Career
Educated at Newport Grammar School on the Isle of Wight, Armitage joined the Royal Air Force as an apprentice at Royal Air Force Halton in 1947. He was appointed Officer Commanding Number. 17 Squadron in 1967 and Station Commander at Royal Air Force Luqa in 1972.
He was then Director of Forward Policy in 1976, Deputy Commander of Royal Air Force Germany in 1978 and Senior Royal Air Force Representative on the Directing Staff at the Royal College of Defence Studies in 1980.
He went on to be Director of Service Intelligence in 1982, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Intelligence) in 1983 and Chief of Defence Intelligence in 1984. Finally he became Air Member for Supply and Organisation in 1985, Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies in 1988 before retiring in 1990.
