Air Commodore Richard Kaye Hamblin CBE (16 December 1906 – 30 August 1988) was a Royal Air Force pilot and as one of The Few was part of No. 17 Squadron RAF flying the Hawker Hurricane during the Battle of Britain.
Richard Kaye Hamblin | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Richard Kaye Hamblin |
| Born | 16 December 1906 Fyzabad, India |
| Died | 30 August 1988 (aged 81) Alton, Hampshire, England |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |  Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1924–1956 |
| Rank | Air Commodore |
| Service number | 16223 |
| Unit | No. 17 Squadron RAF No. 56 Squadron RAF |
| Commands held | No. 17 Squadron RAF No. 85 Squadron RAF No. 142 Squadron RAF |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Order of the British Empire (CBE) |
History edit
Hamblin was born on 16 December 1906[1] at Fyzabad in India.[1] By the time of the 1910 Census of Lymington in Hampshire he was a four-year-old living with his grandfather a retired Indian civil servant.[2]
Hamblin joined the Royal Air Force in 1926 as a flight cadet. On 30 July 1926 he was posted to No. 56 Squadron RAF as a pilot.[1] In 1930 he attended the Electrical and Wireless School to train as a signals officer.[1][3] In October 1932 he was posted to No. 31 Squadron RAF in India[4] eventually becoming a flight commander with No. 5 Squadron RAF and was promoted to Squadron Leader before leaving India.[5]
In 1938 he was appointed commanding officer of No. 142 Squadron RAF[5] operating the Fairey Battle, this was followed by a staff appointment in the Deputy Directorate of War Organisation.[1] During the Battle of Britain he flew operations with No. 17 Squadron RAF.
In November 1941 he was appointed Officer Commanding No. 85 Squadron RAF operating the Douglas Havoc.[1] On 12 November 1942 Hamblin married a Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) Elizabeth Bond at Durham Cathedral.[6] Hamblin was mentioned in dispatched four times during the war and was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1946.[1][7]
After the war he was back to staff duties including officer commanding AHQ West Africa, AOA at No. 2 Group and Director of Personnel from 1954 until he retired in 1956 as an Air Commodore.[1]
Hamblin died on 30 August 1988 in Hampshire.[1]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Air Commodore R K Hamblin (16223)". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. 16 June 2007. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
- ^ 1910 Census of Lymington, RG14/5792, Richard Kaye Hamblin aged 4, Rope Hill, Boldre, Lymington, Hampshire.
- ^ "R.A.F. Appointments". Official Appointments and Notices. The Times. No. 43306. London. 7 May 1930. col D, p. 10.
- ^ "R.A.F. Appointments". Official Appointments and Notices. The Times. No. 46264. London. 14 October 1932. col F, p. 4.
- ^ a b "Royal Air Force Squadron Leaders' Posts". Official Appointments and Notices. The Times. No. 47976. London. 23 April 1938. col C, p. 6.
- ^ "Marriages". Marriages. The Times. No. 49378. London. 28 October 1942. col B, p. 7.
- ^ "No. 37407". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1946. p. 33.