1. Lewis Hodges was educated at St Paul's School in Barnes and joined the Royal Air Force College Cranwell in 1937.
21 Facts About Lewis Hodges
1. 2.
Lewis Hodges escaped from custody at Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort, near Nimes, and crossed the Pyrenees into Spain, only to be arrested and imprisoned at Miranda del Ebro.
3.
Lewis Hodges was eventually released some weeks later, reaching Gibraltar and then returning to England in June 1941.
4.
Lewis Hodges was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in May 1942, while commanding a flight of No 49 Squadron, for operations including attacks on the German small battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau in February 1942.
5.
Lewis Hodges became the commander of No 161 Squadron in May 1943, and was promoted to squadron leader.
6.
Lewis Hodges attended the RAF Staff College in 1944, and served with the Bomber Command operations staff.
7.
Lewis Hodges was selected to serve in the Far East as a staff officer to Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory.
8.
Fortunately for Lewis Hodges, this meant that he did not fly to India with Leigh-Mallory: the aircraft crashed in the Alps, killing all on board.
9.
Lewis Hodges received a Bar to his DSO in October 1945 for his services in the Far East.
10.
Lewis Hodges commanded the RAF team of three Canberras in the London to New Zealand Air Race in October 1953.
11.
Lewis Hodges was in the lead until he suffered from engine problems, and ended fourth.
12.
Lewis Hodges commanded RAF Marham from 1956, while the RAF was converted to V bombers.
13.
Lewis Hodges received an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1953, became a group captain in 1957, and advanced to Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1958.
14.
Lewis Hodges was Assistant Commandant of the RAF College in Cranwell from 1959 to 1961, and became an air commodore in 1961.
15.
Lewis Hodges attended the Imperial Defence College in 1963, was promoted to air vice marshal, and appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath, and then served at SHAPE headquarters.
16.
Lewis Hodges was promoted to air marshal in 1968, and advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.
17.
Lewis Hodges served as NATO Deputy Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Central Europe and as Air Aide-de-Camp to the Queen from 1973 to 1976.
18.
Lewis Hodges was a director of Pilkington Brothers from 1979 to 1983, and a governor of BUPA from 1987.
19.
Lewis Hodges served as chairman of the governors of the Duke of Kent School and of the education committee of the RAF Benevolent Fund from 1979 to 1986.
20.
Lewis Hodges was as president of the Royal Air Forces Escaping Society from 1979 to 1995, of the Royal Air Force Association from 1981 to 1984, and of the Special Forces Club and the RAF Club.
21.
Lewis Hodges lived near Sevenoaks in Kent, and became a Deputy Lieutenant of Kent in 1992.