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Air Commodore E W Merriman (137289)


Edward William 'Peter'                      b:  12 Aug 1920                      r:  1 May 1974            d: 22 Sep 2013

CBE – 1 Jan 1970 (OBE – 1 Jan 1959, MBE – 14 Jun 1945), DFM – xx xxx xxxx, MBIM.

(RAFVR): Sgt:  xx xxx xxxx, Flt Sgt:  xx xxx xxxx, W/O:  xx xxx xxxx, Plt Off (P):  15 Dec 1942, Fg Off (WS) (P):  15 Jun 1943, Flt Lt (WS):  15 Dec 1944, Flt Lt: 1 Jul 1946.

(RAF): Flt Lt:  15 Jun 1946, Fg Off: 27 Aug 1946 [1 Sep 1945], Sqn Ldr:  1 Jan 1952, Wg Cdr:  1 Jan 1958, Act Gp Capt:  8 Dec 1962, Gp Capt:  1 Jan 1963, Act A/Cdre:  6 Jul 1970, A/Cdre:  1 Jul 1971.

xx Jun 1940:             U/T Pilot,

xx May 1941:           NCO Pilot. (1164046), No 610 Sqn.

15 Dec 1942:           Appointed to an Emergency Commission in the RAFVR.

xx xxx xxxx:              Attended Instructors Course

xx xxx xxxx:              Flying Instructor, ?

27 Aug 1946:           Appointed to Permanent Commission in the rank of Flying Officer (retaining rank current at the time)  [1 Sep 1945]

xx xxx xxxx:             Instructor, Central Flying School

xx xxx xxxx:             Instructor, RAF Flying College 

xx xxx 1952:            Officer Commanding, No 47 Sqn (Hastings)

xx xxx xxxx:             Served in Libya

xx xxx xxxx:             Officer Commanding, Flying Wing, RAF Colerne

17 Aug 1959:          Attended US Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Virginia.

25 Jan 1960:            Support Operations Officer, 839 Air Division, Tactical Air Command, USAF.

 8 Dec 1961:            Chief Instructor, Air Transport Support Section, Joint Warfare Establishment.

 4 Jan 1965:             Deputy Director of Operations, Air Transport and Overseas Theatres.

19 Jun 1967:            Officer Commanding, RAF Changi.

14 Mar 1969:           Group Captain - Operations, HQ No 38 Group.

 6 Oct 1969:            Group Captain - Strategic Operations, HQ Air Support Command.

 6 Jul 1970:              Commandant, Joint Air Transport Establishment.

 5 Jun 1972:             Air Commodore - Training, HQ Training Command.

After leaving Hallcroft Boys School he became an apprentice electrical engineer and always had an interest in motorcycle racing but following the outbreak of was he joined the RAF as a pilot.  On completing his training, he joined No 610 Squadron in the Tangmere, under the command of Douglas Bader.  On 9 August 1941 he flew as part of the escort to the Blenheim tasked with delivering a set of spare legs for the recently captured Bader.

By the end of the war he had claimed the destruction of four enemy aircraft.

In retirement he moved to Lincoln, where he worked for M A Ashley and Sons and became the managing director of Eastern Air Executive, which operated an old bomber airfield near Lincoln.   He was also the President of the Lincolnshire Wing, Air Training Corps, and a keen golfer.

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