William Dickson (RAF officer)

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir William Dickson
Dickson sitting down to afternoon tea while attending a conference at the Tactical Headquarters of the 8th Army, near Venafro, Italy.
Born	(1898-09-24)24 September 1898 Northwood, Middlesex
Died	12 September 1987(1987-09-12) (aged 88) RAF Hospital, Wroughton
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy (1916–18) Royal Air Force (1918–59)
Years of service	1916–1959
Rank	Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Commands held	Chief of the Defence Staff (1956–59) Chief of the Air Staff (1953–55) RAF Mediterranean & Middle East (1948–50) Desert Air Force (1944) No. 83 Group (1943–44) No. 10 Group (1942–43) No. 9 (Fighter) Group (1942) No. 25 Squadron (1935–36)
Battles/wars	First World War Second World War
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order Air Force Cross Mentioned in Despatches (3) Order of Suvorov (Soviet Union) Legion of Merit (United States)
Other work	Master of The Glass Sellers' Company

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir William Forster Dickson, GCB, KBE, DSO, AFC (24 September 1898 – 12 September 1987) was a Royal Naval Air Service aviator during the First World War, a senior officer in the Royal Air Force during the inter-war years and a Royal Air Force commander during and after the Second World War. Dickson was Chief of the Air Staff in the mid-1950s, in which role his main preoccupation was the establishment of the V Force and the necessary supporting weapons, airfields and personnel. He also served as the first Chief of the Defence Staff in the late 1950s.