{{Short description|Royal Air Force Air Marshal (1895–1973)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}} {{Use British English|date=October 2017}} {{Infobox military person | name = Sir Alan Lees | image = Lees meets D'Albiac in Ceylon 1942 IWM CI 94.jpg | image_size = 300px | caption = The new Air Officer Commanding No. 222 Group, Air Vice Marshal Lees (left), is greeted upon arrival at Ratmalana, Ceylon, by his predecessor Air Vice Marshal John D'Albiac, 1942. | nickname = | birth_date = {{birth date|1895|05|23|df=yes}} | death_date = {{Death date and age|1973|08|14|1895|05|23|df=yes}} | birth_place = Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire | death_place = | burial_place = | allegiance = United Kingdom | branch = British Army (1914–1918)<br/>Royal Air Force (1918–1949) | service_years = 1914–1949 | rank = Air Marshal | unit = | commands = Reserve Command (1946–1949)<br/>No. 222 (General Reconnaissance) Group (1942–1944)<br/>No. 2 Group (1941–1942)<br/>RAF Driffield (1938–1939)<br/>No. 1 (Indian Wing) Station (1932–1937)<br/>No. 56 Squadron (1928–1930) | battles = First World War<br/>Second World War | awards = Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath<br/>Commander of the Order of the British Empire<br/>Distinguished Service Order<br/>Air Force Cross<br/>Mentioned in Despatches (5)<br/>Grand Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau (Netherlands) | relations = | other_work = }} Air Marshal '''Sir Alan Lees''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|KCB|CBE|DSO|AFC}} (23 May 1895 – 14 August 1973) was a Royal Air Force officer who became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief RAF Reserve Command.
==RAF career== Educated at Wellington College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst,<ref>[http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/group.html Bomber Command Commanders of World War II] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514040121/http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/group.html |date=2011-05-14 }}</ref> Lees was commissioned into the Royal West Kent Regiment in 1914 at the start of the First World War.<ref name=air>[http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/LeesA.htm Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Marshal Sir Alan Lees]</ref> He became a pilot in 1915 and while serving on the Western Front was wounded and taken prisoner in 1917.<ref name=air/> After the War he transferred to the new Royal Air Force and in 1928 became Officer Commanding No. 56 Squadron.<ref name=air/> He was appointed Officer Commanding No. 1 (Indian Wing) Station in 1932, Station Commander at RAF Driffield in 1938 and then joined the staff at Headquarters RAF Bomber Command in 1939.<ref name=air/>
He served in the Second World War as Air Officer Commanding No. 2 Group from 1941, Air Officer Commanding No. 222 (General Reconnaissance) Group from 1942 and Air Officer Administration at Headquarters Air Command South East Asia from 1944.<ref name=air/> After the War he became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief RAF Reserve Command before retiring in 1949.<ref name=air/> In that role he introduced a tie<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1949/1949%20-%201444.html Recognition Aid] Flight International, 18 August 1949</ref> and trophy<ref>[http://www.laseratc.org/media.php?view=262 1475 (Dulwich) Squadron strive and win!] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307203204/http://www.laseratc.org/media.php?view=262 |date=7 March 2012 }} Air Cadets London and South East Region</ref> for members of the Air Training Corps.
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{s-bef|before=Edward Davies}} {{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Reserve Command}}|years=1946 –1949}} {{s-aft|after=Sir Robert Foster}} |- {{s-bef|before=John D'Albiac}} {{s-ttl|title=Air Officer Commanding No. 222 (General Reconnaissance) Group|years=1942–1944}} {{s-aft|after=Albert Durston}} |- {{s-bef|before=Donald Stevenson}} {{s-ttl|title=Air Officer Commanding No. 2 Group|years=1941–1942}} {{s-aft|after=John D'Albiac}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lees, Alan}} Category:1895 births Category:1973 deaths Category:People educated at Wellington College, Berkshire Category:Royal Air Force air marshals of World War II Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Category:Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom) Category:Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment officers Category:Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst Category:Grand Officers of the Order of Orange-Nassau Category:British World War I prisoners of war Category:World War I prisoners of war held by Germany Category:British Army personnel of World War I Category:Military personnel from Manchester Category:Royal Air Force air marshals