Edward Chilton

Air Marshal Sir Charles Edward Chilton, KBE, CB (1 November 1906 – 4 August 1992) was a Royal Air Force officer who served as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Coastal Command from 1959 to 1962.

For the Virginia colonist, see Edward Chilton (attorney).

Sir Edward Chilton
Born(1906-11-01)1 November 1906
Died4 August 1992(1992-08-04) (aged 85)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchRoyal Air Force
Years of service1924–62
RankAir Marshal
Commands heldCoastal Command (1959–62)
AHQ Malta (1957–59)
RAF Gibraltar (1952–53)
AHQ Ceylon (1946–49)
RAF Chivenor (1943–44)
Battles/warsSecond World War
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Companion of the Order of the Bath
Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry (Portugal)
Order of Polonia Restituta (Poland)

RAF career

Educated at Portsmouth Grammar School,[1] Chilton joined the Royal Air Force in 1924.[2] He specialised in navigation and, having served as a Navigation Instructor at the Central Flying School, was appointed Navigation Staff Officer at Headquarters RAF Bomber Command in 1937, a post he continued to hold during the early part of the Second World War.[2] He moved on to be Command Navigation Officer at Headquarters RAF Flying Training Command in 1941.[2] In 1943 he became Station Commander at RAF Chivenor where his role was to harry U-boats sailing in the Eastern Atlantic.[1]

After the war he was made Air Officer Commanding AHQ Ceylon before becoming Director of Personal Services in 1949 and Air Officer Commanding RAF Gibraltar in 1952.[2] He went on to be Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Policy) in 1953, Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters RAF Coastal Command in 1955 and Air Officer Commanding AHQ Malta in 1957.[2] His last appointment was as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief RAF Coastal Command in 1959 before retiring in 1962.[2]

In retirement he was a Director at IBM (Rentals).[1]

Family

In 1929 he married Betty Wrinch; they had one son.[1] Following the death of his first wife he married Joyce Cornforth (née Fenwick) in 1964.[1]

References
  1. Obituary: Air Marshal Sir Edward Chilton The Independent, 20 August 1992
  2. Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Marshal Sir Edward Chilton
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