Captain John de Winton

We have received a notification that Captain John de Winton passed away on 11th June 2026, aged 95. A memorial service was held on 10th July. Unfortunately we did not receive prior notification.

John was Chief of Staff, SON from 1982-88 at a time when the new naval base at Wudam was being created. He had a distinguished career in the Fleet Air Arm and served the Royal Navy in many parts of the world.

An obituary was published in the Daily Telegraph on the 17th July 2026, a link to which is included below. Readers of this item will need a membership of the Daily Telegraph online resources to properly access the link.

Daily Telegraph obituary

Robin Gainsford writes....

"I put in my application for PVR (Premature Volunteer Retirement) in 1980 from the Royal Navy in a bit of a mid life crises. Realising I was shortly going to be unemployed and I had a young family to support I applied to join the Sultanate of Omans Navy and was interviewed by John's predecessor a very dapper FAA pilot. I still had to work out a 2 year period before being released.

In 1982 the Falklands War blew up and I was offered the position of SNO MV Astronomer to take down 15 helicopters as replacements for those lost in Atlantic Conveyor. I had to defer my departure to the Sultanate by several months. When I came back I had to be re interviewed by the new COS John De Winton

I went to Yeovilton with some trepidation as John was quite a legend in the FAA having been in combat during the Suez campaign and CO of a Buccaneer Squadron. Before becoming an Observer I had been a fixed wing pilot under training and was only a few weeks short of joining a Buccaneer squadron before someone rather wisely decided I lacked the natural ability.

The interview with John went very well as he was more interested in hearing about the Falklands than interrogating me. I was appointed as SO2 Plans and Operational Requirements up in MAM reporting to him via Bill Berry. It was a fascinating job which included:

1. Representing SON in Joint Headquarters dealing with the major tanker fire of Assimi off Muscat

2. Representing SON during the drafting of National Oil Spill Response Plan

3. Trialing a Skyvan fitted with a radar called a Seavan

4. 3 months CO Goat Island

5. Trialing Night Vision Equipment

6. Trialing a land-rover fitted with radar

During all these activities John kept a close interest but allowed you freedom to try out your own ideas but eventually made the final decision .

He was a breath of fresh air from some of my previous experiences with Senior Officers in the Royal Navy. He provided the perfect support and loyalty to the Admiral. I never heard him raise his voice or bad mouth a single person. The perfect gentleman who had an engaging dry sense of humour.

John was supportive to me with my desire to leave SON and move to the ministries as an Oil Pollution Adviser which was a married accompanied posting. So continues the best 5 years of my life in the Sultanate.

After leaving the Sultanate in 1987 and returning to UK John was very supportive and an active participant in the Annual SAF Golf Match I arranged in Dorset. He was a willing prize giver. He then supported the SON/RNO Reunion we had at the RN Museum in Portsmouth.

Always positive glass half full a real steady hand on the tiller and a really nice bloke. He was 95 - out, but quite content not to make a century. Thank you for changing a lot of people’s lives for the better."