# Thomas Kerr (engineer)

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{{Short description|British aerospace engineer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2017}}
'''Thomas Henry Kerr''' {{post-nominals|CB}} (18 June 1924 – 9 September 2004) was a British [aerospace engineer](/source/Aerospace_engineering). He served as a [Royal Air Force](/source/Royal_Air_Force) pilot during [World War II](/source/World_War_II). He later served as the director of the [Royal Aircraft Establishment](/source/Royal_Aircraft_Establishment) and director of research and development at [Royal Ordnance](/source/Royal_Ordnance). He was president of the [Royal Aeronautical Society](/source/Royal_Aeronautical_Society) from 1985 to 1986.{{cn|date=December 2024}}

==Early life==
Kerr was born on 18 June 1924 in [Nottingham](/source/Nottingham), England,<ref name="obit - Times">{{cite news|title=Thomas Kerr|url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/obituaries/article2081476.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603115228/http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/obituaries/article2081476.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 June 2015|access-date=12 August 2013|newspaper=[The Times](/source/The_Times)|date=18 November 2004}}</ref> to Albert Edward Kerr and his wife Francis Jane Kerr (née Simpson).<ref name="Who Was Who">{{cite web|title=KERR, Thomas Henry|url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U22962|work=Who Was Who|publisher=A & C Black|accessdate=12 August 2013|date=November 2012}}</ref> His father had served in [World War I](/source/World_War_I) as an [air observer](/source/air_observer).<ref name="obit - Times" /> He was educated at [Magnus Grammar School](/source/Magnus_Grammar_School), [Newark-on-Trent](/source/Newark-on-Trent).<ref name="Who Was Who" /> In 1941, the school formed an [Air Training Corps](/source/Air_Training_Corps) squadron which he immediately joined.<ref name="obit - Times" />

Having served as a pilot during [World War II](/source/World_War_II), he was [demobilised](/source/demobilised) in 1946. He then joined [Durham University](/source/Durham_University), where he studied [physics](/source/physics).<ref name="obit - Times" /> He graduated in 1949 with a [first class](/source/British_undergraduate_degree_classification) [Bachelor of Science](/source/Bachelor_of_Science) (BSc) degree.<ref name="obit - Times" /><ref name="Who Was Who" />

===Military service===
Having attended the [Durham University](/source/Durham_University) short course,<ref name="obit - Times" /> Kerr joined the [Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve](/source/Royal_Air_Force_Volunteer_Reserve) in 1942.<ref name="Who Was Who" /> He trained as a pilot and later served as a flying instructor.<ref name="obit - Times" /> Having held the rank of [aircraftman 2nd class](/source/aircraftman), he was [commissioned](/source/commissioned_officer) as a [pilot officer](/source/pilot_officer) on probation on 27 May 1944.<ref name="LG 15 December 1944">{{London Gazette |issue=36844 |date=15 December 1944 |pages=5796–5799  |supp=y }}</ref> On 27 November 1944, his commission was confirmed and he was promoted to [war substantive](/source/war_substantive) [flying officer](/source/flying_officer).<ref name="LG 27 March 1945">{{London Gazette |issue=37007 |date=27 March 1945 |page=1724 |supp=y }}</ref> He was promoted to war substantive [flight lieutenant](/source/flight_lieutenant) on 27 May 1946.<ref name="LG 18 June 1946">{{London Gazette |issue=37619 |date=18 June 1946 |page=3158 |supp=y }}</ref> With the end of [World War II](/source/World_War_II), the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve was reconstituted and he retained his commission with the rank of flight lieutenant dated to 1 January 1948.<ref name="LG 20 February 1948">{{London Gazette |issue=38218 |date=20 February 1948 |page=1430 |supp=y }}</ref> He relinquished his commission on 1 January 1953.<ref name="LG 2 January 1953">{{London Gazette |issue=39745 |date=2 January 1953 |page=165 |supp=y }}</ref>

==Career==
In September 1949, Kerr joined the  Royal Aircraft Establishment.<ref name="obit - Times" /> As part of its ''Aero Flight'',<ref name="Who Was Who" />  he researched into factors affecting the [spinning of aircraft](/source/Spin_(flight)).<ref name="obit - Times" />

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.thetimes.com/comment/register/article/thomas-kerr-s3tdtd5dwlv Obituary - The Times]

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{{s-vac|unknown}}
{{s-ttl|title=President of the [Royal Aeronautical Society](/source/Royal_Aeronautical_Society)|years=1985&ndash;1986}}
{{s-aft|after=[John Fozard](/source/John_Fozard)}}
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{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kerr, Thomas}}
Category:1924 births
Category:2004 deaths
Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath
Category:British aerospace engineers
Category:Royal Air Force pilots of World War II
Category:Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II
Category:Alumni of University College, Durham
Category:People educated at Magnus Church of England School
Category:Royal Air Force officers

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Thomas Kerr (engineer)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Kerr_(engineer)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Kerr_(engineer)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.