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Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
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Arthur Sidney Ronald
b: 16 Apr 1921 r: 29 Mar 1976 d: 11 Jun 2013
CB – 12 Jun 1976, DFC – 8 Oct 1946.
AC2: xx Jun 1940, LAC: xx xxx 1940, Sgt: xx xxx 1941, Plt Off: 9 Jun 1942, Fg Off (WS): 9 Dec 1942, Act Flt Lt: xx xxx 1943, Flt Lt (WS): 9 Jun 1944, Flt Lt: 10 Jun 1947 [9 Dec 1945], Sqn Ldr: 1 Jan 1951, Act Wg Cdr: xx xxx 1956?, Wg Cdr: 1 Jan 1957, Gp Capt: 1 Jul 1962, A/Cdre: 1 Jul 1967.
xx Jun 1940: U/T Pilot (1165339)
xx Dec 1941: Pilot, No 602 Sqn.
xx xxx xxxx: Flight Commander, No 602 Sqn.
xx xxx xxxx: Flight Commander, No 234 Sqn
15 Jul 1943: Prisoner of War
xx xxx 1945: Pilot, No ? Sqn
xx May 1948: Test Pilot, Winter Experimental Establishment., Canada.
xx xxx xxxx: Adjutant, No 3510 (County of Inverness) Fighter Control Unit
xx Mar 1951: Officer Commanding, No 98 Sqn. (Vampire FB5)
xx xxx 1954: Attended Army Staff College, Camberley.
xx xxx 1956: Officer Commanding, No 12 Joint Services Trials Unit, Woomera
xx xxx 1959: Attended Joint Services Staff College.
30 May 1960: Staff Officer, Directorate of Air Staff Plans and Programmes.
17 Oct 1960: Member, Joint Planning Staff, MoD.
3 Aug 1962: Group Captain - Air Plans, HQ Far East Air Force.
14 Aug 1965: Officer Commanding, RAF Leuchars.
xx xxx 1967: Air Commodore - Plans, HQ ? Command.
xx xxx 1969: Attended Imperial Defence College.
xx xxx 1970: Director, Deputy Controllerate Aircraft 'B', MoD (PE).
11 Nov 1972: AO in C, Central Tactics and Trials Organisation.
On 2 March 1942 he was flying Spitfire VB, W3956 when the aircraft was hit by flak over Dunkirk but he managed to get back to the UK where he made a forced landing. He was shot down and captured whilst flying EN840 on 15 July 1943 during a Ramrod. He remained incarceratd in Stalag Luft III until January 1945 when he took part in the ‘Long March’, during which he a fellow POW managed to escape but the winter weather was so severe they decided to rejoin the march and he was finally repatriated in May.
After the war he flew the Meteor in both the UK and Germany before going to Canada, where he conducted cold weather trials on a variety of aircraft at the Winter Experimental Establishment.
Retiring at his own request, from 1976 until 1986 he was Defence Liaison Officer for the Singer Company, Link-Miles Division.
Citation for the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross
"STRUDWICK, Arthur Sidney Ronald, F/L (127804) - No.234 Squadron
Flight Lieutenant Strudwick had completed a very large number of operational sorties when his aircraft was shot down over Germany in December 1943. He was then taken prisoner and remained in enemy hands until the cessation of hostilities. On two occasions he led his section to attack superior forces of enemy aircraft and he himself destroyed at least two enemy aircraft. Flight Lieutenant Strudwick on many occasions led his squadron on successful attacks on enemy shipping and on bomber escort sorties. He has at all times displayed great initiative and leadership and spared no effort to complete his missions successfully. He set a fine example to the rest of the squadron by his courage and devotion to duty."
(Source - Air Ministry Bulletin 23015)
This page was last updated on 08/09/23
D M Strong
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P O Sturley
