Allan Marshall (RAF officer)

Air Marshal Allan Paul Marshall, OBE is a senior Royal Air Force officer, who since March 2024 has been Air and Space Commander.

Allan Marshall
Marshall in 2024
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1991–present
Rank	Air Marshal
Commands	No. 1 Group RAF RAF Waddington No. V (AC) Squadron
Battles / wars	Iraq War War in Afghanistan
Awards	Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Spouse(s)	Air Vice-Marshal Suraya Marshall

Early life and education

Marshall studied engineering at Pembroke College, Cambridge,^[1] graduating from the University of Cambridge with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree.^[2]

RAF career

Marshall was commissioned into the Royal Air Force (RAF) on 2 September 1991 with the rank of acting pilot officer.^[3] Having completed an in-service degree, he was re-graded as a pilot officer on 15 July 1994.^[2][4] He was promoted to flying officer on 15 January 1995 with seniority in that rank from 15 July 1992.^[5] His early career consisted of flying the Harrier jump jet.^[4]

He served as officer commanding No. V (AC) Squadron.^[1] He went on to become station commander at RAF Waddington in March 2016,^[6][7] and Head of Military Operations in the Ministry of Defence in December 2018.^[8]

In February 2020 it was announced that he would be appointed to the post of Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group with effect from March 2020.^[9] On 22 November 2021, Marshall took up the post of Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Operations & Commitments) in succession to Major General Charles Stickland.^[10] On 8 March 2024, he was promoted to air marshal and appointed as Air and Space Commander in succession to Harvey Smyth.^[11][12]

Marshall was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2014 New Year Honours.^[13]

Personal life

Marshall is married to Air Vice-Marshal Suraya Marshall, and together they have two children.^[14]