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Air Commodore F R Drew (26106)


Frederick Robert                     b: 2 May 1909                        r: 1 Jun 1957                 d:  10 Oct 2006

CBE - 1 Jan 1946, MiD - 1 Jan 1941, MiD - 14 Jan 1944, ON(C) – 6 Jul 1945.

Plt Off: 27 Jul 1929, Fg Off: 27 Jan 1931, Flt Lt: 27 Jan 1935, Sqn Ldr: 1 Jun 1938, Act Wg Cdr (Unpaid): 21 Aug 1940, Act Wg Cdr (Paid): 10 Sep 1940, (T) Wg Cdr: 1 Dec 1940, (T) Gp Capt: 1 Sep 1942, Wg Cdr (WS): 1 Mar 1943, Act A/Cdre: xx Aug 1944 – xx xxx xxxx, Wg Cdr: 1 Dec 1944, Gp Capt: 1 Jul 1947, Act A/Cdre: 5 May 1952, A/Cdre: Not retained.

 1 Sep 1927:               Flight Cadet, 'A' Sqn, RAF College.

xx xxx 1929:               Attended flying Boat Pilots Course

xx Mar 1930:              Attached to Flying Out Party, No 203 Sqn at RAF Calshot

 7 Jun 1930:                Pilot, No 203 Sqn. (Southampton/Rangoon, - Basrah) (Arrived on 19 Jun 1930 having assisted in delivery of a new Southampton)

27 Apr 1932:              Departed on posting to Home Establishment

28 Apr 1932:              Supernumerary, RAF Depot

12 Jul 1932:                Staff, RAF Base, Calshot.

xx xxx xxxx:                Attended Instructors' Course, CFS

18 Nov 1933:             QFI, No 3 FTS.

31 Oct 1934:              Instructor - Seaplane Training Sqn?, RAF Calshot.

 1 Apr 1937:               Pilot, No 240 Sqn.

xx xxx xxxx:                Flight Commander, No 228 Sqn.

24 Feb 1938:              Air Staff, HQ No 16 (Reconnaissance) Group.

 2 Aug 1938:               Air 2, HQ No 5 (Bomber) Group.

12 Feb 1940:              Operations Room Officer, RAF Finningley

29 Jul 1940:                Staff, HQ No 7 Group

12 Aug 1940:              Air Staff, HQ, No 16 (Reconnaissance) Group.

xx Nov 1941:              Officer Commanding, No 209 Sqn. (Catalina IIA)

xx Dec 1942

15 Jun 1943:               Officer i/c?, Advanced Operational Section with C-in-C South Atlantic

xx Aug 1944:              Commander, Coastal Air Defence , South Africa.

14 Nov 1946:             Deputy Director of Personnel (II).

xx xxx xxxx:                Officer Commanding, RAF Hullavington

 5 May 1952:              Air Attaché, Athens.

 Eldest son of Air Commodore B C H Drew.   He represented the RAF College at Fencing and Shooting.

When he joined No 203 Squadron, it was equipped with Southamptons and was based in Basra, however, before he left the squadron it had also received some Rangoons.  No 240 Squadron formed at Calshot from 'C' Flight, Seaplane Training Squadron, being equipped with Singapore III's.  He took command of No 209 (Catalinas) at Pembroke Dock, although the squadron also operated a detachment at Gibraltar, but in March 1942 the squadron moved to East Africa, arriving in June, its new operating area becoming the Indian Ocean.

This page was last updated on 06/01/24

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