Air Marshal Sir Richard Bruce Bolt, (16 July 1923 – 27 July 2014) was a bomber pilot 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 a senior

Royal New Zealand Air Force The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) ( mi, Te Tauaarangi o Aotearoa, "The Warriors of the Sky of New Zealand"; previously ', "War Party of the Blue") is the aerial service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed from New Zeala ...

officer in the post-war years. He was Chief of the Air Staff from 1974 to 1976 and Chief of the Defence Staff from 1976 to 1980, when he retired from the military.

Early life and career

Born at the Kelvin maternity home in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

in 1923, Bolt was educated at

Nelson College Nelson College is the oldest state secondary school in New Zealand. It is an all-boys school in the City of Nelson that teaches from years 9 to 13. In addition, it runs a private preparatory school for year 7 and 8 boys. The school also has ...

from 1936 to 1939. His father was the pioneering New Zealand aviator

George Bolt George Bruce Bolt (24 May 1893 – 27 July 1963) was a pioneering New Zealand aviator. Biography Bolt was born in Dunedin in 1893. He formed the Canterbury Aero Club in 1910, helping to make and fly gliders on the Cashmere Hills. He used thes ...

. During the Second World War, Bolt served with the

Pathfinder Force The Pathfinders were target-marking squadrons in RAF Bomber Command during World War II. They located and marked targets with flares, which a main bomber force could aim at, increasing the accuracy of their bombing. The Pathfinders were norma ...

, flying the

Avro Lancaster The Avro Lancaster is a British Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to the same specification, as well as the Short Stirlin ...

bomber. He captained a Lancaster during

Operation Manna Operation Manna was the codeword for a World War II, Second World War operation by the British and Greek forces in Greece in mid-October 1944, following the gradual withdrawal of the Axis Occupation of Greece, German occupying forces from the c ...

, dropping food to the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

in 1945.Tim Donoghue, "Bomber pilot had illustrious career," A Life Story bituaries Saturday, August 9, 2014, The Dominion Post, page C3. After the War, Bolt held two different squadron commands as the Commanding Officer of

No. 40 Squadron RNZAF No. 40 Squadron RNZAF is a transport Squadron (aviation), squadron in the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). Established in June 1943, it remains on active duty. History Origins The squadron was formed at Whenuapai on 1 June 1943 as No. 40 Tran ...

and No. 24 (Commonwealth) Squadron RAF. During the

ANZUS The Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty (ANZUS or ANZUS Treaty) is a 1951 non-binding collective security agreement between Australia and New Zealand and, separately, Australia and the United States, to co-operate on military ...

crisis of 1984–85, Bolt was one of 16 senior retired officers and civil servants who wrote protesting the

Fourth Labour Government The Fourth Labour Government of New Zealand governed New Zealand from 26 July 1984 to 2 November 1990. It was the first Labour government to win a second consecutive term since the First Labour Government of 1935 to 1949. The policy agenda o ...

's anti-nuclear policy. They were later referred to by

David Lange David Russell Lange ( ; 4 August 1942 – 13 August 2005) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 32nd prime minister of New Zealand from 1984 to 1989. Lange was born and brought up in Otahuhu, the son of a medical doctor. He became ...

as the "geriatric generals". Bolt part-owned a racehorse, Kotare Chief, who won the 1987

Auckland Cup The Auckland Cup is an annual race held by the Auckland Racing Club (ARC). It is an Open Handicap for thoroughbred racehorses competed on the flat turf over 3200 metres (two miles) at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. The race was ...

as a nine-year-old, at Ellerslie. David Lange was on hand to present the cup to Bolt who commented, "Not bad for a geriatric". Bolt died in

Lower Hutt Lower Hutt ( mi, Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai) is a city in the Wellington Region of New Zealand. Administered by the Hutt City Council, it is one of the four cities that constitute the Wellington metropolitan area. It is New Zealand's sixth most p ...

on 27 July 2014 at the age of 91. He was regarded as the ''Father of the Air Force''.

Honours and awards

Bolt was award the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1945. In the 1959 Queen's Birthday Honours, the then Squadron Leader Bolt was awarded the Air Force Cross. In the

1977 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1977 are appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 1977. The awards were announced on 30 December 1976 in the United Kingdom,United Kingdom: Australia,Australia: Ne ...

, he was appointed a

Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregive ...

. In the 1973 Queen's Birthday Honours, Bolt was appointed a

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 ...

, and he was elevated to

Knight 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 ...

in the 1979 Queen's Birthday Honours. In 1977, Bolt was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal.

References

External links

Portrait on Moonlighting Art
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Bolt, Richard 1923 births 2014 deaths People from Auckland People educated at Nelson College New Zealand World War II pilots Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) New Zealand recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom) New Zealand Companions of the Order of the Bath New Zealand Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Royal New Zealand Air Force air marshals Chiefs of Defence Force (New Zealand) Military personnel from Auckland