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Air Vice Marshal A Hesketh (09013)


Allen                            b: 5  Jul 1899                       r: 8 Jul 1954                d: 9 Mar 1973

CB - 1 Jan 1946, CBE - 1 Jan 1944 (OBE - 1 Jan 1941), DFC -12 Jul 1920, MiD - 1 Jan 1943, MiD - 8 Jun 1944, CEng, MRAeS, MIEE.

2 Lt: 13 Sep 1918, Plt Off: 1 Aug 1919, Obs Off: 18 May 1920?, Fg Off: 12 Jun 1922?, Flt Lt: 1 Jul 1927, Sqn Ldr: 1 Apr 1936, Wg Cdr: 1 Mar 1939, (T) Gp Capt: 1 Sep 1941, Act A/Cdre: 5 Oct 1943, (T) A/Cdre: 1 Oct 1944, Gp Capt: 1 Dec 1944, A/Cdre: 1 Oct 1946, AVM: 1 Jan 1949.

16 Sep 1918:           Attached, No 1 ASD

26 Sep 1918:           Observer, No 205 Sqn

22 Oct  1918:           Wounded in action

23 Oct 1918:            Admitted to No 58 Casualty Clearing Station

28 Oct 1918:            Returned to UK on AT 'Formosa'

26 Jun 1919:             Arrived in South Russia on HMT 'Princess Ena'

26 Jun 1919:             Attached 'A' Detachment

xx xxx 1919:             Observer, No 47 Sqn (South Russia)

22 Jan 1920:             Staff, HQ South Russia.

19 Apr 1920:           To Constantinople for return to Middle East

 9 May 1920:           Embarked on HT 'Hannover' at Constantinople

15 May 1920:          Arrived in Port Said

 1 Jun 1920:            Embarked on HT 'Berlin' for UK

20 Jul 1920:            Observer, No 4 Sqn.

xx xxx 1922:            U/T Pilot, No 2 FTS.

11 Apr 1923:           ?, RAF Base Calshot.

20 Jul 1923:             Staff, School of Naval Co-operation.

27 Sep 1927:            Personnel Staff, HQ RAF Mediterranean.

20 Nov 1932:          Supernumerary, RAF Depot.

16 Jan 1933:            Adjutant, No 13 Sqn.

16 Jan 1933:           Attached to School of Photography

 7 May 1933:           'A' Flight Commander, No 13 Sqn.

 8 Oct 1934:            Adjutant, No 2 FTS.

14 Feb 1936:           Officer Commanding, No 2 APC, North Coates Fittes.

 15 Nov 1937:          Air Staff, HQ No 23 (Training) Group.

 3 Mar 1939:            Officer Commanding, No 150 Sqn. (Battles, Wellingtons)

 3 Dec 1940:            Air Staff, HQ No 1 Group.

xx Jul 1941:             Officer Commanding, RAF Snaith

24 Sep 1941:           SASO, HQ No 2 (Bomber) Group.

 5 Oct 1943:            Supernumerary?, No 52 Base (pending posting as Base Commander)

18 Oct 1943:           Attached, HQ No 5 Group

 7 Nov - 2 Dec 1943:          Attached RAF Waddington, pending assuming command of No 53 Base

 3-15 Dec 1943:      Re-attached, No 53 Base

15 Dec 1943:           Base Commander, No 53 Base (effective date of his posting backdated to 1 Dec 1943)

23 Apr 1944:           Base Commander, No 54 Base.

xx Nov 1945:          Posted to British Air Forces of Occupation, Japan (cancelled)

27 Dec 1945:           SASO, No 3 Group. 

19 Oct 1946:            Air Attaché, Nanking.

14 Dec 1948:           AOC, No 3 Group

15 Sep 1951:           AOC, No 23 Group

15 Apr 1952:           AOA, HQ Flying Training Command.

He was wounded during a low level reconnaissance sortie on 22 October 1918 whilst flying in DH9A, F1048 'T'.

On 8 February 1922, he was flying with Flight Lieutenant R C Jenkins in Avro 504K (H9829) as his instructor.  The aircraft failed to climb after take-off and struck telegraph wires on the Farnborough Road followed by the left wing striking a tree and the aircraft coming down on its nose.  Allen Hesketh was either thrown out or jumped out before the aircraft came to rest, but Jenkins suffered a fractured skull and died later that afternoon in hospital.

He carried out the first missions from RAF Newton in October 1940.  At the end of 1943 he was posted to No 52 Base at Scampton for the purpose of forming a new Base at Waddington.

This page was last updated on 13/02/24

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