Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Honored Allies Wednesday: Richard Atcherley (United Kingdom)

 
 
"Atcherley was appointed Officer Commanding No. 219 Squadron in October 1939 and then became Officer Commanding the Air Element of the British Expeditionary Force in Norway in May 1940 He went on to be Station Commander at RAF Drem in Scotland in June 1940 in which year he was also awarded the Air Force Cross.  He was awarded a bar to his Air Force Cross on 24 September 1941.  In 1942 he served as Station Commander at RAF Fairwood Common and then at RAF Kenley.  He was promoted to temporary group captain on 27 March 1942 In April 1943 Atcherley became Air Officer Commanding of No. 211 Group at Tripoli in Libya.  At the time of the invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky) on 10 July 1943, No. 211 Group was the primary fighter force of Air Vice Marshal Harry Broadhurst's Desert Air Force, a sub-command of Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham's Northwest African Tactical Air Force.  Later that year he transferred to Headquarters RAF Fighter Command and in 1944 he moved to Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Air Force in preparation for Operation Overlord.  He spent the closing stages of the War as Commandant of the Fighter Leaders' School and then as Commandant of the Central Fighter Establishment."   He would receive the Norwegian War Cross for his action in Norway during WWII in 1942.

Another honored alley,
Brian & Mel

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