Michael Beetham

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael James Beetham, (17 May 1923 – 24 October 2015) was a Second World War bomber pilot and a high-ranking commander in the Royal Air Force from the 1960s to the 1980s.

Early life The son of Major G. C. Beetham MC, Beetham was born in London on 17 May 1923. He was educated at St Marylebone Grammar School.

RAF career Second World War As a young man he witnessed the Battle of Britain from the ground which prompted him to join the RAF in May 1941. Beetham was granted an emergency commission as a pilot officer on probation in the RAFVR on 13 December 1942. He was promoted to flying officer in the RAFVR on 13 June 1943.

Following flying training in the United States under the Arnold Scheme and in Great Britain, he was assigned flying duties with 50 Squadron just prior to the Battle of Berlin.

In May 1944 Beetham was posted to a flying instruction role. He returned to operation duties with 57 Squadron just as the war in Europe was coming to an end. and was promoted to flight lieutenant on 13 December 1944.

Post-war career In November 1945, just after the end of the Second World War, Beetham was posted to No. 35 Squadron which was then selected to carry out the victory fly-past and conduct a good-will tour of the United States. and was promoted to flight lieutenant on 1 July 1946 with seniority from 13 June 1945. He was posted to No. 82 (Recce) Squadron in East Africa in 1949, promoted to squadron leader on 1 January 1952 and attended the RAF Staff College, Andover that year. Beetham was also awarded a King's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air in the 1952 New Year Honours.

In 1953, Beetham was posted to the Air Ministry's Operational Requirements Branch. Much of his time was taken up with the problems of bringing the V-bombers into service. Notably, Beetham also drafted the first specification for the TSR 2. and he then took up the post of Officer Commanding No. 214 Squadron. He was awarded the Air Force Cross in the 1960 New Year Honours.

After several staff tours, during which time he was promoted to group captain on 1 January 1962, Beetham was appointed Station Commander RAF Khormaksar (in Aden) in November 1963.

Air officer appointments Beetham was promoted to air commodore on 1 July 1966. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1967 New Year Honours. More senior appointments followed: these included Director of Strike Operations in 1968 He was promoted to air vice-marshal on 1 January 1971, and appointed Assistant Chief of Staff (Plans and Policy) at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in 1972 knighted with the Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 1976 New Year Honours and appointed Commander-in-Chief RAF Germany and Commander of the Second Tactical Air Force in 1976.

Chief of the Air Staff Promoted to air chief marshal on 21 May 1977, Beetham's final tour saw him appointed Air Aide-de-Camp to the Queen on 31 July 1977 and the Chief of the Air Staff on 1 August 1977. He was promoted to a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in the 1978 New Year Honours list. As the professional head of his Service, Beetham defended the decision to introduce the strike version of the Tornado and supported the introduction of the Airborne Early Warning Nimrod which was later cancelled. He also worked to build up the RAF's reserve forces. He was promoted to Marshal of the Royal Air Force on 15 October 1982.

Later life The Michael Beetham Conservation Centre at the RAF Museum Cosford. As a Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Beetham remained on the RAF's Active List, Michael Beetham held the appointment of Honorary Air Commodore of No 2620 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment. The Museum's conservation centre is named the Michael Beetham Conservation Centre in his honour. Beetham was also President of the Bomber Command Association.

Beetham wrote the foreword to four books: Bombs Gone: Development and Use of British Air-dropped Weapons from 1912 to Present Day – Patrick Stephens Ltd (1990) In Cobhams' Company – Published by Cobham Plc (1994) Flying Through Fire: FIDO The Fogbuster of World War Two – Published by Grange Books (1995) The Strategic War Against Germany – Frank Cass Publishers (1998)

In 2010 Beetham spent time working with the author Peter Jacobs on a biography entitled "Stay the Distance: The Life and Times of Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael Beetham". The book was published in February 2011.

Beetham at RAF Mildenhall with US and British air force personnel in 2011. In retirement he lived in South Creake, near Fakenham in Norfolk.

Marshal of the RAF Beetham died on 24 October 2015, aged 92. The then Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford, was to say of Beetham that he was "one of the greatest leaders the Royal Air Force has produced."

Personal life In 1956 he married Patricia Elizabeth Lane; they have one son and one daughter.