Leigh-Mallory, Air Marshal Sir Trafford

Leigh-Mallory, Air Marshal Sir Trafford (1892–1944),British airman who was C-in-C of the Allied Expeditionary Air Force during the Normandy landings in June 1944 (see OVERLORD).

After serving in the British Army and then the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War, Leigh-Mallory was commissioned into the newly formed RAF in 1919. By 1938 he was an air vice-marshal commanding No. 12 Fighter Group which, during the battle of Britain, defended the Midlands. When requested, it supported Park's No. 11 Fighter Group defending south-east England. But Leigh-Mallory's methods, in particular his support for ‘Big Wing’ tactics (see fighters, 2), were controversial and this led to increasing differences between Leigh-Mallory on the one hand and Park and Dowding, C-in-C Fighter Command, on the other. These continued after Dowding was replaced in November 1940 and to end them Park was replaced by Leigh-Mallory in December 1940; and Leigh-Mallory then pushed for ‘Big Wing’ offensive operations over France, which, with hindsight, were of doubtful value (see rhubarbs and circuses).

In July 1942 Leigh-Mallory was promoted acting air marshal and in August commanded the air operation covering the Dieppe raid. In November 1942 he was appointed C-in-C Fighter Command and the following December was confirmed as C-in-C Allied Expeditionary Air Force for the Normandy landings with the rank of air chief marshal, a post in which he unhappily found himself sandwiched between Tedder on the one hand and Coningham on the other. His job of co-ordinating the tactical air forces was finished by October 1944, and the following month, while flying to take up a new appointment as AOC-in-C South-East Asia Command, his aircraft crashed and he was killed. He was knighted in 1943.