Leonard Slatter

Sir Leonard Horatio Slatter
Air Vice Marshal Sir Leonard Slatter c.1943
Born	(1894-12-08)8 December 1894 Durban, South Africa
Died	14 April 1961(1961-04-14) (aged 66) Uxbridge, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy (1914–18) Royal Air Force (1918–49)
Years of service	1914–49
Rank	Air Marshal
Commands held	Coastal Command (1945–48) No. 15 Group (1943–45) No. 9 (Fighter) Group (1942) No. 201 (Naval Co-operation) Group (1941–42) No. 203 Group (1940–41) RAF Bassingbourn (1939) RAF Feltwell (1937–39) RAF Tangmere (1935–37) No. 43 Squadron (1930–31) RAF Hornchurch (1929–30) No. 111 Squadron (1929–30) No. 19 Squadron (1929) High Speed Flight (1926–28) RAF Base Malta (1924–26) No. 230 Squadron (1922–23) No. 203 Squadron (1921)
Battles/wars	First World War Second World War
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companion of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Cross & Bar Distinguished Flying Cross Mentioned in Despatches Order of Saint Stanislaus, 2nd Class (Russia) Grand Commander of the Royal Order of George I (Greece)

Air Marshal Sir Leonard Horatio Slatter, KBE, CB, DSC & Bar, DFC, DL (8 December 1894 – 14 April 1961) was a naval aviator during the First World War and a senior Royal Air Force commander during the Second World War. Slatter ended his career as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Coastal Command.

Slatter was born in Durban, South Africa on 8 December 1894. He received his education at Dale College and Selborne College in South Africa and then at Battersea Polytechnic, training to be a civil engineer.

With the outbreak of the First World War he joined the Royal Navy. He initially served as a dispatch rider in the Naval Armoured Car Division before transferring to the Royal Naval Air Service in 1915. After successfully completing his observer training, Slatter was posted in February 1916 to the Seaplane Squadron at Dunkirk.

In July 1916 Slatter started his training to be a naval pilot and later in that year he commenced flying duties at Royal Naval Air Station Dover. February 1917 saw Slatter posted to the Seaplane Defence Flight (later to become No. 13 (Naval) Squadron and then No. 213 Squadron RAF) as a pilot operating out of Dunkirk. During this time Slatter shot down six enemy aircraft, and was advanced from pilot to flight commander.