Educated at Newport Grammar School on the
Isle of Wight, Armitage joined the Royal Air Force's
Aircraft Apprentice Scheme at
RAF Halton in 1947. As one of the top students to graduate from the aircraft apprentice scheme, Armitage was offered a cadetship to Cranwell, and he became a pilot, his first posting upon graduation in 1953 was on
28 Sqn at
RAF Kai Tak. He was appointed Officer Commanding
No. 17 Squadron in 1967 and Station Commander at
RAF Luqa in 1972. He was then Director of Forward Policy in 1976, Deputy Commander of
RAF Germany in 1978 and Senior RAF Representative on the Directing Staff at the
Royal College of Defence Studies in 1980. He went on to be Director of Service Intelligence in 1982,
Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Intelligence) in 1983 and
Chief of Defence Intelligence in 1984. Finally he became
Air Member for Supply and Organisation in 1985,
Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies in 1988 before retiring in 1990. ==Personal life and death==