Walter Pretty

Air Marshal Sir Walter Philip George Pretty,[1] KBE, CB (2 May 1909 – 17 January 1975) was a Royal Air Force officer who served as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Signals Command from 1961 until 1964.

Sir Walter Pretty
Born(1909-05-02)2 May 1909
Died17 January 1975(1975-01-17) (aged 65)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchRoyal Air Force
Years of service1929–66
RankAir Marshal
Commands heldSignals Command (1961–64)
No. 1 Radio Operator's School (1941)
Battles/warsSecond World War
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Companion of the Order of the Bath
Mentioned in Despatches (2)

RAF career

Educated at Alleyn's School, Pretty joined the Royal Air Force as a cadet in 1929.[2] He served in the Second World War as Station Commander at the Chain Home Low early warning radar base near Clacton, as Officer Commanding No. 1 Radio Operator's School at RAF Cranwell and on the signals staff at Fighter Command.[2]

After the war he became Director-General of Navigational Services at the Ministry of Civil Aviation and then Director of Electronics Research and Development at the Ministry of Supply before being appointed Air Officer Administration at Headquarters Second Tactical Air Force in 1955.[2] He went on to be Director-General of Organisation at the Air Ministry in 1958, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Signals Command in 1961 and Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Personnel & Logistics) in 1964 before retiring in 1966.[2]

He lived near Cobham in Surrey[3] and became President of the Edward Alleyn Club.[4] He married Betty Methven in 1940 and they had four children: Audrey, Beryl, Carol (mother of comedian Marcus Brigstocke), and Derek.[5]

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References
  1. "Pretty, Air Marshal Sir Walter (Philip George): Who Was Who". Oxfordindex.oup.com. 2 May 1909. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  2. Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Marshal Sir Walter Pretty
  3. National Archives
  4. Edward Alleyn Club
  5. Family history
Military offices
Preceded by
Alick Foord-Kelcey		 Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Signals Command
1961–1964		 Succeeded by
Sir Thomas Shirley
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