John Whitworth (RAF officer)

John Nicholas Haworth Whitworth
Air Vice Marshal Ralph Cochrane, Wing Commander Guy Gibson, King George VI and Group Captain Whitworth (shown on the right) discussing the 'Dambusters Raid' in May 1943
Born(1912-01-10)10 January 1912
Buenos Aires, Argentina[1]
Died13 November 1974(1974-11-13) (aged 62)
Cirencester, England
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service / branchRoyal Air Force
Years of service1930–1964
RankAir Commodore
CommandsRAF Hong Kong (1962–64)
Chief of Air Staff Ghana (1961–62)
Central Flying School (1958–61)
RAF Swinderby (c. 1951–53)
RAF Scampton (1942–43)
No. 35 Squadron RAF (1942)
No. 78 Squadron RAF (1940–41)
Battles / warsSecond World War
AwardsCompanion of the Order of the Bath
Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar
Mentioned in dispatches

Air Commodore John Nicholas Haworth Whitworth, CB, DSO, DFC* (10 January 1912 – 13 November 1974) was a Royal Air Force pilot in the 1930s and a commander during and after the Second World War. He was educated at Oundle School in Northamptonshire.

Whitworth was station commander of RAF Scampton during the planning of Operation Chastise; in 1955 he was a technical advisor for the film dramatisation of the raid, The Dam Busters. Whitworth was portrayed by Derek Farr in the film.

Whitworth was later the Chief of Staff of the Ghana Air Force; he was succeeded by the Ghanaian J. E. S. de Graft-Hayford in 1962.

He retired to the village of Rodmarton in Gloucestershire with his wife.

References

  1. ^ "100 R.A.F. Awards for Gallantry". Aberdeen Journal. 23 November 1940. p. 6.
Military offices
Preceded by Chief of Staff Ghana Air Force
1961–1962 		Succeeded by


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