Geoffrey Ambler Air Vice Marshal Geoffrey Hill Ambler CB , CBE , AFC ( 23 June 1904 – 26 August 1978 ) was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force during World War II . Ambler served as the third Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps , the first serving RAF officer to hold the appointment as his predecessors were retired Air Commodores . Early days . Ambler was born in 1904 and educated at Shrewsbury and Clare College , Cambridge University . He rowed in the University Boat Race for Cambridge in 1924 , 1925 and 1926 . He was President of the Cambridge University Boat Club 1925 - 1926 . He then worked in the family firm of " Fred Ambler Limited " in Bradford , Yorkshire and during his time with the company he invented a method which increased the speed at which worsted yarn might be produced . In 1931 he joined the Auxiliary Air Force and served as a pilot on No . 608 Squadron ( North Riding ) Squadron Aux AF in his spare time and in the ranks of Pilot Officer ( 7 February 1931 ) , Flying Officer ( 7 August 1932 ) and Flight Lieutenant ( 25 November 1933 ) . On 30 December 1934 he was promoted further to Squadron Leader and appointed Officer Commanding of No 608 ( North Riding ) Squadron Aux AF . In 1938 , still a Squadron Leader , Ambler transferred to No . 609 ( West Riding ) Squadron Aux AF as 609 ' s Officer Commanding . This auxiliary appointment was short - lived and with World War II having only started a few months previously , Ambler was promoted to Acting Wing Commander and took up duties as the Operations Controller at RAF Wick in December 1939 . His confirmation in the rank came on 1 January 1940 and he was promoted to Group Captain a year later in December 1941 . Royal Observer Corps . In June 1942 , Ambler was promoted to Acting Air Commodore and appointed as the third Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps , replacing Air Commodore Drummond Warrington - Morris . During his time in command he oversaw the reorganization of the Corps ' headquarters and the subordinate area headquarters . Ambler also aligned each ROC area ' s territory to that of its associated Fighter Command group for more cohesive interception of enemy aircraft . Ambler handed over command to Air Commodore Finlay Crerar in June 1943 . Return to RAF duties . With his rank as an Air Commodore confirmed Ambler moved across the road at RAF Bentley Priory to an appointment as the Deputy Senior Air Staff Officer ( DSASO ) of RAF Fighter Command and then the Senior Air Staff Officer ( SASO ) on 1 February 1945 in the rank of Acting Air Vice - Marshal . Between August 1943 and October 1944 Ambler was an Aide de Camp to King George VI Retirement from the RAF . He retired from the RAF after the end of World War II in August 1945 and returned to work at Fred Ambler Limited . He eventually became chairman of the company . In October 1947 Ambler was appointed as an Honorary Air Commodore to No 609 ( West Riding ) Squadron RAuxAF , an appointment he held until March 1957 . He was awarded a similar honour with No 2609 ( West Riding ) Field Squadron RAuxAF Regiment between November 1949 and March 1957 . In November 1949 he was appointed Honorary Air Commodore with No 3609 ( West Riding ) Fighter Control Unit , a position he held until January 1961 .