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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{about|the former Royal Air Force officer|the Scottish broadcaster|Bryan Burnett}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}<br />
{{Infobox military person<br />
|name= Sir Brian Burnett<br />
|image= ACM Sir Brian Burnett.jpg<br />
|caption= Sir Brian Burnett<br />
|birth_date= {{birth date|1913|03|10|df=yes}}<br />
|death_date = {{death date and age|2011|09|16|1913|03|10|df=yes}}<br />
|birth_place= [[Hyderabad, India]]<br />
|death_place= [[Surrey]], England<br />
|allegiance= United Kingdom<br />
|branch= [[Royal Air Force]]<br />
|serviceyears= 1932–72<br />
|rank= [[Air Chief Marshal]]<br />
|unit= <br />
|commands= [[British Far East Command|Far East Command]] (1970–72)<br/>[[Air Secretary]] (1967–70)<br/>[[Vice-Chief of the Air Staff (United Kingdom)|Vice-Chief of the Air Staff]] (1964–67)<br/>[[No. 3 Group RAF|No. 3 Group]] (1961–64)<br/>[[RAF Gaydon]] (1954–56)<br/>No. 33 Air Navigation School (1942–44)<br/>[[No. 51 Squadron RAF|No. 51 Whitley Squadron]] (1941)<br />
|battles= [[Second World War]]<br />
|awards= [[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]]<br/>[[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Flying Cross]]<br/>[[Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)|Air Force Cross]]<br />
|relations= <br />
|laterwork=<br />
}}<br />
[[Air Chief Marshal]] '''Sir Brian Kenyon Burnett''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|GCB|DFC|AFC|ADC}} (10 March 1913 – 16 September 2011) was a senior [[Royal Air Force]] officer who became [[Air Secretary]] and served as the last Commander-in-Chief of [[British Far East Command|Far East Command]].<br />
<br />
==Early life==<br />
The grandson of [[Ernest Burnett]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.burnett.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Edition-16.pdf |title=Sir Robert Burnett, Gin, Racehorses and Heraldry |publisher=burnett.uk.com |accessdate=2018-12-24}}</ref> Burnett was born in [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad]] in India, where his father was principal of [[Nizam College]]. He was educated at [[Charterhouse School]],<ref name=surrey>[http://surrey.greatbritishlife.co.uk/article/nicholas-owen-meets-sir-brian-burnett-15844/ Nicholas Owen meets Sir Brian Burnett] Surrey Life, 11 November 2009</ref> [[Heidelberg University]] and [[Wadham College, Oxford|Wadham College]] in [[Oxford]].<br />
<br />
==RAF career==<br />
[[File:Command House, Singapore.jpg|thumb|left|160px|Commander-in-Chief Far East Command Brian Burnett on the steps of Command House, Singapore with Lady Valerie Burnett]]<br />
Burnett joined the Reserve of Air Force Officers in 1932 and transferred to the RAF in 1934.<ref name=lh>{{Cite web|url=https://kingscollections.org/catalogues/lhcma|title=King's Collections : Archive Catalogues : Military Archives|website=kingscollections.org}}</ref> Burnett's name came to prominence in 1938, when he was the navigator and second pilot of a [[Vickers Wellesley|Wellesley bomber]] that completed a record-breaking non-stop flight of 7,158 miles from [[Ismailia]] in [[Egypt]] to [[Darwin, Northern Territory]], [[Australia]], for which Burnett was awarded the [[Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)|AFC]].<br />
<br />
He served in [[World War II]] as Commander of [[No. 51 Squadron RAF|No. 51 Whitley Squadron]] and then as Commander of No. 33 Air Navigation School in Canada before becoming Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters [[No. 25 Group RAF|No. 25 Group]] in 1944.<ref name=lh/><br />
<br />
After the War he became an instructor at the [[RAF Staff College, Bracknell]] and then joined the UN Military Staff Committee in [[New York (state)|New York]].<ref name=lh/> He served on the Joint Planning Staff at the [[Air Ministry]] from 1949 and became Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters [[No. 3 Group RAF|No. 3 Bomber Group]] from 1951.<ref name=lh/> He was made Station Commander at the RAF 'V' Bomber Station [[RAF Gaydon]] in 1954, Director of Bombing and Reconnaissance Operations at the Air Ministry in 1956 and Air Officer in charge of Administration at Headquarters [[RAF Bomber Command]] in 1959.<ref name=lh/><br />
<br />
He went on to be Air Officer Commanding [[No. 3 Group RAF|No. 3 Group]] in 1961, [[Vice-Chief of the Air Staff (United Kingdom)|Vice-Chief of the Air Staff]] in 1964 and [[Air Secretary]] in 1967.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=44472 |date=8 December 1967 |page=13574 |supp=y}}</ref> His last appointment was as Commander-in-Chief [[British Far East Command|Far East Command]] in [[Singapore]] in 1970 before he retired in 1972.<ref name=lh/><br />
