Air Chief Marshal Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer originating from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. An air chief marshal is equivalent to an Admir ...

Sir Wallace Hart Kyle, (22 January 1910 – 31 January 1988) was an Australian who served in the

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 ...

(RAF) as a senior commander and later as the 24th

Governor of Western Australia The governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of the monarch of Australia, currently King Charles III. As with the other governors of the Australian states, the governor of Western Australia performs constitutional ...

. Born in

Kalgoorlie Kalgoorlie is a city in the Goldfields–Esperance region of Western Australia, located east-northeast of Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway. It is sometimes referred to as Kalgoorlie–Boulder, as the surrounding urban area includ ...

, Western Australia, Kyle was commissioned into the RAF in 1929, and, having seen service in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and the

Malayan Emergency The Malayan Emergency, also known as the Anti–British National Liberation War was a guerrilla war fought in British Malaya between communist pro-independence fighters of the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) and the military forces o ...

, held a number of senior positions, including Vice-Chief of the Air Staff and commander-in-chief of the RAF's

Bomber Command Bomber Command is an organisational military unit, generally subordinate to the air force of a country. The best known were in Britain and the United States. A Bomber Command is generally used for strategic bombing (although at times, e.g. during t ...

and Strike Command. He was made Governor of Western Australia in 1975, a position in which he served until 1980, later returning to England, where he died in 1988.

Early life

Kyle was born in

, Western Australia, on 22 January 1910 to Alfred Kyle, a builder, and Christina Ellen (née Beck). He was educated at Kalgoorlie State School and later

Guildford Grammar School Guildford Grammar School, informally known as Guildford Grammar, Guildford or GGS, is an independent Anglican coeducational primary and secondary day and boarding school, located in Guildford, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Initia ...

, where he was a boarder and proved a capable sportsman and athlete.

RAF career

Kyle entered the

Royal Air Force College Cranwell The Royal Air Force College (RAFC) is the Royal Air Force military academy which provides initial training to all RAF personnel who are preparing to become commissioned officers. The College also provides initial training to aircrew cadets and ...

in 1928 and was commissioned into the

in December 1929. While at Cranwell, he represented the college at cricket, squash and tennis and he attained the rank of flight cadet corporal. As a

pilot officer Pilot officer (Plt Off officially in the RAF; in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly P/O in all services, and still often used in the RAF) is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countri ...

, Kyle was posted to No 17 Squadron as a pilot and subsequently, on 2 July 1931, to No 442 (Fleet Spotter Reconnaissance) Flight Fleet Air Arm as a flying officer (promoted 14 June 1931) (until 1939, the

Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wil ...

was controlled by the RAF). He spent time at the RAF Depot from 12 August 1932 until his next operational posting to No 820 Squadron Fleet Air Arm on 2 May 1933. From 23 July, Kyle attended the Flying Instructor's Course at the

Central Flying School The Central Flying School (CFS) is the Royal Air Force's primary institution for the training of military flying instructors. Established in 1912 at the Upavon Aerodrome, it is the longest existing flying training school. The school was based at R ...

, returning to Cranwell as an instructor on 20 October 1934. His promotion to

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 ...

came on 14 June 1935. Kyle went to Australia on an exchange posting with the

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

in April 1936, returning to Britain in 1938. He was appointed as Squadron Commander at No 3 Flying Training School at

RAF South Cerney Royal Air Force South Cerney or more simply RAF South Cerney is a former Royal Air Force station located in South Cerney near Cirencester in Gloucestershire, England. It was built during the 1930s to conduct flying training. The airfield was tur ...

on 25 June 1938 (he was promoted to

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 ...

for this appointment). From 17 July 1939, he was appointed to the Air Staff, HQ Training Command and HQ Flying Training Command. Kyle served in the

and in 1940, after various posts in

, he was appointed

Officer Commanding The officer commanding (OC), also known as the officer in command or officer in charge (OiC), is the commander of a sub-unit or minor unit (smaller than battalion size), principally used in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. In other countries, ...

No. 139 Squadron and received the temporary rank of

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 ...

on 1 December 1940. Kyle was appointed as Station Commander at

RAF Marham RAF Marham is a Royal Air Force station and military airbase near the village of Marham in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia. It is home to No. 138 Expeditionary Air Wing (138 EAW) and, as such, is one of the RAF's "Main Operating ...

in 1942 and another temporary promotion, to

group captain Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force, where it originated, as well as the air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. It is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank i ...

, on 1 July 1943. He was appointed as Station Commander at

RAF Downham Market RAF Downham Market was a Royal Air Force station in the west of the county of Norfolk, England which operated during the second half of the Second World War. History RAF Downham Market opened as a satellite station for RAF Marham in the Summe ...

on 7 March 1944 and then transferred to the Air Staff, HQ Bomber Command on 9 October 1944. After the war, in 1945, Kyle joined the Directing Staff at the

RAF Staff College, Bracknell The RAF Staff College at Bracknell was a Royal Air Force staff college active for most of the second half of the 20th century. Its role was the training of staff officers in the administrative, staff and policy aspects of air force matters. I ...

