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Willie Read
Wing Commander William Ronald Read, (17 May 1885"Wing Commander Read Retires", ''The Times'', 21 May 1932 − 1972) was a highly decorated Royal Air Force officer of World War I and the inter-war period. A pre-war member of the Royal Flying Corps (which became the RAF in 1918), he was one of only a handful of officers to ever receive a second bar to the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom), Air Force Cross (i.e. he was awarded the AFC three times). Early life and career Read came from a wealthy family and was the eldest son of W. T. Read of Hampstead."Forthcoming Marriages", ''The Times'', 7 December 1915 Both his parents died when he was twelve and he and his siblings were raised by guardians. He was educated at Jesus College, Cambridge. Read was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Hampshire Carabiniers, a yeomanry (part-time volunteer cavalry) regiment, on 23 September 1906. On 6 March 1907, after leaving Cambridge, he transferred to the 1st (King's) Dragoon Guards, a regular ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wing Commander (rank)
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 British influence, including many Commonwealth countries but not including Canada (since Unification) and South Africa. It is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. It ranks immediately above squadron leader and immediately below group captain. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-4. It is equivalent to commander in the Royal and United States Navies, as well as to lieutenant colonel in the British Army, the Royal Marines, and the United States Army, Air Force and Marine Corps. The equivalent rank in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force and the Women's Royal Air Force (until 1968) and in Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (until 1980) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
