Air Marshal Raymond George (Ray) Funnell, (born 1 March 1935) is a retired senior commander of the
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
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(RAAF). He served as
Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) from 1987 until 1992. A graduate of
RAAF College
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
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, he began his career flying
CAC Sabre
The CAC Sabre, sometimes known as the Avon Sabre or CA-27, is an Australian variant of the North American Aviation F-86F Sabre fighter aircraft. The F-86F was redesigned and built by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC). Equipping five ...
jet fighters in Australia and South East Asia in the 1950s and 1960s. From 1972 to 1975 he commanded
No. 6 Squadron, during which time the
General Dynamics F-111C
The General Dynamics F-111C (nicknamed "Pig") is a variant of the F-111 Aardvark medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft, developed by General Dynamics to meet Australian requirements. The design was based on the F-111A model but ...
swing-wing bomber entered Australian service. He held senior staff posts in the early 1980s. In 1986, he was promoted to air marshal and became the inaugural
Vice Chief of the Defence Force
The Vice Chief of the Defence Force (VCDF) is the military deputy to the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) of Australia, and acts as the CDF in his absence under standing acting arrangements. Vice Admiral David Johnston, the incumbent VCDF, has ...
. Appointed CAS in July 1987, Funnell was closely involved in the development and dissemination of air power doctrine. He retired from the RAAF in October 1992 following his term as CAS, and was founding Principal of the
Australian College of Defence and Strategic Studies
The Australian Defence College (ADC) comprises three joint education and training organisations operated by the Australian Defence Force in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory:
* the War College,
* the Australian Defence Force Training Ce ...
from 1994 to 1998. Since then he has served on various Federal Government committees on immigration and detention.
Early career and rise to senior command
![Sabre Mk32s RAAF in Thailand early 1960s](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Sabre_Mk32s_RAAF_in_Thailand_early_1960s.jpg)
Raymond George (Ray) Funnell was born on 1 March 1935 in
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
, Queensland, and educated at
Brisbane State High School
, motto_translation = Knowledge is Power
, city = South Brisbane
, state = Queensland
, country = Australia
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, type = Public, selective, co-educational, secondary, ...
.
[Stephens; Isaacs, ''High Fliers'', pp. 179–182] He joined the
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
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(RAAF)
Air Training Corps
The Air Training Corps (ATC) is a British volunteer-military youth organisation. They are sponsored by the Ministry of Defence and the Royal Air Force. The majority of staff are volunteers, and some are paid for full-time work – including C ...
in January 1949, and received a flying training scholarship.
[ In 1951, aged 16, he learnt to fly with the Royal Queensland Aero Club.] In January 1953 he entered RAAF College
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
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, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
as an air cadet, graduating with distinction in 1956.[APDC, ''The Australian Experience of Air Power'', p. 126] He married his wife Suzanne in 1958; the couple had two sons.[Singh, ''Who's Who in Australia 2010'', p. 802] Funnell spent much of his early career flying CAC Sabre
The CAC Sabre, sometimes known as the Avon Sabre or CA-27, is an Australian variant of the North American Aviation F-86F Sabre fighter aircraft. The F-86F was redesigned and built by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC). Equipping five ...
jet fighters at RAAF Bases Williamtown, New South Wales, and Butterworth Butterworth may refer to:
Places
* Butterworth (ancient township), a former township centred on Milnrow, in the then Parish of Rochdale, England, United Kingdom
* Butterworth, Eastern Cape, now also known as Gcuwa, a town located in South Africa
...
, Malaysia, as well as Ubon
Ubon Ratchathani ( th, อุบลราชธานี, ) is one of the four major cities of Isan (with Khorat/Nakhon Ratchasima, Udon Thani, and Khon Kaen), also known as the "big four of Isan." The city is on the Mun River in the sout ...
, Thailand, and Labuan
Labuan (), officially the Federal Territory of Labuan ( ms, Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan), is a Federal Territory of Malaysia. Its territory includes and six smaller islands, off the coast of the state of Sabah in East Malaysia. Labuan's capit ...
, East Malaysia.[ As a ]flight lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in air forces that use the Royal Air Force (RAF) system of ranks, especially in Commonwealth countries. It has a NATO rank code of OF-2. Flight lieutenant is abbreviated as Flt Lt in the India ...
in the early 1960s, he instructed on the de Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland Vampire is a British jet fighter which was developed and manufactured by the de Havilland, de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was the second jet fighter to be operated by the Royal Air Force, RAF, after the Gloster Meteor, and ...
with No. 1 Applied Flying Training School at RAAF Base Pearce
RAAF Base Pearce is the main Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base in Western Australia. The base is located in Bullsbrook, north of Perth. It is used for training by the RAAF and the Republic of Singapore Air Force.
Pearce is ...
, Western Australia.[ In 1966 he served as commanding officer of No. 79 Squadron at Ubon.]
Squadron Leader
Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also ...
