AM John Joseph Breen CB, OBE
AOC, No 1 Group Bomber Command July 1940 to December 1940 during the Battle of Britain and when 103 Squadron returned from France and part of I Gp and converting from Fairey Battles to Vickers Wellingtons during this period
Breen was born 8 March 1896 the son of Inspector-General T J Breen RN, Inspector-General of Hospitals and Fleets.
Breens career path was as follows :-
1914 - Attended RMC Sandhurst
11 Aug 1915 - Officer, Royal Irish Regiment. MC
Nov 1915 - U/T Pilot, RFC
He gained Royal Aero Club Certificate No 2103 on 18 November 1915
23 Feb 1916 - Officer, RFC
19 Mar 1916 - Pilot, 24 Squadron flying DH2s
DH2
17 Dec 1916 - Adjutant, 14th Wing RFC. (Western Front Italy)
31 Oct 1917 - Staff Officer, No 51 Wing
14 Sep 1918 - Staff Officer 3rd Class, HQ RAF Flanders and France
1918/19 - Staff Officer, HQ 10 Brigade
1 Aug 1919 - Resigned his commission in the Royal Irish Regiment on appointment to a Permanent Commission in the RAE
1 Aug 1919 - Awarded Permanent Commission as a Captain
28 May 1920 - Adjutant, MT Repair Depot
8 Nov 1922 - Deputy Directorate of Organisation
10 May 1926 - Attended RAF Staff College
30 Jul 1927 - Supernumerary - Refresher course, 24 Squadron
23 Feb 1928 - En-route to Iraq
1928 - Officer Commanding, 55 Squadron.
9 Apr 1928 - Officer, Armoured Car Wing, Iraq. (OC, Armoured Car Company/Section?)
RAF Rolls Royce Armoured Car
22 Oct 1928 - Officer Commanding, 84 Squadron. (DH9A, Wapiti — Shaibah)
Westland Wapiti
27 Oct 1929 - Officer Commanding, 33 Squadron. (Hart — Eastchurch/Bicester)
1 Jan 1931 - Supernumerary, RAF Depot.
19 Jan 1931 - Attended Imperial Defence College. 2 Jan 1932: Air Staff, HQ Wessex Bombing Area.
1 Oct 1933 - Air Staff, HQ Western Area
20-21 Feb 1935: Placed on half pay list, scale A.
22 Feb 1935 - Attached for Air Staff duties, HQ, Sudan Defence Force
27 Nov 1937 - SASO, HQ No 4 (Bomber) Group
27 Jun 1940 - AOC (Designate), No 1 Group
1 Jul 1940 - AOC, No 1 Group
1 Dec 1940 - Director of Postings
1942 - Director-General of Postings
1 Dec 1944 - Head of Post-War Planning Executive.
Retired 2 May 1946
Died 9 May 1964 - Greystones, County Wicklow, Ireland
Buried at Redford Cemetery Greystones, County Wicklow, Ireland
Compiled by David Fell. Photos from my archive
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