. The temporary promotions received during the war were subsequently made

substantive A noun () is a word that generally functions as the name of a specific object or set of objects, such as living creatures, places, actions, qualities, states of existence, or ideas.Example nouns for: * Living creatures (including people, alive, d ...

with permanent promotions to wing commander on 1 October 1946 and to group captain on 1 July 1947. Kyle joined the Air Plans team at Headquarters RAF Mediterranean & Middle East in October 1948. On 26 April 1949, he was appointed Air Aide de Camp to the King and continued as Air Aide de Camp to the Queen until 31 July 1956. Kyle was appointed Assistant Commandant at Cranwell in 1951 and Director of Operational Requirements (Air) at the

Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...

on 30 June 1952, with promotion to air commodore on 1 July. He became a temporary

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 Air Officer Commanding at Air Headquarters Malaya on 14 January 1955 during the

(the promotion was made permanent on 1 July 1955), Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operational Requirements) on 1 September 1957 and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief,

Technical Training Command The United States Army Air Forces during World War II had major subordinate Commands below the Air Staff level. These Commands were organized along functional missions. One such Command was the Flying Training Command (FTC). It began as Air Corp ...

on 29 September 1959. The last appointment came with a temporary promotion to air marshal which was made permanent on 1 January 1961. He became Vice-Chief of the Air Staff on 2 March 1962 and Air Officer Commander-in-Chief

on 19 February 1965; he had been promoted to

air chief marshal Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer originating from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. An air chief marshal is equivalent to an Admir ...

on 1 January 1964. Bomber Command merged with

Fighter Command RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War. It earned near-immortal fame during the Battle of Britai ...

to form Strike Command, and Kyle became Strike Command's first Air Officer Commander-in-Chief on 30 April 1968. On 12 August 1966, Kyle was again appointed to be Air Aide-de-camp to The Queen, which he remained until his retirement from the RAF on 9 November 1968.

Governorship and retirement

Kyle served as

from 1975 until 1980 and briefly caused excitement when he spoke out in favour of developing a

uranium Uranium is a chemical element with the symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Uranium is weak ...

processing plant at

in 1978. Kyle died on 31 January 1988 at Lymington. In 1995, Lady Kyle renamed the South Wing of the

RAF Benevolent Fund The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund (RAF Benevolent Fund or RAFBF) is the Royal Air Force's leading welfare charity, providing financial, practical and emotional support to serving and former members of the RAF – regardless of rank – as well ...

's Princess Marina House in Sussex, the "Kyle Wing" in Sir Wallace's honour. Sir Wallace Kyle had been the first chairman of the home.

Honours and awards

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) as one ...

– 1 Jan 1966 (KCB – 1 January 1960, CB – 1 January 1953) *

Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, or ...

– 5 August 1977 6 March 1977ref name=air/> *

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

– 1 January 1946 *

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typ ...

– 26 October 1945 * Distinguished Flying Cross – 2 May 1941

Citation for the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross: "Wing Commander Wallace Hart KYLE (26141), No.139 Squadron. In April, 1941, this officer led an attack against Ijmuiden Iron and Steel Works. In spite of intense anti-aircraft fire and interference from a patrol of Messerschmitt l09's, he dropped his bombs on the target from a height of 50 feet. The enemy fighters followed Wing Commander Kyle out to sea, but, by his skilful flying, he forced them to break off the attack. The operation was an outstanding success. He has now completed a number of successful operational missions and his resolute determination and leadership have been largely responsible for the high standard of efficiency in his squadron".

* Knight of the Venerable Order of Saint John – 26 February 1976 * Air Aide de Camp to the King – 26 April 1949 * Air Aide de Camp to the Queen – 10 June 1952 to 31 July 1956 *

Mentioned in Despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

four times – 11 June 1942, 14 January 1944, 1 January 1945, 4 June 1945 *

Hon Hon or HON may refer to: People * Han (surname) (Chinese: 韩/韓), also romanized Hon * Louis Hon (1924–2008), French footballer * Priscilla Hon (born 1998), Australian tennis player Other uses * Hon (Baltimore), a cultural stereotype of ...

Doctor of Technology The Doctor of Technology (abbreviated variously in different countries) is a degree normally conferred upon candidates after having completed a course of study in technology and a dissertation or a project of lengthy duration in a technologically r ...

(

Western Australian Institute of Technology Curtin University, formerly known as Curtin University of Technology and Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT), is an Australian public research university based in Bentley, Perth, Western Australia. It is named after John Curtin, ...

) – 1979 * Hon

Doctor of Law A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor (LL ...

(

University of Western Australia The University of Western Australia (UWA) is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia. The university's main campus is in Perth, the state capital, with a secondary campus in Albany, Western Australia, Albany an ...

) – 1980

References

, - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Kyle, Wallace 1910 births 1988 deaths Military personnel from Western Australia People from Kalgoorlie People educated at Guildford Grammar School Graduates of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell Australian Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Australian Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Australian Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Australian Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knights of the Order of St John Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Governors of Western Australia Royal Air Force air marshals