Francis John Linnell

Air Marshal Sir Francis John Linnell, (16 March 1892 – 3 November 1944) was a senior Royal Air Force commander during the Second World War. He was Controller of Research and Development of the Ministry of Aircraft Production during the development of the Bouncing bomb, the weapon eventually employed in Operation Chastise. 'Jack' was dubbed Sir Francis in the desert in front of the British press by King George VI and posthumously appointed Commander of the Legion of Merit by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Francis John Linnell was born on Isle of Thanet, Margate and was educated at Bloxham School. Linnell joined the Royal Naval Reserve as temporary warrant-telegraphist in September 1914, serving with the Royal Naval Air Service in France and Belgium. He learnt to fly at the Grahame-White Flying School Hendon. Flying a Grahame-White Biplane he gained Royal Aero Club Certificate No.1338 in June 1915. Flt Sub-Lt Linnell was responsible for carrying out trials in a special Blackburn-built B.E.2c. The unique aircraft No.3999 was ordered by Admiralty for W/T experiments, it was fitted with a 70 hp Renault engine and had a top speed of 72 mph. Blackburn-built B.E.2cs are recognisable by the ringed airscrew motif on the fin and saw active service in every theatre during the war. From March 1916 till the end of 1919 he served with the Grand Fleet as a pilot on , and and was mentioned in despatches twice. He ended the Great War with a permanent commission of captain in the newly formed Royal Air Force. The Dunning Memorial Cup, given annually to the officer that has done the most to further aviation in connection with the fleet, was awarded Linnell in 1920 "... for flights which led to important developments in artillery and reconnaissance observation." From 1920 he worked as a Royal Air Force (RAF) Communications Officer at the Department of Civil Aviation, then transferred to Signals Staff duties at the Air Ministry in 1925. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in June 1923, the citation reads, "This officer has done exceptionally good work in connection with Signals.