Background
Vincent was born in Trinidad, British West Indies, the son of Harry Vincent and Clarissa McClean, and educated at Queen"s Royal College.
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Claude Vincent
Edit Profilecommandant officer pilot pioneer
Career
He served in the British Army during the First World War on the Macedonian Front before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps. He was commissioned into the Royal Air Force on 11 August 1918. 31 Squadron Royal Air Force in the Third Anglo-Afghan War.
He received a Bar to his Distinguished Flying Cross in 1922.
He was granted a permanent commission in 1924. Between 1924 and 1936 Vincent was involved in experimental flying and research at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, where he became one of the Royal Air Force’s best-known test pilots.
From 1930 he was a pioneer of wireless-controlled aircraft, and after leaving Farnborough he commanded the Pilotless Aircraft Development Unit from 1936 to 1939. During the Second World War he was posted to the Middle East and became Commanding Officer of Royal Air Force Khormaksar in 1940.
In 1942 Vincent was Mentioned in Dispatches.
On 6 July 1943 he became Commandant of the Empire Central Flying School and on 15 March 1947 became Director of Flying Training in the Royal Air Force. On 13 June 1946 he was invested as a Companion of the Order of the Bath. On 15 July 1949 he was promoted to the rank of Air Vice-Marshal and Vincent was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 5 June 1952. He retired from the Royal Air Force on 29 August 1952.
Achievements
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Born
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Died
August 8, 1967 (aged 71) -
Nationality
British