Ronald Lees

Sir Ronald Beresford Lees, was a senior Royal Air Force commander.

Early life

Lees was born in Broken Hill, [New South Wales], the son of John Thomas Lees and Eliza Jane Moyle. He was educated at Prince Alfred's College and St Peter's College, Adelaide, and later read mathematics at the University of Adelaide.

RAF career

In January 1930, Lees joined the Royal Australian Air Force as a cadet at Point Cook, Victoria, and in January 1931 took up a short-service commission in the Royal Air Force. He was made Officer Commanding No. 72 Squadron in 1938 and served in the Second World War, taking part in the Battle of Britain in 1940. During the war he served as Station Commander at RAF Coltishall, as Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters No. 242 Group and then on the Sicily Invasion Force.
After the war, Lees became Station Commander at RAF Bassingbourn. He was appointed Air Officer Commanding No. 83 Expeditionary [Air Group |No. 83 Group] in 1952, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff in 1955 and Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters RAF Fighter Command in 1958. He went on to be Deputy [Chief of the Air Staff |Deputy Chief of the Air Staff] in 1960 and Commander-in-Chief of RAF Germany and Second Tactical Air Force in 1963 before retiring in 1966.