Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation


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Air Commodore H W Mermagen (29097)


Herbert Waldemar              b: 1 Feb 1912                     r: 14 Nov 1960                    d: 10 Jan 1998

CB – 11 Jun 1960, CBE – 1 Jan 1945 (OBE - 24 Sep 1941), AFC – 11 Jul 1940, MiD - 8 Jun 1944, MDBS – 28 Aug 1945, LoM (Cdr) - 9 Oct 1945.

For a list of foreign decoration abbreviations, click here

Plt Off (P): 27 Jun 1930, Plt Off: 27 Jun 1931?, Fg Off: 27 Jan 1932, Flt Lt: 27 Jan 1936, Sqn Ldr: 1 Oct 1938, Act Wg Cdr: 1 Sep 1940, (T) Wg Cdr: 1 Dec 1940, Act Gp Capt: 27 May 1942?, Wg Cdr (WS): 27 Nov 1942, Act A/Cdre: 21 Dec 1944, Wg Cdr: 1 Oct 1946, Gp Capt (WS): 21 Jun 1945, (T) Gp Capt: 1 Jan 1949, Gp Capt: 1 Jan 1949, A/Cdre: 1 Jul 1955.

12 Jul 1930:            U/T Pilot, No 2 FTS.

23 Jun 1931:           Pilot, No 43 Sqn.

13 Feb - 12 May 1934:      Attended Flying Instructor's Course, Central Flying School (graded B)

13 May 1934:         Pilot, RAF Abingdon Station Flight.

 1 Apr 1935:           QFI, No 6 FTS.

 1 Jun 1936:            Granted a Permanent Commission in the rank of Flight Lieutenant.

xx Jul 1936:             Re-categorised from Instructor B to Instructor A2

17 Aug 1936:          QFI, Central Flying School.

10 Oct 1938            Staff, RAF Turnhouse (Recruits Sub-Depot?)

23 Feb 1939            Officer Commanding, RAF Turnhouse

 3 Sep 1939:            Sqn Ldr - Administrative and Operations, RAF Turnhouse

 5 Oct 1939:            Officer Commanding, No 222 Sqn. (Spitfires)

 1 Aug 1940:            Operations Officer, RAF Warmwell

 8 Aug 1940:            Operations Officer, HQ No 9 Group

12 Aug 1940:           Attached, HQ No 12 Group

11 Sep 1940:           Officer Commanding (Temporary), No 266 Sqn, RAF Wittering

22 Sep 1940:           Officer Commanding, RAF Speke

15 Mar 1941:          Officer Commanding, RAF Valley

xx Jun 1941:            Officer Commanding, Operations Room, Port Said.

27 May 1942:         Officer Commanding, AHQ Levant.

xx Jun 1942:            Officer Commanding, No 259 Wing, Cyprus

xx xxx 1942:           Group Captain - Training, HQ RAF Middle East

19 May 1943:         SASO, No 203 (Maintenance) Group

21 Dec 1944:          Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff A2, SHAEF.

xx xxx 1945:            AOC, British Air Command, Berlin.

xx xxx 1946:            SASO, HQ No 38 Group.

 9 Dec 1948:            Senior Air Liaison Officer, Australia.

xx xxx 1952:            Officer Commanding, Central Gunnery School/RAF Leconfield

xx Mar 1954:          Group Captain - Organisation?, HQ Flying Training Command.

31 May 1955:         AOC, AHQ Ceylon/RAF Ceylon.

24 Jan 1958:           AOA, HQ Transport Command.

Joining the RAF on a short service commission, he was soon playing Rugby for the RAF.  In 1937 he led the CFS aerobatic team of three Avro Tutors.  In October 1939 he was given the task of reforming No 222 Sqn, initially equipped with Blenhiems but  soon re-equipped with Spitfires with which it fought the Battle of Britain.  At this time he accepted the legless Douglas Bader as one of his flight commanders.  In 1962 he became a Director of Sharps, Pixley Ltd. (Bullion Brokers), remaining with them for fifteen years.

This page was last updated on 12/01/24©

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