

in 1913 and served in the

Royal Naval Air Service The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty (United Kingdom), Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British ...

during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

.Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Marshal Sir Albert Durstan
/ref> He was

mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of t ...

for services in home waters in 1917,Mention in Despatches etc
/ref> and appointed Officer Commanding No. 253 Squadron in June 1918. In 1936 he was appointed Fleet Aviation Officer to the Commander-in-Chief of the

Home Fleet The Home Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy that operated from the United Kingdom's territorial waters from 1902 with intervals until 1967. In 1967, it was merged with the Mediterranean Fleet creating the new Western Fleet. Before the First ...

. He served in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

as Director of Naval Co-operation and then as Air Officer Commanding No. 18 Group. He continued his war service as Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters

RAF Coastal Command RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was founded in 1936, when the RAF was restructured into Fighter, Bomber and Coastal commands and played an important role during the Second World War. Maritime Aviation ...

and then as Air Officer Commanding No. 222 Group. His last appointment was as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff from September 1945 until retiring in August 1946.

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Durston, Albert 1894 births 1959 deaths Companions of the Order of the Bath Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom) Royal Air Force air marshals of World War II Royal Navy officers of World War I Royal Naval Air Service aviators Royal Naval Air Service personnel of World War I