<br />
==Wimbledon chairmanship==<br />
Upon his retirement he became Chairman of the [[All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club|All England Lawn Tennis Club]],<ref name=surrey/> a position he held for ten years until retiring in 1984. His chairmanship was highly influential in shaping the modern history of the club. The year prior to his appointment 81 players of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) had boycotted the Wimbledon Championships, and relations between the players and the club were still strained. Burnett's calm manner and patient and tactful approach smoothed the way for reconciliation. <br />
He is also credited with giving a young [[John McEnroe]] a steer in the right direction following numerous reportings of McEnroe to the referee's office.<ref name=tele>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/air-force-obituaries/8777604/Air-Chief-Marshal-Sir-Brian-Burnett.html Air Chief Marshal Sir Brian Burnett] The Telegraph, 20 September 2011</ref> Burnett also felt that the Royal Box should be utilised when members of the Royal family were not in attendance and implemented this rule.<ref name=tele/><br />
<br />
==Personal and sporting achievements==<br />
Burnett was a keen sports player and received many accolades including two [[Blue (university sport)|Blues]] at Oxford University (tennis & squash). Prior and post Second World War he won the Army squash championships and was undefeated at squash in the world from 1937 to 1939.<ref name=APAW>{{cite book|last=Burnett|first=Brian|title=A pilot at Wimbledon : the memoirs|year=2009|publisher=Blenheim|location=Codicote|isbn=978-1-906302-13-9}}</ref> He also played in the post-war [[1946 Wimbledon Championships – Men's Singles|1946 Wimbledon Championships]].<br />
<br />
He married Valerie St. Ludger (d. 2003) and continued to live an active life playing tennis and skiing until he was over 90. He is survived by his two sons Robert and Bruce.<ref name=APAW/><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
*''A Pilot at Wimbledon: the memoirs of Air Chief Marshal Sir Brian Kenyon Burnett, published by Blenheim Press, 2009, {{ISBN|978-1-906302-13-9}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist|30em}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/air-force-obituaries/8777604/Air-Chief-Marshal-Sir-Brian-Burnett.html Obituary of Air Chief Marshal Sir Brian Burnett, The Daily Telegraph, 20 September 2011]<br />
*[http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/273360 Obituary: Air Chief Marshal Sir Brian Burnett, All England Lawn Tennis Club Chairman, The Daily Express, 24 September 2011]<br />
*[http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Burnett_BK.htm Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Chief Marshal Sir Brian Burnett]<br />
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|-<br />
{{s-bef|before=[[Wallace Kyle|Sir Wallace Kyle]]}}<br />
{{s-ttl|title=[[Vice Chief of the Air Staff (United Kingdom)|Vice-Chief of the Air Staff]]|years=1964–1967}}<br />
{{s-aft|after=[[Peter Fletcher (RAF officer)|Sir Peter Fletcher]]}}<br />
|-<br />
{{s-bef|before=[[Donald Randall Evans|Sir Donald Evans]]}}<br />
{{s-ttl|title=[[Air Secretary]]|years=1967–1970}}<br />
{{s-aft|after=[[Gareth Clayton (RAF officer)|Sir Gareth Clayton]]}}<br />
|-<br />
{{s-bef|before=[[Peter Hill-Norton, Baron Hill-Norton|Sir Peter Hill-Norton]]}}<br />
{{s-ttl|title=Commander-in-Chief [[British Far East Command|Far East Command]]|years=1970–1971}}<br />
{{s-non|reason=Command disbanded<br><small>Replaced by [[ANZUK]]</small>}}<br />
|-<br />
{{s-end}}<br />
<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burnett, Brian}}<br />
[[Category:1913 births]]<br />
[[Category:2011 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:People educated at Charterhouse School]]<br />
[[Category:Royal Air Force air marshals]]<br />
[[Category:Royal Air Force personnel of World War II]]<br />
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]]<br />
[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)]]<br />
[[Category:Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)]]<br />
[[Category:Alumni of Wadham College, Oxford]]<br />
[[Category:Heidelberg University alumni]]<br />
[[Category:British male tennis players]]<br />
[[Category:Racket sportspeople from Hyderabad, India]]<br />
[[Category:British people in colonial India]]<br />
[[Category:British expatriates in Germany]]<br />
[[Category:Military personnel of British India]]</div>Bot