Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation

Air Marshal Sir Ian Pedder (57637)

Ian Maurice                  b:  2 May 1926                    r:  15 Mar 1985                     d: 4 Dec 2002

KCB – 12 Jun 1982, OBE – 8 Jun 1963, DFC – 26 Apr 1949, FBIM (MBIM).

AC2: xx xxx xxxx, Plt Off (P): 21 Dec 1945, Fg Off (WS):  21 Jun 1946, Fg Off: 21 Dec 1946, Flt Lt: 30 Jun 1949, Sqn Ldr: 1 Jul 1956, Act Wg Cdr: 7 Apr 1962,  Gp Wg Cdr: 1 Jul 1962,  Gp Capt: 1 Jul 1967, Act A/Cdre: 20 Apr 1974, A/Cdre: 1 Jan 1975,  Act AVM: 11 May 1977, AVM: 1 Jan 1978, AM: 1 Jan 1982.

21 Dec 1945:            U/T Pilot, No 2 Course, No 19 SFTS, RAF Cranwell

21 Dec 1945:          Awarded a Short Service Commission

xx xxx 1946:           Pilot, No 28 Sqn.

xx Oct 1946:           Pilot, No 60 Sqn.

xx Jul 1948:            Pilot, No 81 Sqn.

20 Sep 1948:         Appointed to a Permanent Commission in the rank of Flying Officer.

xx xxx xxxx:            QFI, Central Flying School

xx xxx xxxx:            Seconded to Burma Air Force.

xx xxx xxxx:            Adjutant, RAF Debden.

xx xxx xxxx:            Pilot, No 213 Sqn.

xx xxx 1959:           Attended RAF Staff College - Andover.

xx xxx 1960:           Air Staff, Ministry of Defence.

xx xxx 1962:           Air Staff - Operations, HQ Far East Air Force

 7 Apr 1962:           Officer Commanding, Offensive Support Wing, RAF Tengah

31 Aug 1965:          Directing Staff, RAF Staff College.

21 Jul 1967:            Director of Plans and Policy, RAF Staff College.

 9 Dec 1968:           Group Captain - Training (Flying), HQ Training Command.

xx xxx 1971:            Attended Royal College of Defence Studies.

20 Mar 1972:          Officer Commanding, RAF Chivenor.

20 Apr 1974:           MOD Element, National Air Traffic Control Service.

11 May 1977:          Deputy Controller, National Air Traffic Service.

31 Aug 1981:           Controller, National Air Traffic Service.

Educated at the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe, he then went to Queen's College, Oxford, where he was a member University Air Squadron.  With nine months to go before graduating, he was offered the opportunity to undertake pilot training in the RAF, which he took and left Oxford, he never returned to completed his Philosophy degree.  Posted to the Far East as a ground attack pilot, he joined No 28 Sqn in Singapore flying Spitfire fighter-bombers.  During his time with No 28, he served with two other officers also destined to become Air Marshals, the first being his CO, Sqn Ldr Ivor Broom and the other Fg Off John Nicholls.  He then moved to No 60 Squadron flying the huge American Thunderbolt and the in 1948 he joined No 81 Squadron equipped with Spitfire FR 18's it was at that time classed as a Fighter Reconnaissance unit.  He was awarded the DFC for the work he carried out flying low level reconnaissance missions over the jungles completing 100 hours flying in the first two months and between 1 June and 30 November 1948 he flew on 56 successive days, carrying out 60 sorties, of which two-thirds were successful.

Returning to the UK in the early 1950's, he converted to jets and became a QFI at the Central Flying School, training other instructors.  However, after this he was sent back to the Far East, on secondment to the Burmese Air Force, but relations between Britain and Burma were not very good following the latter's independence and he soon found himself back in Britain.  Initially acting as Station Adjutant at RAF Debden, he was soon flying Canberras with No 213 Squadron from Bruggen in Germany.  In 1959, he attended the RAF Staff College, which was followed by a couple of staff appointments, before taking command of the Offensive Support Wing at Tengah in Singapore.  He found himself in action again, when tensions between Thailand and Laos increased and No 20 was sent to assist Thailand in combating incursions by Laotian Communists.  He was also involved in operations against Indonesia before returning home to join the Directing Staff of the Staff College.

Following a couple more staff appointments, he attended the Royal College of Defence Studies and then took command of RAF Chivenor in 1972.  However, during a low level training sortie, his engine flamed out and he was force to eject, which severely damaged his spine and effectively brought his flying career to an end.  As a result he moved to the field of Air Traffic Control and completed his service as first the head of the RAF element of the National Air Traffic Service, the the Deputy Controller of NATS and finally Controller of NATS.  Whilst he was Controller, he was responsible for converting the service into a self financing agency.

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