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Air Vice-Marshal W L Freebody (16222)


Flt Cdt Sgt W L Freebody (back row - centre) Wilfred Leslie          

b: 28 Feb 1906                    

r: 26 Apr 1960                               

d: 8 May 1991

CB – 1 Jan 1951, CBE – 1 Jan 1943, AFC - 1 Jan 1938, MiD – 17 Mar 1941, MiD – 11 Jun 1942, MiD – 1 Jan 1945, MiD – xx xxx xxxx, PR3 – 12 Jun 1945

For a list of foreign decoration abbreviations, click here

(RAF): - Plt Off: 30 Jul 1926, Fg Off: 30 Jan 1928, Flt Lt: 1 Jun 1932, Sqn Ldr: 1 Oct 1937, (T) Wg Cdr: 1 Jun 1940, (T) Gp Capt: 1 Sep 1942, Act A/Cdre: 27 May 1943, Gp Capt (WS): 27 Nov 1943, Gp Capt: 1 Jul 1947, A/Cdre: 1 Jul 1949, Act AVM: 1 Jan 1956, AVM: 1 Jul 1957.

Flt Cdt Sgt W L Freebody (back row - centre) Photo © RAF College Cranwell

xx Sep 1921:                Aircraft Apprentice, 11th Entry, RAF Cranwell

 4 Sep1924:                 Flight Cadet, ‘A’ Sqn, RAF College, Cranwell.

30 Jul 1926:                 Appointed to a Permanent Commission

30 Jul 1926:                 Pilot, No 11 Sqn.

16 Sep 1927:                Officer Commanding, 'A' Flight, No 11 Sqn.

20 Sep 1927:                Officer Commanding, 'A' Flight/Air Pilotage Officer, No 11 Sqn.

 7 Oct 1927:                Officer Commanding, 'C' Flight/Air Pilotage Officer, No 11 Sqn.

20 Oct 1927:                Air Pilotage Officer, No 11 Sqn.

22 Apr - 12 May 1929:                Attended Gas Course at Belgaum

26 Apr 1930:                Supernumerary, Home Aircraft Depot (in transit from India)

 5 Aug 1930:                Attended Officers Engineering Course, Home Aircraft Depot.

 5 Aug 1932:                Engineering Officer, Central Trade and Test Board, Reception Depot.

11 Sep 1934:               Flight Commander, No 111 Sqn.

27 Sep 1935:               Flight Commander, No 803 Sqn.

 1 Oct 1936:                Officer Commanding, No 139 Sqn

11 Jan - 4 Feb 1937:                Admitted to RAF Hospital, Halton

10 Mar 1937:              Officer Commanding, 'A' Flight, No 114 Sqn.

20 Nov - 10 Dec 1938:        Attended No 3 Senior Officers' Short Course, School of Air Navigation

25 Jun 1939:                Senior Engineering Officer, HQ No 12 Group

24 Apr 1940:              Transferred to the Technical Branch.

15 Dec 1940:              Senior Engineering Officer, HQ No 11 Group.

16 Jun 1942:               Chief Technical Officer, HQ Fighter Command.

15 Nov 1943:             Senior Technical Staff Officer, Allied Expeditionary Air Force.

 1 Feb 1945:               AOC, No 226 Group

xx Dec 1946:              Technical Member of the RAF Manpower Economy Committee

xx Feb 1948:               Chairman, Trade Structure Committee

14 Feb 1949:              Director of Technical Policy

xx Jan 1951:                Attended Imperial Defence College.

xx Jan 1952:                AOC/Commandant, No 2 School of Technical Training, RAF Cosford

 1 Jan 1954:                Senior Technical Staff Officer, HQ Coastal Command

 1 Jan 1956:                Director-General of Work Study

At Cranwell he attained the rank of Flight Cadet Sergeant, represnted the college at Fencing and Skill at Arms and was awarded the Abby Gerrard Fellows Memorial Prize and Humanistics Prize.

This page was last updated on 05/04/22

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