Walter Cheshire
Encyclopedia
Air Chief Marshal
Sir Walter Graemes Cheshire GBE
KCB
RAF (21 March 1907 - 10 December 1978) was a senior Royal Air Force
intelligence
officer during World War II
and a senior commander in the in the 1950s and early 1960s.
, Cheshire joined the Royal Air Force in 1926. He served in World War II
as Chief Intelligence Officer at Headquarters RAF Bomber Command
, as Air Attache in Moscow
and as Chief Air Intelligence Officer at Headquarters Air Command South East Asia before becoming Air Officer Commanding AHQ Indo China in October 1945.
After the War he was made Air Officer Commanding RAF Gibraltar
and then Commandant of the RAF Staff College, Andover
. He went on to be Air Officer Administration at Headquarters Second Tactical Air Force in 1953, Air Officer Commanding No. 13 Group
in 1955 and RAF Instructor at the Imperial Defence College in 1957. Promoted to air marshal, his last roles were as Air Officer Commanding RAF Malta in 1959 and Air Member for Personnel
in 1961 before retiring in 1965.
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir Walter Graemes Cheshire GBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
RAF (21 March 1907 - 10 December 1978) was a senior Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
officer during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and a senior commander in the in the 1950s and early 1960s.
RAF career
Educated at Downing College, CambridgeDowning College, Cambridge
Downing College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1800 and currently has around 650 students.- History :...
, Cheshire joined the Royal Air Force in 1926. He served in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as Chief Intelligence Officer at Headquarters RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
, as Air Attache in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and as Chief Air Intelligence Officer at Headquarters Air Command South East Asia before becoming Air Officer Commanding AHQ Indo China in October 1945.
After the War he was made Air Officer Commanding RAF Gibraltar
RAF Gibraltar
Royal Air Force Station Gibraltar, better known as RAF Gibraltar and formally as North Front, is a Royal Air Force station on Gibraltar. No military aircraft are currently stationed there, but there are regular visits...
and then Commandant of the RAF Staff College, Andover
RAF Staff College, Andover
The RAF Staff College at RAF Andover was the first Royal Air Force staff college to be established. Its role was the training of officers in the administrative, staff and policy apects of air force matters.-Foundation:...
. He went on to be Air Officer Administration at Headquarters Second Tactical Air Force in 1953, Air Officer Commanding No. 13 Group
No. 13 Group RAF
No. 13 Group was a group in the Royal Air Force for various periods in the 20th century. It is most famous for having the responsibility for defending the North of Great Britain during the Battle of Britain-World War I:...
in 1955 and RAF Instructor at the Imperial Defence College in 1957. Promoted to air marshal, his last roles were as Air Officer Commanding RAF Malta in 1959 and Air Member for Personnel
Air Member for Personnel
The Air Member for Personnel is the senior Royal Air Force officer who is responsible for personnel matters and is a member of the Air Force Board...
in 1961 before retiring in 1965.