Sir Gordon Linacre

CBE AFC DFM
Born
John Gordon Seymour Linacre

(1920-09-23)23 September 1920
Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Died5 February 2015(2015-02-05) (aged 94)
Military career
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Air Force
Years of service1939–1946
RankSquadron leader
Service number986629 (airman)
112188 (officer)
Battles/warsWorld War II
Awards

Sir John Gordon Seymour Linacre, CBE, AFC, DFM (23 September 1920 – 5 February 2015), known as Sir Gordon Linacre, was a British press baron, journalist, and decorated Royal Air Force officer.

Early life

Linacre was born on 23 September 1920 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England.[1] His father was a steelworks foreman.[2] He was educated at Firth Park Grammar School, a grammar school in Sheffield. He is credited with starting its school newspaper.[3]

Career

Military service

With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, Linacre joined the Royal Air Force as an airman.[2] He trained as a bomber pilot and was promoted to the non-commissioned rank of sergeant. He was involved in raids over Nazi occupied Europe.[4] As a member of No. 83 Squadron RAF, he bombed targets in Berlin, Essen, Kiel and Mannheim.[2]

On 3 November 1941, he granted an emergency commission in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve as a pilot officer on probation.[5] On 1 October 1942, he was promoted to flying officer on probation (war substantive).[6] When he was mentioned in despatches in June 1944, he held the acting rank of squadron leader.[7]

At the end of the war, he was offered a regular commission in the Royal Air Force and encouraged to remain in the military, but he turned it down. Therefore, in 1946 he was demobilised and returned to civilian life.[2]

Journalism career

Linacre first expressed an interest in becoming a journalist at the age of seven.[1] Ten years later, at the age of 17, he joined The Sheffield Independent.[4] He left the newspaper in 1939 to serve in the Royal Air Force during World War II.

Though he was offered a permanent commission to continue serving with the RAF after the war, he decided to return to journalism.[3] His first job was as a sub-editor or the Sunday Graphic.[2] He then became assistant editor of The Journal and the Evening Chronicle, both Newcastle based newspapers.[4] In 1958, he became editor of the Sheffield Star.[2]

In 1963, he moved from direct involvement in newspaper production, as a journalist or editor, to a back room job as executive director of Thomson Regional Newspapers.[1] He was head-hunted by Yorkshire Conservative Newspapers, joining the publisher as managing director in April 1965.[4] In 1969, Yorkshire Conservative Newspapers merged into United Newspapers. Linacre fought for The Yorkshire Post to maintain its independent under its new publisher. This was agreed to and he was also offered a position as a member of its board of directors of United Newspapers.[3] He was chief executive of United Newspapers from 1981 to 1988. In 1983, he was appointed chairman of the Yorkshire Post Newspapers and deputy chairman of United Newspapers.[8] In 1985, he negotiated the acquisition of the Daily Express, the Sunday Express and the Daily Star.[1] He retired from his full-time career in 1990.[3]

Later life

In later life, Linacre was active in the running of the University of Leeds: from 1985 to 1992, he was a member of its University Council and from 1995 to 2000, he was a member its University Court.[9] He also kept ties with journalism, and served as President, a mainly honorary role, of Yorkshire Post Newspapers Ltd from 1990 until his death.[10]

Linacre died on 5 February 2015, aged 94.[2]

Personal life

In 1943, Linacre married Irene Amy Gordon.[10] Together they had two daughters; Anthea and Phillipa.[1] His wife predeceased him, dying in 2013.[10]

Honours

Linacre received multiple honours for service during the Second World War. On 23 December 1941, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM).[11] He was mentioned in despatches on 8 June 1944.[7] In the 1945 King's Birthday Honours, he was awarded the Air Force Cross (AFC).[12]

In the 1979 New Year Honours, he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) "for services to journalism".[13] In the 1986 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed Knight Bachelor and therefore granted the title sir.[14] On 5 November 1986, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.[15]

In 1991, the University of Leeds awarded him an honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree in recognition of "his contribution to journalism and the support of the arts and education".[9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Sir Gordon Linacre". The Times. 14 February 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Sir Gordon Linacre, press baron - obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Sir Gordon Linacre. Press baron. September 23, 1920 – February 5, 2015. Aged 94". The Express. 14 February 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Obituary: Sir Gordon Linacre". The Yorkshire Post. 6 February 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  5. ↑ "No. 35391". The London Gazette. 23 December 1941. pp. 7248–7249.
  6. ↑ "No. 35784". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 November 1942. p. 4930.
  7. 1 2 "No. 36544". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 June 1944. pp. 2613–2618.
  8. ↑ "(John) Gordon Seymour LINACRE". People of Today. Debrett's. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  9. 1 2 "Sir Gordon Linacre". leeds.ac.uk/secretariat. University of Leeds. 19 February 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 "LINACRE, Sir (John) Gordon (Seymour)". Who Was Who. Oxford University Press. April 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  11. ↑ "No. 35389". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 December 1941. pp. 7237–7238.
  12. ↑ "No. 37119". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 June 1945. pp. 2986–2987.
  13. ↑ "No. 47723". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1978. p. 8.
  14. ↑ "No. 50551". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 June 1986. pp. 1–2.
  15. ↑ "No. 50759". The London Gazette. 30 December 1986. p. 16784.
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