View Full Version : MRAF Sir Michael Beetham
Archimedes
27th Oct 2015, 13:42
BEETHAM - Deaths Announcements - Telegraph Announcements (http://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/deaths/195934/beetham)
The family of MRAF Sir Michael Beetham, (CAS 1977-1982) have placed the above in the Telegraph today; one expects that obituaries will appear shortly for full details.
(Posted on the basis that I believe that a few Ppruners served with Sir Michael at varying points in his and their respective careers and might wish to know of this)
Jimlad1
27th Oct 2015, 13:52
Thank you for posting this sad news. Somewhat randomly, less than an hour ago I was jogging past the Bomber Command memorial and saw his name, and happened to idly wonder how the good MRAF was these days, noting it was over 30 years since the Falklands. Not nice to discover your posting.
RIP Sir.
teeteringhead
27th Oct 2015, 14:07
A good innings Sir!
17th May 1923 to 24th October 2015 - 92 years plus.
Amongst other Senior Officer "bling", there was a DFC and an AFC.
DFC flying Lancasters in WW2, AFC for flying the first aircraft ever non-stop from UK to Cape Town. A Valiant from 214 Sqn, which he commanded at the time.
CAS during the Falklands, it is said in some quarters that Black Buck was his idea.........
........ hope he saw 558 this year........
RIP
Archimedes
27th Oct 2015, 15:01
A good innings Sir!
17th May 1923 to 24th October 2015 - 92 years plus.
Amongst other Senior Officer "bling", there was a DFC and an AFC.
DFC flying Lancasters in WW2, AFC for flying the first aircraft ever non-stop from UK to Cape Town. A Valiant from 214 Sqn, which he commanded at the time.
CAS during the Falklands, it is said in some quarters that Black Buck was his idea.........
........ hope he saw 558 this year........
RIP
An obit has appeared: Marshal of the RAF Sir Michael Beetham - obituary - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11957795/Marshal-of-the-RAF-Sir-Michael-Beetham-obituary.html)
(Although, if I might be forgiven for saying it, the bit about 'He realised that such an attack was an especially demanding undertaking for his Vulcan bomber and Victor tanker crews but he pushed for it in the face of some scepticism in Whitehall' is not quite borne out by the contemporaneous files now found at Kew - I say this not to be picky,but because I would contend that what Sir Michael actually did and argued for was to his great credit and did not in any way smack of service parochialism. Had the Chiefs accepted Sir Michael's initial views, Blackbuck 1 would've been flown by a certain Commander ND Ward and his team...)
ian16th
27th Oct 2015, 20:43
RIP Sir Michael.
The best squadron CO I had.
http://i818.photobucket.com/albums/zz108/ian16th/214Squadron.gif
ian16th
27th Oct 2015, 20:54
DFC flying Lancasters in WW2, AFC for flying the first aircraft ever non-stop from UK to Cape Town. A Valiant from 214 Sqn, which he commanded at the time.Sorry to be seen as a pedant at this sad time, but his AFC was awarded for the successful completion of the IFR probe & drogue trials and the introduction of the system into RAF service.
The flights to Salisbury, Johannesburg and Cape Town were part of this.
Finningley Boy
27th Oct 2015, 21:20
The first CAS of my tenure in the RAF, and the last veteran of the Second World War to hold the most senior appointment. RIP.
FB
Danny42C
28th Oct 2015, 02:04
He was the highest ranking RAF Officer among the 4493 RAF candidates who graduated from the Arnold Scheme in the US in WWII.
He was (I think) in the first Class (42A) together with Captain Reg Levy DFC of SABENA, whom we all know as "regle" on these pages.
RIP both.
Danny42C
Tengah Type
28th Oct 2015, 08:34
I only met Sir Michael once, at Ascension in June 1982 on Op Corporate. I had a very pleasant conversation with him and the Fg Off Supplier at Ascension. The Fg Off expressed his concern about accounting for all the kit that was passing through Ascension at the time. He did not know what was arriving or leaving to go North or South. Sir Michael told him not to worry, as when it was all over they would work out what had left UK and what got back and " all the rest is on the Atlantic Conveyor ".
RIP Sir.
jindabyne
28th Oct 2015, 10:12
My Station Commander in Aden. I was carpeted by him after I was instrumental in a 3-inch RP being launched from a Hunter parked on the Strike Wing apron; part of his punishment was for me to pay the armourer's fine! Thereafter, over many intervening years, on the few occasions when we met, he always knew my surname. A gentleman and iconic officer. RIP.
Tankertrashnav
28th Oct 2015, 10:21
I was also at Khormaksar when Sir Michael was station commander, and like Jindabyne I too received a monumental, well deserved bollocking from him on one occasion for some infraction. He was a stern disciplinarian, but running a large operational station which was always under threat by insurgents was no job for a softy, and he was respected by all.
RIP
Dougie M
28th Oct 2015, 11:23
I also happened to be at Khormaksar when he was Station Commander and in RAFG when he was there as CinC. In the meantime I had struggled through the ranks from Fg Off to Flt Lt. A top Boss. RIP Sir
The early para in his Telegraph obit, covering his first few months as CAS, sound uncannily like the situation now!
glad rag
28th Oct 2015, 13:59
Sad news. I well remember the difference that pay award made to the OR's 'cos I was at the bottom of the pile at the time.
Saluer.
Dan Winterland
28th Oct 2015, 15:18
A real leader worthy of respect from everyone who served under him. RIP
Chugalug2
28th Oct 2015, 17:19
The obituary of MRAF Sir Michael Beetham GCB CBE DFC AFC is truly astounding. After an RAF career that began in the dangerous skies of the Third Reich and culminated in being Chief of the Air Staff, one would reasonably expect that to be that. On the contrary, he then went on to saving the RAF Museum from sinking into a financial black hole, backed the erection of the Bomber Command Memorial in London, and presided over the setting up of the RAF Historical Society which has now lost its President.
A lifetime of Duty and Service, a remarkable man from a remarkable generation. His Country, his Service, and we all are the poorer for his passing.
RIP, Sir, duty done.
langleybaston
29th Oct 2015, 09:46
I regret that I never met the MRAF, but I had lunch yesterday with someone who was one of his Met men in the Valiant days.
He had nothing but praise.
RIP