Walter Pretty

Sir Walter Pretty
Born (1909-05-02)2 May 1909
Died 17 January 1975(1975-01-17) (aged 65)
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Air Force
Years of service 1929–66
Rank Air Marshal
Commands held Signals Command (1961–64)
No. 1 Radio Operator's School (1941)
Battles/wars Second World War
Awards Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Companion of the Order of the Bath
Mentioned in Despatches (2)

Air Marshal Sir Walter Pretty, KBE, CB (2 May 1909 – 17 January 1975) was a Royal Air Force officer who served as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Signals Command from 1961 until 1964.

RAF career

Educated at Alleyn's School, Pretty joined the Royal Air Force as a cadet in 1929.[1] He served in the Second World War as Station Commander at the Chain Home Low early warning radar base near Clacton, as Officer Commanding No. 1 Radio Operator's School at RAF Cranwell and on the signals staff at Fighter Command.[1]

After the war he became Director-General of Navigational Services at the Ministry of Civil Aviation and then Director of Electronics Research and Development at the Ministry of Supply before being appointed Air Officer Administration at Headquarters Second Tactical Air Force in 1955.[1] He went on to be Director-General of Organisation at the Air Ministry in 1958, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Signals Command in 1961 and Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Personnel & Logistics) in 1964 before retiring in 1966.[1]

He lived near Cobham in Surrey[2] and became President of the Edward Alleyn Club.[3] He married Betty Methven in 1940 and they had four children: Audrey, Beryl, Carol, and Derek.[4]

References

Military offices
Preceded by
Alick Foord-Kelcey
Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Signals Command
1961–1964
Succeeded by
Sir Thomas Shirley
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