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Air Vice Marshal W J Crisham


William Joseph CrishamWilliam Joseph             b: 19 Nov 1906                    r: 2 Jun 1961                d: 24 Jul 1987

CB - 1 Jan 1953, CBE - 1 Jan 1945, MiD – 1 Jan 1946, MiD - 13 Jun 1957.

Plt Off (P): 16 Mar 1928, Plt Off: 16 Mar 1929, Fg Off: 16 Sep 1929, Flt Lt: 1 Feb 1934, Sqn Ldr: 1 Oct 1937, (T) Wg Cdr: 1 Jun 1940, Act Gp Capt: 18 Apr 1942, (T) Gp Capt: 1 Jan 1943 [1 Sep 1942], Wg Cdr (WS): 17 Feb 1943, Wg Cdr: 1 Dec 1943, Act A/Cdre: 22 Feb 1945, Gp Capt (WS): 22 Aug 1945, Gp Capt: 1 Oct 1946, Act A/Cdre: xx xxx 1950, A/Cdre: 1 Jan 1951, Act AVM: 30 Nov 1953, AVM: 1 Jul 1954.   

William Joseph Crisham

by Walter Stoneman
bromide print, 1955
NPG x166858

© National Portrait Gallery, London

 

 3 Apr 1928:            U/T Pilot, No 5 FTS.

 5 Mar 1929:           Pilot, No 19 Sqn. (Siskin III)

xx xxx xxxx:             Attended Instructors' Course, CFS

 5 Aug 1930:           Instructor, No 2 FTS.

12 Apr 1931:          Signals Officer's Course, Electrical and Wireless School.

 1 Sep 1932:           Granted a Permanent Commission in the rank of Flying Officer.

 7 Feb 1933:           Signals Officer, No 28 Sqn. (Bristol F2B)

17 Nov 1935:         Signals Officer, Aircraft Depot, India.

22 Apr 1938:          Supernumerary, No 1 RAF Depot.

13 Aug 1938:          Squadron Commander, No 6 FTS.

21 Sep 1939:          Staff, Directorate of Signals.

14-19 Aug 1940:    Posted to No 13 Sqn and attached to No 1 School of Army Co-operation for refresher course.

xx Aug 1940:          Officer Commanding, No 13 Sqn. (Lysander)

17 Apr 1941:          Posted to Special Duties List

xx May 1941:         Officer Commanding, No 232 Sqn. (Hurricane)

xx Jun 1941:           Attended Conversion Course, No 54 OTU

 8 Dec 1941:          Officer Commanding, No 23 Sqn. (Havoc)

22 Apr 1942:          Officer Commanding, RAF Kirton Lindsey

29 Aug 1942:          Hospitalised following a crash in a Magister.

30 Apr 1943:          Officer Commanding, Tangmere Sector

18 Sep 1944:          Staff Officer, No 11 (Fighter) Group

22 Feb 1945:          AOA, HQ No 83 (Composite) Group.

1946 - 48               ?

xx xxx 1948:           Air Staff, HQ RAF Mediterranean & Middle East.

xx xxx 1950:           Commandant, Central Fighter Establishment.

13 Nov1953:          AOC, No 12 Group.

15 Jan 1956:           AOC, AHQ Levant.

 4 Jul 1958:             AOC, RAF Germany.

During Operation 'Musketeer' in late 1956, he was not directly involved in the direction of operations against Egypt but was tasked with the air defence of Cyprus as well as the continuing operations against EOKA terrorists  on the island itself.  On 31 May 1957 he attended the ceremony with King Hussein to formally hand-over RAF Masfriq (last RAF Station in Jordan) to the Jordanian government bringing to an end the RAF presence in Jordan after forty years.

This page was last updated on 23/12/23

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