Our Supporters

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Air Marshal G A ‘Black’ Robertson CBE BA FRAeS FRSA

The son of a decorated Spitfire ace, ‘Black’ Robertson joined the RAF in 1963, quickly acquiring a nickname that’s remained with him ever since. After three years at the RAF College, Cranwell, he spent more than three decades in flying, command and staff appointments; these included tours of duty in the USA, Germany and the Falklands. He flew all the RAF’s front line fast jet aircraft and latterly qualified as a helicopter pilot. Five tours as a Whitehall warrior were doubtless penance for the privilege of command at almost every level.

Black regards his tour as OC No 92 Squadron, a unit with a proud Battle of Britain history, followed by his appointment as an ADC to HM The Queen, as the high spots of a career where he logged more than 3,600 flying hours. On leaving the RAF he continued to work at the highest politico/military level, first with British Aerospace (later BAE Systems) and subsequently through his own consultancy businesses. After a period as Clerk to The Honourable Company of Gloucestershire, a county-based quasi livery company, he became a trustee of the David Vaisey Library Prize and a Cranfield Trust mentor.

An occasional radio and television commentator, Black began writing in part by way of homage to his father, Flight Lieutenant Ron ‘Robbie’ Robertson DFC, who served with both 111 and 72 Squadrons. Robbie’s own flying career came to an end in Tunisia at the hands of Erich Rudorffer, one of the Luftwaffe’s finest Experten. Credited with some 220 victories, he ranks seventh in the German air combat hierarchy. Robbie managed to damage Rudorffer’s aircraft in a head-on engagement but lost an eye as a result. He’d been privileged to fly with some of the RAF’s best known Spitfire aces, amongst them Brian Kingcome, ‘Ginger’ Lacey, Jamie Rankin and Bob Stanford Tuck. When he died in 1999 he left a legacy of Spitfire memorabilia that sparked Black’s writing career. His first book, Fighters in the Blood, was published in 2020; the prequel, A Spitfire Named Connie, followed two years later. He continues to write and lecture on aviation matters, notably the Battle of Britain.

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Helen Gripton

Helen joined the RAF in 2002 as an Intelligence Officer, working with the C-130 fleet for her first tour.  Helen went on to offer air intelligence and ISTAR advice to the Army, including tours in Iraq (Basra) and Afghanistan (Lashkar Gah).  Having left the RAF in 2008, Helen worked at Inzpire as their Head of Intelligence, before moving to Redline Aviation Security as their Threat Manager, working with airports and airlines to ensure that they were reaching appropriate security standards.

After moving to London, Helen worked at Deloitte and was seconded into security planning roles for both the Olympic Delivery Authority and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.  Helen has worked at bp since 2014 where she is the Human Rights and Social Impact Lead, sitting in the Strategy, Sustainability and Ventures team and was previously the Insider Risk Programme Lead and the Security and Human Rights Advisor within the Intelligence, Security and Crisis Management team.  She currently co-Chairs the BP Veterans Network.  

Helen is an Honorary Group Captain on 601 Squadron and the secretary to the National Spitfire Project Development Committee.

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SIR GERALD HOWARTH

After Bloxham School, Banbury, Sir Gerald Howarth went to Southampton University where he joined the University Air Squadron (managing to fly 120 hours on Chipmunks).  Following 12 years in international banking, in 1983 he was elected to Parliament as the MP for Cannock & Burntwood, ending up as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Margaret Thatcher.  He lost his seat in 1992 but was almost immediately adopted as the Conservative candidate for Aldershot, Hampshire, where he served as Member of Parliament from 1997-2017.  He was Shadow Defence Procurement Minister and then, in 2010, appointed by David Cameron as Minister for International Security Strategy, a post he held until 2012 when he was honoured to be knighted. He was Chairman of the Parliamentary Ukraine and Egypt Committees from 2015-17.  

Currently, Sir Gerald is President of the British Air Display Association and of the Historic Aircraft Association, as well as a Trustee of Vulcan to the Sky and the British Forces Foundation.  Politically, he continues to be involved in politics as President of Conservative Way Forward and a member of the Council of The Freedom Association and broadcasts regularly on defence and political matters.  

Both his parents served in the RAF in World War II. His father as a liaison officer on Lord Mountbatten's staff in South East Asia Command, and his mother as a WAAF, a plotter at RAF Coltishall, who had a lifelong love affair with the Spitfire on which she worked at RAF Rednal and about which she wrote in an article published in 'RAF Parade', entitled "The 'It' in a Spit".  Sir Gerald continues to fly as a private pilot as part-owner of a Chipmunk at Farnborough  and shares his mother's love affair for Spitfires. He has been privileged to fly one of the 2-seat Spitfires operated at Goodwood - a birthday present from his wife who conspired with Paul Beaver to bring him that fabulous experience. “This wonderful project is close to my heart."

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YVONNE MALAN DPhil (Oxon)

Yvonne Malan was born in South Africa and educated at New College, University of Oxford. Her research interests include post-conflict reconstruction and transitional justice. She is the founder of the prestigious Bram Fischer Memorial Lecture at the University of Oxford.  A former Oxford ‘Blue’, she is a keen runner, cricketer, and boxer.

Yvonne is pleased to join the National Spitfire Project’s team of Aces as part of her role to be raising the profile of her relative, the late Group Captain Adolph Gysbert 'Sailor' Malan, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar.  'Sailor' Malan was one of the most outstanding Spitfire pilots and leaders within the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.