William Mann (RAF officer)


William Edward George Mann CB, CBE, DFC was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force and a flying ace of the First World War credited with thirteen confirmed aerial victories. In later years, he specialized in signals and communications work, and was instrumental in developing mobile radars and signal units for the RAF in the Second World War.
After his retirement from military service, Mann became the Director of Telecommunications of the Ministry of Civil Aviation from 1948 to 1950. He then became Director-General of Civil Aviation Navigational Services until his final retirement in 1959.

First World War

Mann began his military career as a Sopwith Camel pilot in the Royal Naval Air Service in 1917. It took him several months before he was successful, but from 8 May through 26 September 1918, he scored thirteen aerial victories while with 208 Squadron. His final tally was six German planes destroyed, and seven more driven down out of control.

Aerial victory list

No.Date/timeFoeResultLocationNotes
18 May 1918 @ 1115 hoursAlbatros D.V fighterDriven down out of controlProvin
29 May 1918 @ 1345 hoursAlbatros D.VDriven down out of controlPhalempin
38 July 1918 @ 0810 hoursRumpler reconnaissance craftDestroyed1 mile southwest of EstairesVictory shared with another pilot
431 July 1918 @ 2020 hoursAlbatros D.VDestroyedSouthwest of DouaiVictory shared with another pilot
59 August 1918 @ 1125 hoursFokker D.VII fighterDriven down out of controlNesle
616 August 1918 @ 0905 hoursHannover reconnaissance craftDestroyedOppy, Pas-de-Calais
727 August 1918 @ 0750 hoursFokker D.VIISet afire and destroyedSouth of the Scarpe River
81 September 1918 @ 1000 hoursDFW reconnaissance craftDriven down out of controlNorth of Gloster Wood
93 September 1918 @ 1425 hoursFokker D.VIIDriven down out of controlMarquion
106 September 1918 @ 1830 hoursFokker D.VIISet afire and destroyedCanal du Nord
116 September 1918 @ 1830 hoursFokker D.VIIDriven down out of controlCanal du Nord
1225 September 1918 @ 1750 hoursHalberstadt reconnaissance craftDestroyedGouy
1326 September 1918 @ 1840 hoursDriven down out of controlSoutheast of St. Quentin

Interbellum

Mann spent a period of unemployment for some months as the new Royal Air Force downsized and reorganized. He spent 1920 in various instructor training courses. In 1921, he participated in the second Hendon Air Pageant; he also served on the Central Flying School's five man aerobatic team flying Sopwith Snipes along with Arthur Coningham. Mann would return to this team in 1924. They were the first to fly an inverted formation at Hendon.
Beginning 10 January 1926, he attended Electrical and Wireless School. Signals would become his specialty for the remainder of his career. He attended the RAF Staff College, Andover, beginning the course on 21 January 1936, before shipping out to the Middle East.

Second World War

Mann continued to serve in the Mid East and Mediterranean; he helped develop mobile radar and signals units that served as models for the entire RAF. He served through the war, retiring on 18 April 1945.

Later life

Mann's expertise in signals took him into civil service on familiar ground. He became the Civil Aviation Signals representative in Cairo, starting in 1945. He moved on to become the Director of Telecommunications of the Ministry of Civil Aviation from 1948 to 1950. He then became Director-General of Civil Aviation Navigational Services until his second retirement in 1959. He would spend the next two years representing the Decca Navigator Company before returning to England.
Mann died on 4 May 1966.

Promotions in rank

-Transferred to Unemployed List on 27 August 1919-