Richard Gordon Wakeford

Air Marshal Sir Richard (Dickie) Gordon Wakeford KCB OBE LVO AFC (20 April 1922<!--Telegraph and Herald say 20th, Times says 22nd--> - 13 February 2007) was an officer in the Royal Air Force for 36 years, from 1941 to 1977. Beginning as a pilot of flying boats with Coastal Command, he became a flying instructor, and commanded the Queen's Flight. After various operational commands, his last post was as Deputy Chief of Defence at the UK Ministry of Defence.

Early life and war service

Wakeford was born in Torquay. He was educated at Kelly College in Tavistock, Devon.

He joined the RAF in 1941. After flight training with the US Navy at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida, he joined Coastal Command to fly anti-submarine missions. He flew Catalina flying boats with No. 212 Squadron for 18 months from November 1942, patrolling the Indian Ocean from its base in Karachi. After a period training other pilots of flying boats, he joined No. 210 Squadron in October 1944, based at Sullom Voe in the Shetland Islands, patrolling the Norwegian Sea. He flew in support of Russian convoys...
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