Martin Widdowson

Martin Widdowson
Martin Keith Widdowson
Born 10 May 1946 (1946-05-10) (age 65)
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch  Royal Air Force
Years of service 1964[1] – 1996[2]
Rank Air Commodore
Service number 4232200
Commands held OC No. 23 Squadron RAF 1982
OC RAF Coningsby 1988
Royal Observer Corps 1995

Air Commodore Martin Keith Widdowson (born 10 May 1946) was a British Royal Air Force pilot, a senior Royal Air Force officer in the 1980s and 1990s and the 23rd and last Commandant Royal Observer Corps.

Military career

Widdowson was commissioned into the Royal Air Force on 25 March 1964, as an Acting Pilot Officer.[1] A year later, on 25 March 1965, he was regraded as a Pilot Officer.[3] A year after that, on 25 March 1966, he was promoted to Flying Officer,[4] and he was appointed to a permanent commission on 1 October 1968.[5] He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on 25 September 1969.[6] On 1 January 1974, he was promoted to Squadron Leader.[7] He was promoted to Wing Commander on 1 July 1981.[8]

His final operational flying appointment was as the Officer Commanding No. 23 Squadron in 1982 and by the late 1980s, he was Station Commander of RAF Coningsby.[9] He was promoted from Wing Commander to Group Captain on 1 January 1988.[10] On 1 July 1992,[11] he was promoted to Air Commodore[12] and in 1995 he was appointed as Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) of No. 11/18 Group RAF, simultaneously holding the appointment of 23rd and last Commandant Royal Observer Corps until the ROC was disbanded.[13] He retired from the RAF[2] on 14 September 1996.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 43314. p. 3889. 1 May 1964. Retrieved 2009-07-19.
  2. ^ a b London Gazette: no. 54551. p. 13685. 14 October 1996. Retrieved 2009-07-19.
  3. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 43612. p. 3191. 26 March 1965. Retrieved 2010-04-11.
  4. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 43936. pp. 3519–3520. 25 March 1966. Retrieved 2010-04-11.
  5. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 44850. p. 5261. 16 May 1969. Retrieved 2010-04-11.
  6. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 44945. p. 9959. 26 September 1969. Retrieved 2010-04-11.
  7. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 46174. pp. 283–284. 7 January 1974. Retrieved 2010-04-11.
  8. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 48677. p. 9312. 13 July 1981. Retrieved 2010-04-11.
  9. ^ http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Station%20OCs-Lincs.htm
  10. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 51188. p. 38. 4 January 1988. Retrieved 2010-04-11.
  11. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 52983. p. 11415. 6 July 1992. Retrieved 2010-04-11.
  12. ^ http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/halfyearly-service-promotions-1542610.html
  13. ^ http://www.rafweb.org/Grp09.htm
  14. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 54551. p. 13685. 14 October 1996. Retrieved 2010-04-11.
Military offices
Preceded by
C C C Coville		 Station Commander RAF Coningsby
c. 1988 – 1990		 Succeeded by
C R Spink
Preceded by
C R Spink		 Commandant Royal Observer Corps
1995 – 1996		 Corps stood down


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