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Air Commodore P C Webb (90171)


Paul Clifford                

b: 10 Mar 1918                       r: 18 Mar 1973                        d: 10 Jul 2007

CBE - 1 Jan 1963, DFC – 17 Oct 1944.

(AuxAF): Plt Off: 23 Jan 1938, Fg Off: 24 Aug 1939 [23 Jul 1939], Flt Lt (WS): 3 Sep 1940, (T) Sqn Ldr: 1 Dec 1941, Act Wg Cdr: 1 Jun 1944?, Sqn Ldr (WS): 1 Dec 1944, Sqn Ldr: 1 Sep 1945, Wg Cdr:  1 Jul 1947 [1 Oct 1946]

(RAF): Sqn Ldr: 7 Oct 1948, Act Wg Cdr: 7 Oct 1948?, Wg Cdr: 1 Jan 1952, Act Gp Capt: 13 Sep 1959, Gp Capt: 1 Jul 1963, Act A/Cdre: 28 Jun 1965 - 68?, A/Cdre: Retained.

xx xxx 1937:                 U/T Pilot, No 602 No 602 (City of Glasgow) Sqn AAF.

23 Jan 1938:                Appointed to a Commission in the Auxiliary Air Force.

23 Jan 1938:                Pilot, No 602 (City of Glasgow) Sqn AAF.

 4 Jul 1938:                 Authorised to wear Flying Badge

xx Sep 1940:                Flight Commander,  No 602 (City of Glasgow) Sqn AAF

9 Sep 1940:                 Recuperating.

xx xxx 1941:                 Gunnery Instructor, No 58 OTU.

25 May 1941:               Flight Commander, 'A' Flight, No 123 Sqn.

15 Sep 1941:                Attached, No 602 Sqn

19 Nov 1941:               Supernumerary, No 416 Sqn

xx Nov 1941:               Officer Commanding, No 416 RCAF Sqn. (Spitfire IIa)

xx Mar 1942:               Attached to No 260 Sqn

xx xxx 1942:                 Attached to No 2 Sqn, SAAF.

xx xxx xxxx:                  Air Staff, HQ No 210 Group.

12 Feb 1944:               Squadron Leader – Training, AHQ Malta

xx May 1944:               Officer Commanding, No 253 Sqn. (Spitfire Vc/IX)

xx Sep 1944:                Wing Commander - Flying, No 281 Wing.

xx xxx 1945:                 Staff, Air Ministry

xx Oct1948:                 Officer Commanding, No 612 Sqn AuxAF

 7 Oct 1948:                 Granted a Permanent Commission in the rank of Squadron Leader.        

xx xxx 1950:                 Personal Staff Officer to AOC, Auxiliary Units.

10 Sep 1951:                Air Liaison Officer, Canada.

xx xxx 1953:                 Wing Commander – Operations, Southern Sector Control Centre.       

xx xxx 1955:                 Intelligence Staff, Air Ministry.

13 Sep 1959:               Air Attaché, Ankara.

 5 Jul 1963:                  Officer Commanding, RAF Watton.

22 Aug 1965:               Air Adviser to UK High Commissioner to India.

xx xxx xxxx:                  Attended Senior Officers’ War Course.

21 Oct 1968:                Staff Planner, Intelligence Division, NATO HQ Military Committee.

30 Nov 1970:               SOA, HQ No 24 Group.

One of those officers, who originally joined the Auxiliary Air Force, whilst working for the National Bank of Scotland, who later transferred to the RAF permanently.  He was a member of No 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron and took part on the first operation of WW2 in which a German aircraft was brought down over Britain.  During the Battle of Britain he operated with the squadron until 9 September 1940, when he crashed following a combat with two Dorniers in which he suffered a broken wrist.  His final tally for the war was three confirmed destroyed and three shard with five damaged.  His role at the Air Ministry after the war was to de-requisition airfields, no longer required.

This page was last updated on 18/02/24

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