15 Facts About Barry North

Barry North completed a Higher National Diploma in Business Studies at Trent Polytechnic.

Barry North was awarded 'Alumnus of the Year' by Nottingham Trent University in 2011.

Barry North holds a Master of Arts in Defence Studies from King's College London.

Barry North was regraded to pilot officer in July 1983 during his flying training, and promoted to flying officer in July 1984 prior to being posted to No 72 Squadron in Northern Ireland in August of that year to fly the Westland Wessex.

Barry North transferred to a Permanent Commission in September 1986, and was promoted to flight lieutenant in January 1987, converting to the Chinook before beginning his first tour with the Special Forces Flight of No 7 Squadron at RAF Odiham in March.

Barry North then served as Aide-de-Camp to the Chief of the Defence Staff, Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir David Craig from December 1988 until March 1991, being promoted to squadron leader in January 1991, before taking command of No 78 Squadron in the Falkland Islands, flying both the Chinook and Sea King aircraft, in July.

Barry North returned to the Special Forces Flight in September 1992 as its commander, and was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1996 Birthday Honours List, having relinquished that command and joined the Army Command and Staff Course in March.

Barry North was awarded a Master of Arts in Defence Studies in 1997, having taken up the post of Personal Staff Officer to the Air Officer Commanding No 1 Group in December 1996, serving Air Vice Marshals John Day and Jock Stirrup in that role, until his promotion to wing commander in July 1998, and a transfer to Headquarters Strike Command as Wing Commander Operations.

In October 1999 Barry North took command of No 33 Squadron, flying the Puma aircraft from RAF Benson, leading the squadron on the first operation of the newly formed Joint Helicopter Command providing humanitarian aid to the people of Mozambique following catastrophic flooding in early 2000.

In 2006, as an acting air commodore, Barry North became the first commander of the newly established No 83 Expeditionary Air Group, formed to control all RAF air assets within the Middle East theatre of operations, including the commitments to Iraq and Afghanistan; he received a Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in December of that year.

In January 2007 Barry North received his substantive promotion to air commodore, and was appointed Head of Air Resources and Plans at the Ministry of Defence.

Barry North was promoted to air vice marshal and appointed Air Officer Commanding No 22 Group in July 2009, becoming Assistant Chief of the Air Staff in March 2010.

Barry North was promoted to air marshal and appointed Deputy Commander at RAF Air Command on 3 May 2013.

Barry North was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 2015 New Year Honours.

Barry North has been President of the Royal Air Forces Association since July 2017.