Funnell attended RAAF Staff College, Canberra, from January to December 1967. He subsequently served in various staff positions with the RAAF and on exchange with the United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
.[ In 1971 he became the first RAAF officer to attend the US ]Air War College
The Air War College (AWC) is the senior Professional Military Education (PME) school of the U.S. Air Force. A part of the United States Air Force's Air University, AWC emphasizes the employment of air, space, and cyberspace in joint operation ...
, and received a master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. in political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
from Auburn University
Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a public land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama. With more than 24,600 undergraduate students and a total enrollment of more than 30,000 with 1,330 faculty members, Auburn is the second largest uni ...
.[ Promoted to ]wing commander
Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historical ...
, from 1972 to 1975 he was commanding officer of No. 6 Squadron at RAAF Base Amberley
RAAF Base Amberley is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military airbase located southwest of Ipswich, Queensland in Australia and southwest of Brisbane CBD. It is currently home to No. 1 Squadron (operating the F/A-18F Super Hornet), N ...
, Queensland.[ His tenure witnessed the introduction of the ]General Dynamics F-111C
The General Dynamics F-111C (nicknamed "Pig") is a variant of the F-111 Aardvark medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft, developed by General Dynamics to meet Australian requirements. The design was based on the F-111A model but ...
swing-wing bomber to Australian service. On 8/9 April 1974, Funnell flew an F-111 around Australia to commemorate the 1924 circumnavigation of the continent by Wing Commander Stanley Goble
Air Vice Marshal Stanley James (Jimmy) Goble, CBE, DSO, DSC (21 August 1891 – 24 July 1948) was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He served three terms as Chief of the Air Staff, alternating with Wing Comma ...
and Flight Lieutenant Ivor McIntyre
Ivor Ewing McIntyre, (6 October 1899 – 12 March 1928) was a pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He gained national recognition in 1924 when he and Wing Commander Stanley Goble became the first men to circumnavigate Australia ...
in a Fairey III
The Fairey Aviation Company Fairey III was a family of British reconnaissance biplanes that enjoyed a very long production and service history in both landplane and seaplane variants. First flying on 14 September 1917, examples were still in us ...
seaplane. From 1975 to 1978 he was head of the Military Planning Staff for the Australian Defence Force Academy
The Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) is a tri-service military Academy that provides military and academic education for junior officers of the Australian Defence Force in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army and Royal Aus ...
project.[ He also served as honorary aide-de-camp to Governor-General ]Sir John Kerr
Sir John Robert Kerr (24 September 1914 – 24 March 1991) was an Australian barrister and judge who served as the 18th Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1974 to 1977. He is primarily known for his involvement in the 1975 constit ...
. Funnell was awarded the National Medal for long service in 1977, and a clasp the following year.
Senior command
Promoted to air commodore, Funnell was appointed Chief of Staff at Headquarters Operational Command in Glenbrook, New South Wales, in 1979.[ He attended the ]Royal College of Defence Studies
The Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) instructs the most promising senior officers of the British Armed Forces, His Majesty's Diplomatic Service and Civil Service in national defence and international security matters at the highest level ...
, London, in 1981 and the following year was appointed Director-General of the Military Staff Branch in the Department of Defence Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to:
Current departments of defence
* Department of Defence (Australia)
* Department of National Defence (Canada)
* Department of Defence (Ireland)
* Department of National Defense (Philipp ...
, Canberra.[ In November 1983 he was promoted ]air vice marshal
Air vice-marshal (AVM) is a two-star air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes u ...
and became Chief of Air Force Operations and Plans.[ He was appointed an ]Officer of the Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...
(AO) on 10 June 1985. The same year, he took up the position of Assistant Chief of the Defence Force (Policy).[ On 6 June 1986, he was promoted to air marshal and appointed the first ]Vice Chief of the Defence Force
The Vice Chief of the Defence Force (VCDF) is the military deputy to the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) of Australia, and acts as the CDF in his absence under standing acting arrangements. Vice Admiral David Johnston, the incumbent VCDF, has ...
; the role made him responsible for Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and its national interests. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Forc ...
policy and planning, as well as operations.
On 3 July 1987, Funnell succeeded Air Marshal Jake Newham as Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), becoming the first graduate of RAAF College to attain the position; he was also the first incumbent to possess a master's degree.[Stephens, ''Australia's Air Chiefs'', v] Known for his intellectual curiosity and commitment to the study of air warfare, Funnell ordered the establishment in 1989 of a permanent think-tank and educational institution, the Air Power Studies Centre (later the Air Power Development Centre), and donated the R.G. Funnell library to RAAF Staff College.[ The ''Air Power Manual'', the RAAF's first self-produced treatise on aerial war fighting, was completed by a development team sponsored by Funnell, and published in 1990.][ Funnell also championed the publication of ''The Decisive Factor'', based on the writings of Air Vice Marshal ]Henry Wrigley
Air Vice Marshal Henry Neilson Wrigley, Order of the British Empire, CBE, Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom), DFC, Air Force Cross (United Kingdom), AFC (21 April 1892 – 14 September 1987) was a senior commander in the ...
