Charles Steele (RAF officer)
Air Marshal Sir Charles Ronald Steele, KCB, DFC, DL (9 November 1897 – 14 February 1973) was a Royal Air Force officer who became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Coastal Command from 1950 to 1952.
Sir Charles Ronald Steele | |
|---|---|
| Born | 9 November 1897 Netheredge, West Riding of Yorkshire |
| Died | 14 February 1973 (aged 75) Trumpington, Cambridgeshire |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ | British Army (1916–18) Royal Air Force (1918–52) |
| Years of service | 1916–1952 |
| Rank | Air Marshal |
| Commands held | Coastal Command (1950–52) AHQ Malta (1947–49) No. 85 Group (1944–45) No. 10 Group (1943–44) No. 9 Group (1942) No. 18 Squadron (1936–37) |
| Battles/wars | First World War Second World War |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Flying Cross Mentioned in Despatches Commander of the Royal Order of George I with Swords (Greece) Commander of the Legion of Honour (France) Croix de guerre (France) Commander of the Order of the Crown (Belgium) Croix de guerre (Belgium) |
RAF career
Educated at Oundle School and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Steele was commissioned into the Green Howards in 1916.[1] He transferred into the Royal Flying Corps and became a flying ace credited with seven aerial victories.[2] He transferred into the Royal Air Force after the First World War and was granted a permanent commission on 1 August 1919.[1] He was appointed Officer Commanding No. 18 Squadron in 1936 and served in the Second World War, initially on the Air Staff at Headquarters No. 3 Group, and then at the Rhodesian Air Training Group before being appointed Senior Air Staff Officer and then temporary Air Officer Commanding at No. 9 Group.[1] He went on to be Air Officer Commanding No. 10 Group and then Air Officer Commanding No. 85 Group.[1] He was made Senior Air Staff Officer at the Headquarters of the British Air Forces of Occupation in Germany in July 1945.[1] He became Air Officer Commanding AHQ Malta in 1947 and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Coastal Command in 1950 before retiring in 1952.[1]