Douglas Evill was born on 8 October 1892 in Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia to British parents.

After taking private flying lessons at Hendon, Evill gained his Aero Club Aviator's Certificate (No.

[2] Evill then applied to join the Naval Wing of the Royal Flying Corps but was not accepted and he spent some time serving on destroyers.

In addition to his work as a pilot, Flight Commander Evill has shown great zeal and ability in carrying out experiments connected with signalling and spotting.

Evill also had to contend with temporary hangarage for his seaplanes and the safe operation of a crane which lowered his aircraft from the top of the cliff on to rails which ran into the sea.

[2] On 1 January 1922 Evill was posted to the headquarters of Coastal Area working on the technical aspects of aircraft carriers.

After nearly four years of instructing, Evill was posted to the RAF College, Cranwell as the Assistant Commandant where he remained until he was succeeded by Philip Babington in late 1931.

In the five years leading up to the Second World War Evill held a number of air officer staff and administrative appointments.

[2] In the spring of 1939, during the debate concerning airfield deception, Evill argued for the construction of fake aerodromes designed to deceive the enemy.

He also favoured the building of decoy airfields for primary large-scale bases but only to the extent that they would be effective against night operations.

A series of heavy attacks by day and night …is likely to create considerable delays in the deployment of troops at the Front, and may well result in establishing a state of chaos in some or all of these centres.

Evill stepped down as VCAS on 1 June 1946; the following January he officially retired from the RAF, receiving promotion to air chief marshal just a few days before he left the Service.

He was a member of the council for King Edward VII's Hospital for Officers and served as the Director-General of the English Speaking Union from 1947 to 1949.

Towards the end of his life, Evill suffered with severe arthritis; he died at his home in Winchester on 22 March 1971, aged 78.