, who was credited with laying the foundations for the RAAF's modern air power doctrine.
As CAS, Funnell focused on turning the RAAF into the "air power element of a cohesive, integrated defence force". His tenure saw the continuation of a shift in the RAAF's 'centre of gravity' from the south to the north of Australia. RAAF Base Curtin
RAAF Base Curtin, also sometimes RAAF Curtin is a joint use Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base and civil airport located southeast of the town of Derby on the north coast of Western Australia in Australia. As it is one of the ...
, in North Western Australia, and RAAF Base Tindal
RAAF Base Tindal is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base and civil aviation airfield located east southeast of the town of Katherine, Northern Territory in Australia. The base is currently home to No. 75 Squadron and a nu ...
, in the Northern Territory, were opened and development proceeded on RAAF Base Scherger in Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland (FNQ) is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. Its largest city is Cairns and it is dominated geographically by Cape York Peninsula, which stretches north to the Torres Strait, and west to the Gulf C ...
. At the same time, bases in the south, including Point Cook
Point Cook is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Wyndham local government area. Point Cook recorded a population of 66,781 at the 2021 census.
Point Cook ...
, Laverton and support units in capital cities, were rationalised. The Air Force was in the process of re-equipping its Mirage III
The Dassault Mirage III () is a family of single/dual-seat, single-engine, fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by French aircraft company Dassault Aviation. It was the first Western European combat aircraft to exceed Mach 2 in horizonta ...
fighter squadrons with the F/A-18 Hornet
The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather, twinjet, twin-engine, supersonic aircraft, supersonic, carrier-based aircraft, carrier-capable, Multirole combat aircraft, multirole combat aircraft, designed as both a Fighter aircraft, ...
when Funnell became CAS, and he had to contend with a shortage of pilots that was exacerbated by the extra training time required for the new aircraft. In September 1988, he flew one of the RAAF's recently acquired Pilatus PC-9
The Pilatus PC-9 is a single-engine, low-wing tandem-seat turboprop training aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. Designed as a more powerful evolution of the Pilatus PC-7, the PC-9's first flight was made in May 1984 after ...
turboprop trainers in the Bicentenary Round Australia Air Race. He considered it fitting that the CAS should make the journey, as Stanley Goble had held the same position when he circumnavigated Australia for the first time in 1924.[ His term coincided with the 1990–91 ]Gulf War
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
; the RAAF's contribution included transporting Australian hostages and medical staff from the Middle East. Funnell was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...
(AC) on 12 June 1989 for his service as CAS, and awarded the US Commander of the Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight u ...
in 1991.
Later life
Funnell retired from the RAAF following completion of his term as CAS on 1 October 1992, and was succeeded by Air Marshal Barry Gration, one of his classmates from the 1953 intake at RAAF College.[ Funnell's five-year term as CAS was the longest since that of Air Marshal ]George Jones
George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for his long list of hit records, including his best-known song "He Stopped Loving Her Today", ...
, who served ten years in the post from 1942 to 1952. In 1993, Funnell became Director of the National Defence College project.[ From 1994 until 1998, he served as the inaugural Principal of the Australian College of Defence and Strategic Studies, which subsequently evolved into the ]Australian Defence College
The Australian Defence College (ADC) comprises three joint education and training organisations operated by the Australian Defence Force in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory:
* the War College,
* the Australian Defence Force Training Cent ...
. He became a consultant in 1999, and was awarded the Centenary Medal
The Centenary Medal is an award which was created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the centenary of the Federation of Australia and to recognise "people who made a contribution to Australian society or go ...
for "humanitarian and defence services" on 1 January 2001.[ From 2001 to 2009, he was a member of the Minister's Advisory Council on People Smuggling, and the Immigration Detention Advisory Group (IDAG). He publicly disavowed the ]Australian contribution to the 2003 invasion of Iraq
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal Au ...
but, once battle was joined, opposed the withdrawal of troops and cautioned against anti-war demonstrations.[ Funnell served as Deputy Chair of the Council for Immigration Services and Status Resolution (CISSR) from 2009 to 2011, and became Deputy Chair of the Federal Minister's Council on Asylum Seekers and Detention (MCASD) in 2012.] His recreational activities include motorcycling, photography, walking and bicycling.
Notes
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Funnell, Ray
1935 births
Australian aviators
Military personnel from Brisbane
Alumni of the Royal College of Defence Studies
Commanders of the Legion of Merit
Companions of the Order of Australia
Living people
People educated at Brisbane State High School
People from Brisbane
Recipients of the Centenary Medal
Royal Australian Air Force air marshals
Air marshals of the Gulf War
Vice Chiefs of the Defence Force (Australia)