Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter de Lacy Le Cheminant

[roving]

Passed away on 8 April 2018. He was 97.

He was my dad's boss in KL in the 1950's, where Sir Peter was Wing Commander Flying. As I was only a boy during that period I cannot add anything to my late dad's view that he held Sir Peter in the highest estimation.

RIP

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2018/04/10/air-chief-marshal-sir-peter-le-cheminant-obituary/

[Ormeside28]

Another good man gone. My condolences to his family

[sharpend]

RIP. I never met the chap. but he had an illustrious career.

[roving]

As one would expect from a twice decorated WWII and Korean War pilot he did not lack courage. This snippet from the Telegraph:

In July 1974 he faced one of his more testing situations, one which culminated in the invasion of northern Cyprus by Turkish forces. The Greek Cypriot leader Archbishop Makarios had been airlifted to the RAF base at Akrotiri and Le Cheminant gave authority for him to be flown to Malta in an RAF aircraft. This led to an acrimonious discussion with the staff of the Foreign Secretary James Callaghan, who accused him of disobeying Callaghan’s orders.

Le Cheminant, never afraid to stand firm, remonstrated with the private secretaries and offered to recall the transport aircraft, which was in flight. No such instruction was given.

[Barksdale Boy]

We flew him from Butterworth to Tengah in XM 654 on June 20th 1968. A very pleasant passenger, as I recall.

[Danny42C]

He was my Station Commander at Geilenkirchen in the early '60s. Good man. RIP, Sir.