Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
Eric Harold b: 9 Apr 1936 r: 9 Apr 1991 d: 27 Aug 2023
OBE – 1 Jan 1975.
Cdt Plt: 10 Nov 1954, Act Plt Off (P): 23 Feb 1955, Plt Off: 23 Feb 1956, Fg Off: 23 Feb 1957, Flt Lt: 23 Aug 1960, Sqn Ldr: 1 Jan 1966, Act Wg Cdr: 14 Dec 1970, Wg Cdr: 1 Jan 1971, Gp Capt: 1 Jul 1975, Act A/Cdre: 17 Nov 1979, A/Cdre: 1 Jan 1980, Act AVM: 18 Jan 1985, AVM: 1 Jul 1985.
10 Nov 1954: Cadet Pilot.
23 Feb 1955: Granted a Direct Commission (12 +4)
xx xxx xxxx: Pilot, No 263 Sqn
xx xxx xxxx: Pilot, No 1 Sqn
xx xxx 1959: Pilot, 214 Sqn
xx xxx xxxx: Attended Vulcan Conversion Course, No 230 OCU
1963 Pilot, No 101 Sqn. (Vulcan)
xx xxx xxxx: Training Officer, No 101 Sqn. (Vulcan)
xx xxx xxxx: Flight |Commander, No 101 Sqn. (Vulcan)
xx Jan 1966: Attended RAF Staff College.
23 Jan 1967: Air Staff, Directorate of Operational Requirements (3).
1967 - 70 ?
14 Dec 1970: Officer Commanding, No 101 Sqn.
21 Jan 1972: Chief Instructor, No 230 OCU (Vulcans – Scampton)
10 May 1974: Assistant Secretary, Chiefs of Staff Secretariat.
xx Oct 1975: Officer Commanding, RAF Waddington.
7 Oct 1977: Staff, Chief of the Defence Staff.
17 Nov 1979: SASO, HQ RAF Germany.
xx Jan 1983: Attended Royal College of Defence Studies.
9 Mar 1984: Director of Defence Commitments (Rest of World).
18 Jan 1985: AOC & Commandant, RAF College.
8 Sep 1987: Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Policy and Nuclear).
10 Feb 1989: Director-General of Training.
He was educated at Shaftesbury Grammar School after which he joined the Ministry of Supply as an Assistant Scientific Officer spending a period as a civilian flight test observer at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down from 1953 before joining the RAF in 1954.
On May 25 1960 he was the co-pilot of a Valiant which took part in the first non-stop UK-Singapore flight. After refuelling from other Valiant tankers over Cyprus and Karachi, his aircraft arrived at RAF Tengah, Singapore, a distance of 8,100 miles (13,053km), which was covered in 15 hours 35 minutes.
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