Friday, December 18, 2009

ACM Thomas Neville Stack KCB CVO AFC 1919–1994


Airspeed AS.8 Viceroy, G-ACMU was crewed by Captain T. Neville Stack & S.L. Turner in the 1934 MacRobertson Air Race


Stack was born on 19 October 1919 the son of aviation pioneer T.N. Stack. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1935 as a flight cadet at RAF College Cranwell. He gained a permanent commission on 29 July 1939[1] and passed out of the College with the Sword of Honour. He spent his war service with Coastal Command serving on flying boats until transferring to Transport Command in the late 1950s. Including a tour as Deputy Captain of the Queen's Flight.
In 1967 he became commandant of the RAF College Cranwell before moving on in 1970 as a representative with CENTO. In December 1972 he was appointed as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Training Command then moved in the same role at RAF Strike Command. Between 1976 and 1978 he was Air ADC to the Queen. From February 1976 he was Air Secretary before he retired at his own request in 1978.
On retirement for the air force he became a Gentleman Usher to the Queen and then from 1989 and Extra Gentleman Usher.He also became a Freeman of the City of London. Stack died in London on 26 January 1994.