View source for Barry North

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox military person
|name= Sir Barry North
|image= Sir Baz North (cropped).jpg
|image_size= 
|alt= 
|caption= Air Marshal North in 2019
|birth_date= {{birth date and age|1959|09|13|df=yes}}
|birth_place= 
|death_date= 
|death_place= 
|nickname = Baz
|allegiance= United Kingdom
|branch= [[Royal Air Force]]
|serviceyears= 1982–2016
|rank= [[Air Marshal]]
|commands= [[Air Member for Personnel]] (2013–16)<br/>[[No. 22 Group RAF|No. 22 (Training) Group]] (2009–10)<br/>[[No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group (United Kingdom)|No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group]] (2006)<br/>[[RAF Aldergrove]] (2004–06)<br/>[[No. 33 Squadron RAF|No. 33 Squadron]] (1999–2002)<br/>Special Forces Flight, [[No. 7 Squadron RAF|No. 7 Squadron]] (1992–96)<br/>[[No. 78 Squadron RAF|No. 78 Squadron]] (1991–92)
|battles= [[Operation Banner]]
|awards= [[Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath]]<br/>[[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]]<br/>[[Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service]]
|relations= 
|laterwork= 
}}

[[Air Marshal]] '''Sir Barry Mark North''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|KCB|OBE}} (born 13 September 1959) is a retired senior [[Royal Air Force]] officer, who served as Deputy Commander (Personnel) at [[RAF Air Command]]. A helicopter pilot, North has held command appointments at all levels, notably [[No. 78 Squadron RAF|No. 78 Squadron]] in the [[Falkland Islands]], the Special Forces Flight as a [[squadron leader]] and the newly established [[No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group (United Kingdom)|No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group]] in the Middle East as an [[air commodore]].

==Early life and education==
North was born in September 1959. He was educated at [[Carre's Grammar School]] in Sleaford.<ref name=RAF_Bio /> He completed a [[Higher National Diploma]] in Business Studies at Trent Polytechnic (a predecessor of [[Nottingham Trent University]]).<ref name=RAF_Bio >{{cite web |url= http://www.raf.mod.uk/organisation/acas.cfm |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120318044451/http://www.raf.mod.uk/organisation/acas.cfm |url-status= dead |archive-date= 18 March 2012 |title= Assistant Chief of the Air Staff |publisher= Royal Air Force |accessdate= 31 August 2012}}</ref> He was awarded 'Alumnus of the Year' by Nottingham Trent University in 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ntu.ac.uk/apps/student_profiles/123309/39/air_vice-marshal_baz_north.aspx |title=Air Vice Marshal 'Baz' North (contains video interview) |publisher=Nottingham Trent University |accessdate=14 September 2012}}</ref> He also holds a Master of Arts in Defence Studies from [[King's College London]].<ref name=RAF_Bio />

==Military career==
North was commissioned as an acting [[pilot officer]] in July 1982 – initially on a Short Service Commission<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=49069|supp=y|page=10138|date=2 August 1982}}</ref> – having won two trophies during Initial Officer Training.<ref name=RAF_Bio /> He was regraded to pilot officer in July 1983<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=49434|supp=y|page=10182|date=1 August 1983}}</ref> during his flying training, and promoted to [[flying officer]] in July 1984<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=49820|supp=y|page=10434|date=30 July 1984}}</ref> prior to being posted to [[No. 72 Squadron RAF|No. 72 Squadron]] in Northern Ireland in August of that year to fly the [[Westland Wessex]].<ref name=RAF_Bio />

North transferred to a Permanent Commission in September 1986,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=50726|supp=y|page=15160|date=24 November 1986}}</ref> and was promoted to [[flight lieutenant]] in January 1987,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=50826|supp=y|page=1777|date=9 May 1987}}</ref> converting to the [[Boeing Chinook (UK variants)|Chinook]] before beginning his first tour with the Special Forces Flight of [[No. 7 Squadron RAF|No. 7 Squadron]] at [[RAF Odiham]] in March.<ref name=RAF_Bio /> He then served as [[Aide-de-Camp]] to the [[Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)|Chief of the Defence Staff]], Marshal of the Royal Air Force [[David Craig, Baron Craig of Radley|Sir David Craig]] from December 1988 until March 1991,<ref name=RAF_Bio /> being promoted to [[squadron leader]] in January 1991,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=52591|supp=y|pages=10091–10092|date=1 July 1991}}</ref> before taking command of [[No. 78 Squadron RAF|No. 78 Squadron]] in the [[Falkland Islands]], flying both the Chinook and [[Westland Sea King|Sea King]] aircraft, in July.<ref name=RAF_Bio />

North returned to the Special Forces Flight in September 1992 as its commander,<ref name=RAF_Bio /> and was appointed a [[Member of the Order of the British Empire]] in the 1996 [[Birthday Honours List]],<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=54427|pages=5–8|date=14 June 1996}}</ref> having relinquished that command and joined the Army Command and Staff Course in March.<ref name=RAF_Bio /> He was awarded a [[Master of Arts]] in Defence Studies in 1997, having taken up the post of Personal Staff Officer to the Air Officer Commanding [[No. 1 Group RAF|No. 1 Group]] in December 1996, serving Air Vice Marshals [[John Day (RAF officer)|John Day]] and [[Jock Stirrup]] in that role,<ref name=RAF_Bio /> until his promotion to [[Wing commander (rank)|wing commander]] in July 1998,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=55187|supp=y|page=7376|date=6 July 1998}}</ref> and a transfer to Headquarters [[RAF Strike Command|Strike Command]] as Wing Commander Operations.<ref name=RAF_Bio />

