Rolf Dudley-Williams

Sir Rolf Dudley Dudley-Williams, 1st Baronet (17 June 1908 – 8 October 1987), born Rolf Dudley Williams, was a British aeronautical engineer and Conservative Party politician.

Williams was born in Plymouth and educated at Plymouth College. He joined the Royal Air Force cadet scheme in 1926 and studied at the Royal Air Force College at Cranwell. He was gazetted in 1928 and appointed a Flying Officer in 1930. From 1933 he was stationed at the Central Flying School, but the next year an injury saw him invalided out of the service.

Deciding to go into business, Williams joined with fellow Cranwell pupil Frank Whittle and fellow ex-RAF officer James Collingwood Tinling to set up Power Jets Ltd in 1936 to develop Whittle's idea of jet engines for aircraft. In 1941 he was appointed Managing Director, and in 1944 he joined the Council of the Society of British Aircraft Constructors and was made a Companion of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

At the 1950 general election, Williams was Conservative candidate for Brierley Hill in Staffordshire but lost to Labour. He was then selected for Exeter, a Conservative held seat, and won it at the 1951 general election.