The Air Member for Materiel is the senior
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
officer responsible for procurement matters. The post-holder is a member of the
Air Force Board
The Air Force Board of the Defence Council is responsible for the management of the Royal Air Force.
Prior to the creation of the current UK Ministry of Defence in 1964, the administration of the RAF and its personnel was undertaken by the A ...
and is in charge of all aspects of procurement and organisation for RAF regular, reserve and civilian staffs worldwide.
History
The post which was created in 1923 was originally known as the Air Member for Supply and Research; it was renamed Air Member for Supply and Organisation in 1936 and Air Member for Logistics in 1994.
Since 2007 it has been the Air Member for Materiel.
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Holders of the post
Holders of the post have included:
Air Member for Supply and Research
*1923 Air Vice-Marshal G H Salmond
*December 1926 Air Marshal J F A Higgins
*September 1930 Air Marshal H C T Dowding
Air Member for Supply and Organisation
*14 January 1935 Air Vice Marshal C L N Newall
*1 September 1937 Air Vice Marshal W L Welsh
*15 January 1940 Air Marshal Sir Christopher Courtney
Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Lloyd Courtney, (27 June 1890 – 22 October 1976) was a senior Royal Air Force officer.
RAF career
Courtney joined the Royal Navy in May 1905 as a midshipman at Britannia Royal Naval College, Britannia Naval Co ...
*14 September 1945 Air Marshal Sir Leslie Hollinghurst
*1 September 1948 Air Chief Marshal Sir George Pirie
*2 March 1950 Air Chief Marshal Sir William Dickson
*1 September 1952 Air Chief Marshal Sir John Whitworth-Jones
Air Chief Marshal Sir John Whitworth-Jones, (28 February 1896 – 4 February 1981) was a pilot in the First World War and a senior Royal Air Force commander during the Second World War. After the latter he held several senior RAF appointments be ...
*1 May 1954 Air Chief Marshal Sir Donald Hardman
Air Chief Marshal Sir James Donald Innes Hardman, (21 February 1899 – 2 March 1982), known as Donald Hardman, was a senior Royal Air Force commander. He began his flying career as a fighter pilot in World War I, achieving nin ...
*1 January 1958 Air Chief Marshal Sir Walter Dawson
*8 April 1960 Air Marshal Sir Walter Merton
Air Chief Marshal Sir Walter Hugh Merton, (29 August 1905 – 23 March 1986) was a senior Royal Air Force (RAF) commander during the Second World War. After the war he held several senior RAF appointments before his retirement in 1963.
RAF care ...
*1963 Air Marshal Sir John Baker-Carr (acting)
*1 August 1963 Air Marshal Sir John Davis
*2 August 1966 Air Marshal Sir Charles Broughton
*4 September 1968 Air Marshal Sir Thomas Prickett
Air Chief Marshal Sir Thomas Öther Prickett, (31 July 1913 – 23 January 2010) was a bomber pilot in the Second World War and a senior Royal Air Force commander in the 1950s and 1960s. He was chief of staff to the air commander, Air Marshal De ...
*1 December 1970 Air Marshal Sir Neil Wheeler
Air Chief Marshal Sir Henry Neil George Wheeler, (8 July 1917 – 9 January 2009) was a senior Royal Air Force (RAF) officer.
Military career
Educated St Helen's College in Southsea and the Royal Air Force College Cranwell, Wheeler was commissi ...
*27 March 1973 Air Marshal Sir Anthony Heward
Air Chief Marshal Sir Anthony Wilkinson Heward, (1 July 1918 – 27 October 1995) was a senior Royal Air Force (RAF) commander.
RAF career
Heward joined the Royal Air Force in 1936. He served in the Second World War as Officer Commanding No. ...
*3 June 1976 Air Marshal Sir Alasdair Steedman
Air Chief Marshal Sir Alasdair McKay Sinclair Steedman, (29 January 1922 – 2 January 1992) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force.
RAF career
Steedman joined the Royal Air Force in 1942 and served as a pilot during the Second World War ...
*28 September 1977 Air Marshal Sir John Nicholls
*1 December 1978 Air Marshal Sir Rex Roe
Air Chief Marshal Sir Rex David Roe, (4 May 1925 – 3 November 2002) was a senior Royal Air Force commander.
RAF career
Educated at the City of London School and the University of London, Roe joined the Royal Air Force in 1943 during the Secon ...
*4 July 1981 Air Chief Marshal Sir John Rogers
*1 January 1983 Air Marshal Sir Michael Knight
*7 February 1985 Air Marshal Sir Michael Armitage
*27 November 1987 Air Marshal Sir Patrick Hine
Air Chief Marshal Sir Patrick Bardon Hine, (born 14 July 1932) is a former senior Royal Air Force commander. Most notably, he was joint commander of all British forces during the Gulf War.
RAF career
Hine was born near Southampton on 14 July ...
*5 August 1988 Air Marshal Sir Brendan Jackson
Air Chief Marshal Sir Brendan James Jackson, (23 August 1935 – 19 November 1998) was a Royal Air Force officer who became Deputy Commander of RAF Strike Command.
RAF career
Born on 23 August 1935, Jackson was educated at Chichester High Sch ...
Air Member for Logistics
*1 April 1994 Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Alcock
*8 March 1996 Air Chief Marshal Sir John Allison
*11 July 1997 Air Marshal Sir Colin Terry
*30 April 1999 Air Marshal Malcolm Pledger
Air Chief Marshal Sir Malcolm David Pledger, (born 24 July 1948) is a retired Royal Air Force officer.
RAF career
Pledger was educated at Heywood Grammar School (became part of a comprehensive in 1968 and is now Siddal Moor Sports College) and ...
*3 September 1999 Air Vice-Marshal Graham Skinner
Air Vice Marshal Graham Skinner, (born 1945) is a retired Royal Air Force officer.
RAF career
Educated at Hampton School, the University of Bristol and Loughborough University, Skinner joined the Royal Air Force in 1963. He served at Strike ...
:''Note: From 1999 to 2004 the post was vacant''
*2004 Air Vice-Marshal Barry Thornton
Air Marshal Sir Barry Michael Thornton, is a British retired officer who was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force.
Personal life
Thornton was educated at Baines Grammar School and the University of Nottingham.
He is married to Delia T ...
*January 2006 Air Vice-Marshal David Rennison
Air Vice Marshal David Ralph Grey Rennison, is a former senior Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first ...
Air Member for Materiel
*April 2007 Air Marshal Sir Barry Thornton
Air Marshal Sir Barry Michael Thornton, is a British retired officer who was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force.
Personal life
Thornton was educated at Baines Grammar School and the University of Nottingham.
He is married to Delia T ...
*May 2009 Air Marshal Sir Kevin Leeson
Air Marshal Sir Kevin James Leeson, (born 11 June 1956) is a retired Royal Air Force engineer officer, whose final appointment was as Chief of Materiel – Air at the Defence Equipment and Support organisation, concurrently holding the appointme ...
*October 2012 Air Marshal Sir Simon Bollom
Air Marshal Sir Simon John Bollom, (born 1960) is a retired senior Royal Air Force (RAF) officer who is currently serving as Chief Executive Officer of Defence Equipment and Support.
RAF career
Educated at the University of Southampton, Bollo ...
*April 2016 Air Marshal Sir Julian Young
Julian Padraic Young (born June 19, 1943) is an American philosopher and William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Humanities at Wake Forest University.
He is known for his expertise on post-Kantian philosophy.
Career
He specializes in Continental (ni ...
*September 2020 Vice Admiral Richard Thompson
References
{{reflist
Royal Air Force appointments