In October 1999 North took command of [[No. 33 Squadron RAF|No. 33 Squadron]], flying the [[Aerospatiale Puma|Puma]] aircraft from [[RAF Benson]], leading the squadron on the first operation of the newly formed [[Joint Helicopter Command]] (JHC) providing humanitarian aid to the people of Mozambique following catastrophic flooding in early 2000.<ref name=RAF_Bio /> In May 2002 North moved to Headquarters JHC as Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff – Personnel, Policy & Plans and Communications,<ref name=RAF_Bio /> his promotion to [[group captain]] following in January 2003.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=56811|supp=y|page=129|date=7 January 2003}}</ref> Having led the planning for JHC's role in the [[invasion of Iraq]],<ref name=RAF_Bio /> he was upgraded to [[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]] in the 2003 [[New Year Honours List]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=56797|supp=y|pages=4–6|date=31 December 2002}}</ref> In April 2004 he was appointed the Station Commander of [[RAF Aldergrove]], also concurrently holding the positions of Senior RAF Officer Northern Ireland and Commander Joint Helicopter Force Northern Ireland.<ref name=RAF_Bio />

In 2006, as an acting [[air commodore]], North became the first commander of the newly established [[No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group (United Kingdom)|No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group]], formed to control all RAF air assets within the Middle East theatre of operations, including the commitments to Iraq and Afghanistan;<ref name=RAF_Bio /> he received a [[Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service]] in December of that year.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=58183|supp=y|page=17360|date=15 December 2006}}</ref> In January 2007 North received his substantive promotion to air commodore,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=58206|supp=y|page=18042|date=2 January 2007}}</ref> and was appointed Head of Air Resources and Plans at the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/03842F2D_1143_EC82_2E9354529F6416D2.doc |title=Air Rank Appointments List 07/06 |publisher=Royal Air Force |accessdate=14 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004033615/http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/03842F2D_1143_EC82_2E9354529F6416D2.doc |archive-date=4 October 2012 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

North was promoted to [[air vice marshal]] and appointed Air Officer Commanding [[No. 22 Group RAF|No. 22 (Training) Group]] in July 2009,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/0A01BEEB_1143_EC82_2EECD1B592959ED2.doc |title=Air Rank Appointments List 07/08 |publisher=Royal Air Force |accessdate=14 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404182946/http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/0A01BEEB_1143_EC82_2EECD1B592959ED2.doc |archive-date=4 April 2012 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> becoming [[Assistant Chief of the Air Staff]] in March 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/9FA1EB3F_5056_A318_A8DBF8B00368CAC7.doc |title=Air Rank Appointments List 08/09 |publisher=Royal Air Force |accessdate=14 September 2012}}</ref> He was promoted to [[air marshal]] and appointed Deputy Commander (Personnel) at [[RAF Air Command]] on 3 May 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defenceviewpoints.co.uk/defence-news/ups-and-outs-july-2013|title=Ups and outs July 2013|publisher=Defence Viewpoints|accessdate=14 July 2013}}</ref> He was appointed [[Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath]] (KCB) in the [[2015 New Year Honours]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=61092|supp=y|page=N3|date=31 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-year-honours-for-service-personnel-and-defence-civilians-2015|title=New Year Honours for service personnel and defence civilians 2015|accessdate=31 December 2014}}</ref>

North retired from the RAF in May 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/organisation/senior-appointments.cfm|title=Senior appointments|publisher=RAF|date=April 2016|accessdate=27 April 2016}}</ref> He has been President of the [[Royal Air Forces Association]] (RAFA) since July 2017.<ref>{{cite web|title=New leadership for Royal Air Forces Association|url=https://www.rafa.org.uk/blog/2017/07/26/new-leadership-for-royal-air-forces-association/|website=RAF Association|accessdate=22 March 2018|date=26 July 2017}}</ref><ref name="WW 2018">{{cite web|title=North, Air Marshal Sir Barry Mark, (Air Marshal Sir Baz)|website=[[Who's Who 2018]]|publisher=Oxford University Press|accessdate=22 March 2018|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.249573|date=1 December 2017|isbn=978-0-19-954088-4 |url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-249573}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-new}}
{{s-ttl | title = Air Officer Commanding [[No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group (United Kingdom)|No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group]] | years= February – September 2006 }}
{{s-aft | after = [[Clive Bairsto]] }}
{{s-bef | before = [[Andrew Pulford]] }}
{{s-ttl | title = Head of Air Resources and Plans, Ministry of Defence | years = 2007–2009}}
{{s-aft | after = S K P Reynolds }}
{{s-bef | before = [[Richard Garwood]] }}
{{s-ttl | title = Air Officer Commanding [[No 22 Group RAF|No. 22 (Training) Group]] | years = 2009–2010 }}
{{s-aft | after = M C Green }}
{{s-bef | before = [[Tim Anderson (RAF officer)|Tim Anderson]] }}
{{s-ttl | title = [[Assistant Chief of the Air Staff]] | years = 2010–2013 }}
{{s-aft | after =[[Edward Stringer]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Andrew Pulford]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Deputy Commander-in-Chief Personnel [[RAF Air Command|Air Command]]<br/>[[Air Member for Personnel]]|years=2013–2016}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Sean Reynolds (RAF officer)|Sean Reynolds]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:North, Barry}}
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of King's College London]]
[[Category:Alumni of Nottingham Trent University]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force air marshals]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Commendation for Valuable Service]]
[[Category:Helicopter pilots]]
[[Category:People educated at Carre's Grammar School]]