Digby Raeburn

Raeburn's mother was Greta Mary Alison, née Watson, the daughter of an engineering officer in the Royal Navy.

During the Second World War, he was posted to Egypt in 1940 and transferred to the General Headquarters in Cairo to serve in intelligence (he could speak fluent German) and was appointed an MBE in 1941.

As the war turned in favour of the Allies in North Africa, Raeburn was involved in the British deception operations to convince the German forces that the Allies were planning to land in Sardinia and Greece when in fact they were planning to invade Sicily.

In 1965, he was appointed Chief of Staff to the NATO Headquarters Allied Forces Northern Europe, a post he held until 1968.

He held the office until 1979 and was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order that year.