Charles Medhurst

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Sir Charles Medhurst
300px
Air Vice Marshal Medhurst, standing far right, as Vice Chief of the Air Staff, with the Air Council, World War II
Born 12 December 1896
Kings Norton, England
Died 18 October 1954
New Forest, England
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch  British Army
 Royal Air Force
Years of service 1915–1950
Rank Air Chief Marshal
Commands held No. 14 Squadron
No. 4 Squadron
Middle East Command
Mediterranean and Middle East Command
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Awards Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Military Cross
Order of the White Lion
Order of Leopold
Order of Polonia Restituta
Legion of Merit

Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Edward Hastings Medhurst KCB OBE MC (12 December 1896 – 18 October 1954) was a First World War Royal Flying Corps pilot on the Western Front and later a senior officer in the Royal Air Force.

RAF career

Medhurst was awarded Royal Aero Club pilot certificate No. 1437 on 13 July 1913.[1] He was commissioned into The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers on 16 June 1915 and in a few months was training to be a pilot with the Royal Flying Corps.[1] He was soon operational on the Western Front flying the Nieuport Scout with No. 13 Squadron.[1] In 1917 he became the officer commanding No. 14 Squadron operating in Palestine.[1] On 1 August 1919 he was awarded a permanent commission as a Captain in the Royal Air Force and by 1925 had attended the RAF Staff College.[1] He became Officer Commanding No. 4 Squadron in 1930 and he joined the Directing Staff at the RAF Staff College in 1931 before becoming Deputy Director of Intelligence at the Air Ministry in 1935.[1] He then went to Rome as Air Attaché in 1937.[1]

Medhurst held a number of staff appointments during the Second World War including RAF Secretary of the Supreme War Council from 1940, Director of Allied Air Co-Operation and then Director of Plans all during 1940.[1] He became Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Intelligence) in 1941 and after a spell as Temporary Vice-Chief of the Air Staff later in 1942 he became Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Policy) in February 1943.[1] In March 1943 he was appointed commandant of the RAF Staff College later moving on in February 1945 to be Air Officer in Command of RAF Middle East Command.[1]

After the War he was made Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, RAF Mediterranean and Middle East Command (which had absorbed his previous command when it was disbanded in August 1945).[1] His last appointment was as Chairman of the British Joint Services Mission to Washington, D.C. in the rank of Air Chief Marshal.[1] Medhurst retired on 19 April 1950 and he died a few years later aged 58 on 18 October 1954.[1]

Family

He married Christabell Guy in 1919 in York.[1] His son Pilot Officer R. E. H. "Dickie" Medhurst was killed on 19 September 1944 when the Douglas Dakota Mk. III he was co-piloting exploded after taking Anti-Aircraft Artillery fire during an air drop mission during Operation Market Garden. His daughter Rozanne was an Italian speaker and code breaker at Bletchley Park, the Government Code and Cipher School.

Honours and awards

  • Mentioned in Despatches - 15 June 1916
  • Military Cross - 18 January 1918
  • Mentioned in Despatches - 14 June 1919
  • OBE in recognition of valuable services rendered in connection with the war - 1 January 1919[2]
  • CB - 1 January 1942
  • Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta, conferred by the President of Poland in recognition of distinguished services - 12 June 1945
  • KCB - 14 June 1945
  • Legion of Merit Degree of Commander is conferred by the President of the United States of America in recognition of valuable services rendered in connection with the war - 15 March 1946[3]
  • Order of the White Lion - 2nd Class is conferred by the President of the Czechoslovak Republic in recognition of valuable services rendered in connection with the war - 6 September 1946[4]
  • Grand Officer of the Order of George I is conferred by HM the King of the Hellenes in recognition of valuable services rendered in connection with the war - 6 September 1946 [4][note 1]
  • Commander of the Order of Leopold is conferred by HRH the Prince Regent of Belgium in recognition of valuable services rendered in connection with the war - 27 August 1948[5]

Notes

  1. ↑ The grade of "Grand Officer" does not exist by that name in the Greek Order of George I. The placing of "Grand Officers" in the London Gazette, between "Grand Cross" and "Commander", indicates that the grade of "Grand Commander" should have been used.

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Medhurst
  2. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31098. p. 93. 1 January 1919. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
  3. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37501. p. 1380. 15 March 1946. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37712. p. 4455. 6 September 1946. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
  5. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 38390. p. 4724. 27 August 1948. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
Military offices
Preceded by
New Post
 Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Intelligence)
March 1941–October 1942		 Succeeded by
F F Inglis
Preceded by Vice-Chief of the Air Staff (acting)
19 October 1942 – 21 March 1943		 Succeeded by
Sir Douglas Evill
Preceded by Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Middle East Command
February 1945 – August 1945		 Succeeded by
Disbanded
Preceded by Commander-in-Chief RAF Mediterranean and Middle East
1945–1948		 Succeeded by
Sir William Dickson
Preceded by Chief of the British Joint Staff Mission to Washington
1948–1950		 Succeeded by
Lord Tedder
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