Air Marshal Sir Andrew McKee, (10 January 1902 – 8 December 1988) was a

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 who served as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at

RAF Transport Command RAF Transport Command was a Royal Air Force command that controlled all transport aircraft of the RAF. It was established on 25 March 1943 by the renaming of the RAF Ferry Command, and was subsequently renamed RAF Air Support Command in 1967. ...

from 1955 to 1959.

RAF career

McKee joined the

(RAF) in 1927.Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Marshal Sir Andrew McKee
/ref> He served in pilot roles in India and the United Kingdom before joining the Air Staff at Headquarters No. 3 Group in 1938. He served 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 ...

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. 9 Squadron and then 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 ...

before becoming Air Officer Commanding No. 205 Group in April 1945. After the war McKee was appointed Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters Middle East Air Force and was then made Commandant of the Officer Advanced Training School in 1947. He went on to be Commandant of the RAF Flying College in 1949, Air Officer Commanding No. 21 Group in 1951 and Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters

RAF Bomber Command RAF Bomber Command controlled the Royal Air Force's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. Along with the United States Army Air Forces, it played the central role in the strategic bombing of Germany in World War II. From 1942 onward, the British bo ...

in 1953. His final post was as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at

in 1955 during which period he saw the introduction of the Comet 2 before he retired in 1959.

Later life

In retirement McKee was Deputy Chairman of the

National Airways Corporation National Airways Corporation is a commercial aviation company with its head office on the grounds of Lanseria Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa. The company offers a range of products and services for fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter mark ...

and a Director of

Air New Zealand Air New Zealand Limited () is the flag carrier airline of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 20 domestic and 30 international destinations in 18 countries, primarily around and within the Pacific ...

.An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand 1966
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mckee, Andrew 1902 births 1988 deaths Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath People from Oxford, New Zealand Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom) Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Royal Air Force air marshals Royal Air Force personnel of World War II