Wing Commander John Henson

WING Commander John Henson, who has died aged 69, was awarded the OBE – he already had an MBE – following the Desert Storm operation in 1991.

The MBE was for his behind-the-scenes contribution to operations carried out during the 1982 Falklands War.

One such was Operation Black Buck which involved Vulcan bombers, supported by Victor tankers, flying from the Ascension Islands to attack the Falklands capital Port Stanley, the longest range air attacks in history at the time.

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John Henson had earlier played a significant role in the training and formation of the Jaguar ground attack, reconnaissance and strike force, which was to become a major part of the RAF's front-line for more than 30 years.

It was he who introduced the US-developed head-up displays which guided Jaguar pilots during Desert Storm.

John was born in Leeds, the eldest of three boys. Their father Dr H Henson was a lecturer in zoology at Leeds University.

He went to Leeds Grammar School, but his hopes of training to be a vet were frustrated because at that time he needed a foreign language as one of his qualifications, and although he later became fluent in French, he had none at A-level.

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He had several jobs before finally joining the Royal Air Force as a commissioned officer in 1962.

His first posting, from 1964 to 1966, was with 208 Squadron, flying Hunters in Bahrain. He returned to the UK, joining 1 Squadron at RAF Wittering. From there he joined 229 Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) as an instructor, and for most of 1968 he lived and worked in Beirut as an Air Advisor to the Lebanon Air Force.

He returned to 229 OCU, and in 1974 was posted to Lossiemouth as Squadron Leader, flying Jaguars. There followed his important contribution to the operational effectiveness of that aircraft.

In 1977 he was transferred to Germany, was seconded to NATO and on his return to the UK was posted to RAF Farnborough and from there, during the FallkandsWar, he helped plan and command missions against the Argentinians. He was awarded the MBE in 1984 for that work.

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In 1984, he also joined the department of the Assistant Chief of the Air Staff, and it was there that he was involved in the planning of missions during Desert Storm – the liberation of Kuwait after its invasion by Iraqi soldiers under Saddam Hussein.

He was awarded the OBE before retiring as Wing Commander in 1991 to become a full-time carer for his wife Denise who had been diagnosed with MS in 1976 and was by then wheelchair bound. He was dedicated to his family, and especially to Denise who died in December 2001.

Their meeting had come about through their shared love of horse riding.

John was one of the first pupils to be taken on by Yolande Beaumont when all she had for her riding school was a green shed in a fieldamong the northern suburbs of Leeds.

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Denise Bellwood went to work for her after she established Westways Riding School in Thorner, andJohn, who was by this time a Royal Air Force Pilot, met her there during one of his visits to see how the school was getting on.

They were married in 1968, and honeymooned in the Yorkshire Dales before heading off to live in Beirut.

Horses were always a major part of John's life; he enjoyed playing polo for the Royal Air Force, and competing at horse trials wherever and whenever he could.

He is survived by his sons Greg and Ant and two grandsons and a granddaughter.

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