Neil Wheeler Explained

Sir Neil Wheeler
Birth Date:8 July 1917
Birth Place:Pretoria, South Africa
Allegiance:United Kingdom
Branch:Royal Air Force
Serviceyears:1935–1976
Rank:Air Chief Marshal
Commands:Air Member for Supply and Organisation (1970–73)
Far East Air Force (1969–70)
RAF Laarbruch (1959–61)
RAF Kuala Lumpur (1948–49)
No. 236 Squadron (1942–43)
Battles:Second World War
Malayan Emergency
Awards:Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar
Air Force Cross
Relations:Major General Norman Wheeler (brother)
General Sir Roger Wheeler (nephew)
Laterwork:Director of Rolls-Royce (1977–82)
Director of Flight Refuelling (Holdings)

Air Chief Marshal Sir Henry Neil George Wheeler, (8 July 1917 – 9 January 2009) was a senior Royal Air Force (RAF) officer.

Military career

Educated St Helen's College in Southsea and the Royal Air Force College Cranwell, Wheeler was commissioned into the RAF in 1935.[1] He served with Bomber Command from 1937 and then spent part of the Second World War as Officer Commanding No. 236 Squadron[2] in Fighter Command before going to the RAF Staff College and US Army Staff College in 1943.[1]

After the war he joined the Directing Staff at the RAF Staff College and then transferred to the Far East Air Force in 1947.[1] He was posted to the Directing Staff at the Joint Services Staff College in 1949 and to Bomber Command in 1951 before going to the Air Ministry in 1953.[1] He was appointed Assistant Commandant at the RAF College in 1957 and Officer Commanding RAF Laarbruch in 1959.[1] He attended the Imperial Defence College in 1961 and then served in the Ministry of Defence from 1961.[1] He became Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters RAF Germany (2 Tactical Air Force) in 1963 and Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Operational Requirements) in 1966.[1] He was made Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Operational Requirements) in 1967 and Commander of the Far East Air Force in 1969.[1] He was Air Member for Supply and Organisation at the Ministry of Defence from 1970 and then Controller of Aircraft at the Procurement Executive from 1973.[1]

In retirement he became a Director of Rolls-Royce Limited.[1]

Family

In 1942 he married Elizabeth Weightman and then went on to have two sons and a daughter. He was the younger brother of Major General Norman Wheeler, and uncle of General Sir Roger Wheeler.[3]

External links

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Notes and References

  1. http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/locreg/WHEELER1.shtml Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
  2. http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Wheeler_HNG.htm Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Chief Marshal Sir Neil Wheeler
  3. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/4229953/Air-Chief-Marshal-Sir-Neil-Wheeler.html Obituary: Sir Neil Wheeler