Air Vice-Marshal Professor Tony Mason, leading thinker on defence and air power – obituary
Air Vice-Marshal Professor Tony Mason, who has died aged 91, held numerous posts in the RAF, and established a reputation as one of the foremost thinkers on defence matters and particularly air power.
In 1976, the then Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Neil Cameron, created the post of Director of Defence Studies to give a new stimulus to air-power thinking throughout the Air Force. Although tactical operations and doctrine were constantly being reviewed, Cameron believed there was a need to stimulate officers to think at a philosophical level about air power: to study the theory and characteristics of waging war in the air, how it was evolving, and how it fitted into the wider political and strategic arena. This would include reviewing previous campaigns and drawing lessons for the future.
Mason, who served in the Education Branch as a group captain, took up his post as the first Director of Defence Studies at the RAF Staff College at Bracknell in January 1977. In the early stages, he had a difficult task. Not everyone saw the need for such an appointment, not least because of manpower cuts elsewhere, while others questioned the choice of an officer who had no operational or front-line experience. That may have been so, but Mason possessed both a powerful mind and a great enthusiasm for stimulating intellectual debate about air power, which he felt had been neglected, both in and out of the service.
During his five years in post, Mason won over the sceptics, steadily establishing his credentials within the RAF, not least among the operators; publishing in RAF and academic journals, and lecturing to wide-ranging audiences; and encouraging an increasing number of intelligent young officers to think more widely about defence and international issues. Many of those he influenced went on to fill important appointments.
His thinking culminated, decades later, in a book, Air Power: A Centennial Appraisal (1994), in which he posed stimulating and provocative questions, such as whether the impact of air power in the Gulf War had marked a revolution in warfare; whether air power was impotent in politically fractured scenarios such as Bosnia; and whether air power needed to break free from habits induced by 40 years of superpower confrontation.
As Director of Defence Studies, he also recognised that the experiences of wartime commanders held important lessons for the future conduct of air power, and established a programme of video interviews with men such as Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris, wartime commander of Bomber Command, and Leonard Cheshire, VC, the legendary bomber leader, as well as those involved in more recent conflicts, such as the Falklands War. These recordings are still used widely in training today.
Over the past 50 years, and based on the foundations laid by Mason, the post of Director of Defence Studies has become recognised as one of the most important posts in the wider defence arena, and has attracted some of the best brains in the RAF; many of Mason’s successors went on to fill the most senior appointments.
In his honour, the Mason Fellowship was established earlier this year, open to all ranks who spend a year in academia studying topics related to air power
Richard Anthony (Tony) Mason was born in Bradford on October 22 1932, and adopted at birth. He won a scholarship to Bradford Grammar School before studying for a Master’s at St Andrews University. During his National Service, he chose to remain in the RAF and was commissioned into the Education Branch in June 1956.
He first served on fighter stations before arriving at RAF Leuchars in Fife, the home of three fighter squadrons. Fascinated in the operational use of aircraft, he took the opportunity to fly, to understand better the employment of fighters. Three years later he left to serve in Cyprus, which allowed him to see the employment of aircraft in a different theatre.
Mason attended Kings College, London where he spent a year studying for an MA, then in 1968 took up a post at the RAF College, Cranwell, as the specialist education officer, teaching international affairs and strategic studies to the cadets. In July 1969 he headed to the USA to take up a similar post at the USAF Academy at Colorado Springs. He greatly enjoyed the invigorating atmosphere of working with young potential officers of two pre-eminent air forces. At Colorado he also introduced the game of rugby and later in life was inducted into the US Rugby Hall of Fame.
He attended the RAF Staff College, then served at the HQ of RAF Support Command at Andover as the senior education officer, responsible for all aspects of education and trade training across many units.
After his time as Director of Defence Studies, he served as Director of Personnel (Ground) before being appointed as the Air Secretary. In both posts he was responsible for the career management and appointments of officers and airmen. He was the first non-aircrew officer to be Air Secretary, and once again, he had to prove his credentials.
Mason gave particular attention to the problem of how to spot, at an early stage, those with the potential to rise to higher ranks, due to their ability to see beyond their own specialisation and experience. After a detailed study, he circulated a thoughtful paper to the senior air marshals on the subject, illustrating his point with Napoleon’s comments on one of his less satisfactory generals: “He was only brave when confronted by the enemy, and then he was the bravest man in the world… but if he was placed in council, he was a poltroon with no judgement and was quite incapable of making a decision.”
Mason retired from the RAF in April 1989. He was appointed CB (1988) and CBE (1981).
He and his wife established their home in Cheltenham. He maintained his academic pursuits and was appointed an Honorary Professor at the University of Birmingham. He was the Director of the Centre for Studies in Security and Diplomacy, working closely with the Centre for Russian and Eastern European Studies, and was an energetic organiser of conferences and workshops. He became the Leverhulme Air Power Research Director for the UK-based Foundation for International Security and was a visiting Fellow to the Mosher Defence Institute Texas and Conflict Studies Centre at Sandhurst.
Mason was a specialist adviser to the House of Commons Defence Committee between 2001 and 2006 and was a regular talking head on radio and television news programmes. On the basis of his 1994 book Air Power, he was awarded a doctorate by the University of Birmingham.
He maintained close ties with the RAF, and his successors as Directors of Defence Studies in particular. He regularly spoke at their conferences and was a key player in the Chief of the Air Staff’s air-power workshops. Mason also worked extensively with the Royal Aeronautical Society Air Power Group and was made an Honorary Fellow of the Society in 2006. He was also commissioned as a Deputy Lieutenant to the Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire in 2002.
Mason was passionate about rugby and a fine referee. For several years, he was the RAF representative on the Board of the Rugby Football Union. He was a very supportive President of the Cheltenham Branch of the Royal Air Forces Association and masterminded the 2018 Exhibition at the Jet Age Museum near Cheltenham to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the formation of the RAF.
A kind, compassionate man, Mason supported many local and service charities. Fittingly, he passed away peacefully while viewing the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Cenotaph.
He married Margaret Stewart in 1956 and she died earlier this year. He is survived by their daughter. A second daughter pre-deceased him.
Tony Mason, born October 22 1932, died November 12 2023
