J. E. S. de Graft-Hayford
| John Ebenezer Samuel de Graft-Hayford | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Nickname(s) | Chocolate Kid or Johnnie |
| Born | 1912 United Kingdom |
| Died | 2002 London |
| Allegiance |
 Ghana
|
| Service/branch |
 Ghana Air Force
|
| Rank | Chief of Air Staff |
John Ebenezer Samuel de Graft-Hayford (1912–2002) was Ghana's first Ghanaian Chief of Air Staff. He became the first indigenous Air Force Commander in Ghana and Black Sub-Saharan Africa. He was also acting Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) for a brief period in 1962.
He was born in the United Kingdom of Ghanaian origin, and also had Dutch and German maternal bloodlines. Among other earlier achievements he showed an excellence in sport, particularly the art of boxing.
Born in the UK in 1912, he returned to Ghana with his parents and his newly born sister, Mary Ruth Ernestina, Edmondson (née Hayford), in 1914, commencing formal education in 1916 at the Baptist School in Accra. Between 1916 and 1922, he studied at a Pedagogium in Godesberg, Germany. He attended the Bellahouston Academy and Ibrox Public School in Glasgow, Scotland (1925–28), then went on to the Baptist Collegiate School, Accra (1929–30). Between 1931 and 1939, he passed several courses in: Infantry and Army Signals Training, Shorthand, Typing and Short-Story Writing, qualifying through the Regent Institute of Journalism. In 1941, he passed the Royal Air Force RAF medical examination, after treatment for a broken jaw sustained in the sport of boxing, and passed the Non-Commissioned Officers courses in 1943. In 1944, he qualified in the issuing and handling of Supplies; Accounting; Inspection of Food Stuffs; Warehousing; Baking; Butchery; Vehicle Mechanics and Operational Driving. In 1945, he studied course subjects as an external student of London University, as well as military matters such as Leadership Potential and all basic Infantry subjects. He matriculated in September 1945. In 1946, he passed all Transport and Service subjects with high grades and passed his inter-B.Sc. Economics Degree from London University in November, 1947. In 1951, he received his Diploma in Public Administration from London University by private study and was awarded the title of Fellow of the Economic Society of Ghana in 1958. In 1966, he gained his B.Sc in Economics.
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