Strafford was
commissioned into the
Royal Naval Air Service in 1917 during the
First World War. He was promoted to flight lieutenant in 1924. In 1930 he became a Flight Commander with
No. 6 Squadron. He served in the
Second World War as Officer Commanding the Advanced Headquarters (North) of the British Air Forces in France before becoming deputy director of Plans at the
Air Ministry in 1940. He was made Head British Air Planner for the
Combined Chiefs of Staff in
Washington D. C. in 1941, before joining the staff of the Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander (COSSAC) in 1943 and becoming Chief of Plans and Operations for
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force in 1944. After serving as the Air Officer Administration at
Middle East Command, Strafford was appointed
Air Officer Commanding Air HQ Iraq and Persia in July 1945. After the War he became Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters
RAF Bomber Command before becoming
Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment in 1950 and
Inspector-General of the RAF in 1952. Strafford was one of the representatives of the RAF at the funeral of
King George VI. He retired in 1954. ==References==