The Haileybury Society is saddened to learn of the death of Air Vice-Marshal Donald Laurence Attlee, CB, LVO, DL (B & L 36), who has died on 28th April 2021, aged 98.

Nephew of the 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS (L 1896), Donald joined the RAF to become a flying officer immediately after leaving Haileybury in 1940 before working as a pilot trainer in Canada (1942-44); eventually becoming a Flying Instructor before joining the staff of Training Command in 1949. He remained with the RAF for the rest of his career, including with 12 Squadron (19g52-54).

Air Vice-Marshal Donald Attlee, CB (B & L 36)

(Above: Air Vice Marshal Donald Attlee, CB, LVO, DL (B & L 36) – courtesy of the Daily Telegraph)

He then enjoyed spells with the Air Ministry, Air Staff (1954-55); the RAF Staff College (1956); 59 Squadron (1957-59); and also served as Commanding Officer, The Queen’s Flight [Wing Commander] 1960-63. Later he moved to HQ RAF Germany, (1964-67); was CO at RAF Brize Norton (1968-69) and served with Imperial Defence College and the MoD Policy Staff in the early 1970s before becoming Director of RAF Recruiting and then Air Commodore, Intelligence (1974-75) and AOA Training Command (1975-77) before retiring.

Detention in Africa and flying with Prince Philip

His career featured many highlights, not least of which being arrested at an airfield in Mali when on a “testing flight” in a twin-engined DH Heron to assess the route for a Royal visit to Ghana in 1961. Having already been in discussions with the French authorities about landing en route it seems that the airfield at Gao in Mali had not been informed of his plans; on arrival he was detained at a less-than-splendid Hotel Splendide whilst awaiting clearance which eventually came. The resulting Royal visit ended with Attlee returning to Great Britain alongside Prince Philip, who also helped pilot the aircraft.

Cold War trickery

During the Cold War, he was also involved with an operation centred on the recovery of secret RADAR equipment installed in a Russian Yak fighter which had crashed into Lake Stoessensee in the British sector of West Berlin in 1966. In a brilliant operation typical of the period, the Russians were stalled whilst the British got to work; eventually the rest of the aircraft and the deceased crew were returned to Russia. Yet the RADAR, said the British, had been ‘unrecoverable’, an obfuscated claim disguising the equipment’s subsequent appearance at the RAE at Farnborough for further evaluation…

A proud Haileyburian, in later life Donald became a fruit farmer, as well as being Chairman of the Mid Devon Business Club 1985-87 and Deputy Lieutenant for Devon, 1991, Donald was appointed LVO in 1964, and CB in 1978.

The Haileybury Society sends its deepest condolences to the Attlee family at this difficult time. A full obituary will appear in due course.

(We are grateful to the Daily Telegraph for some of the information contained in this obituary)