# John Hearson

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John Hearson Born (1883-08-05)5 August 1883 Died 9 January 1964(1964-01-09) (aged 80) Allegiance United Kingdom Branch British Army (1901–18) Royal Air Force (1918–40) Service years 1901–27 1937–40 Rank Air Commodore Commands No. 30 (Balloon Barrage) Group (1937–39) No. 1 Air Defence Group (1927) Special Reserve and Auxiliary Air Force (1925–27) 15th Wing RFC (1916–17) No. 5 Squadron RFC (1915–16) Conflicts First World War Second World War Awards Companion of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order Mentioned in Despatches Order of Saint Anna, 3rd Class with Swords (Russia)

[Air Commodore](/source/Air_Commodore) **John Glanville Hearson**, [CB](/source/Companion_of_the_Order_of_the_Bath), [CBE](/source/Commander_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire), [DSO](/source/Distinguished_Service_Order) (5 August 1883 – 9 January 1964) was a squadron and wing commander and senior staff officer in the [Royal Flying Corps](/source/Royal_Flying_Corps) during the [First World War](/source/First_World_War), and a senior commander in the fledgling [Royal Air Force](/source/Royal_Air_Force) (RAF) during the 1920s.

## Military career

Pearson was commissioned a [second lieutenant](/source/Second_lieutenant) in the [Royal Engineers](/source/Royal_Engineers) on 31 July 1902.[1] He transferred to the Royal Air Force on its formation.

He reached the rank of [brigadier general](/source/Brigadier_general) in 1917, and became the RAF's first Director of Training on the service's formation in April 1918. Remaining in the RAF after the war, he was promoted to [air commodore](/source/Air_commodore) on 30 June 1923.[2] In the first half of the 1920s he held senior positions on [RAF Iraq Command](/source/RAF_Iraq_Command), the British organisation responsible for maintaining control of Iraq.

Towards the end of 1925 Hearson was appointed [Air Officer Commanding](/source/Air_Officer_Commanding) the Special Reserve and Auxiliary Air Force which later became the Air Defence Group and then [No. 1 (Air Defence) Group](/source/No._1_Group_RAF). Hearson retired from the RAF in 1927 but returned to service in the build up before the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War) to establish and command the UK's barrage balloon organisation.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["No. 27467"](https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/27467/page/5465). *[The London Gazette](/source/The_London_Gazette)*. 22 August 1902. p. 5465.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["No. 32841"](https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/32841/page/4621). *[The London Gazette](/source/The_London_Gazette)*. 3 July 1923. p. 4621.

## External links

- [Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Commodore J G Hearson](http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Hearson.htm)

Military offices Preceded by Guy Livingston Chief Staff Officer, HQ Training Division RFC 1917–1918 Royal Flying Corps subsumed into RAF New title RAF established Director of Training 1918–1919 Succeeded by Philip Game As Director of Training and Organisation Vacant No. 30 Group disbanded from 1919 to 1937 Air Officer Commanding No. 30 (Balloon Barrage) Group 1937–1939 Succeeded by W J Y Guilfoyle

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