John Becke

John Becke
Brigadier General Becke
Born	17 September 1879 Liverpool, England
Died	7 February 1949 (aged 69)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army (1899–1918) Royal Air Force (1918–20)
Years of service	1899–1920
Rank	Brigadier General
Commands held	II Brigade RFC (1917–18) IV Brigade RFC (1916–17) 1st (Corps) Wing RFC (1915–16) No. 2 Squadron RFC (1915) No. 6 Squadron RFC (1914–15)
Battles/wars	Second Boer War First World War
Awards	Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George Distinguished Service Order Air Force Cross Mentioned in Despatches (2) Officer of the Legion of Honour (France) Croix de guerre (France)

Brigadier General John Harold Whitworth Becke, CMG, DSO, AFC (17 September 1879 – 7 February 1949) was an infantry officer in the Second Boer War and squadron, wing and brigade commander in the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War. He transferred to the Royal Air Force (RAF) on its creation on 1 April 1918 as a temporary brigadier general. He retired from the RAF in 1920.

He was born in Liverpool on 17 September 1879. As a captain in the Sherwood Foresters, he was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps and awarded his Royal Aero Club aviators certificate on 18 June 1912 flying a Bristol Biplane at Brooklands.^[1] Becke was the first commanding officer of No. 6 Squadron, one of a handful of flying squadrons to be established before the First World War.

Becke at Upper Dysart in 1913.

References

1. Royal Aero Club record card #236

External links

• Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Brigadier-General J H W Becke
• No. II(AC) Squadron – Major J H W Becke