Bernard Chacksfield
Encyclopedia
Air Vice Marshal Sir Bernard Albert Chacksfield KBE
CB
RAF
(13 April 1913 – 27 December 1999) was a senior Royal Air Force
officer in the 1950s and 1960s and later a chief commissioner of the The Scout Association
and chairman of the Burma Star Association
.
Chacksfield joined the Royal Air Force in 1927 as an apprentice aircraft engineer at RAF Halton
and later at RAF Cranwell
. He was selected for flying training and gaining a commission as a Pilot Officer in 1933. He served on the North West Frontier in 1933 as a Westland Wapiti
pilot. By 1944 Chacksfield was in command of No. 910 Wing in Burma operating the Republic Thunderbolt
fighter-bomber. By the end of the war he had been mentioned in dispatches four times. From 1945 he became an air officer and served in the Air Ministry and later with NATO. He served in a number of senior positions until finally becoming Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment
in 1963. Chacksfield retired in 1968 as an Air Vice-Marshal.
With a long time interest in the Scout movement he was appointed in 1970 as chief commissioner for the Scout Association later being awarded the movements highest award, the Silver Wolf
in 1975. In retirement he became chairman on the Burma Star Association
until his death from cancer in 1999.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(13 April 1913 – 27 December 1999) was a senior Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
officer in the 1950s and 1960s and later a chief commissioner of the The Scout Association
The Scout Association
The Scout Association is the World Organization of the Scout Movement recognised Scouting association in the United Kingdom. Scouting began in 1907 through the efforts of Robert Baden-Powell. The Scout Association was formed under its previous name, The Boy Scout Association, in 1910 by the grant...
and chairman of the Burma Star Association
Burma Star Association
The Burma Star Association is a British veterans' association for ex-servicemen and women of all services who served in the Burma Campaign of World War II...
.
Chacksfield joined the Royal Air Force in 1927 as an apprentice aircraft engineer at RAF Halton
RAF Halton
RAF Halton is one of the largest Royal Air Force stations in the United Kingdom, located near the village of Halton near Wendover, Buckinghamshire.HRH The Duchess of Cornwall is the Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Halton.-History:...
and later at RAF Cranwell
RAF Cranwell
RAF Cranwell is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire close to the village of Cranwell, near Sleaford. It is currently commanded by Group Captain Dave Waddington...
. He was selected for flying training and gaining a commission as a Pilot Officer in 1933. He served on the North West Frontier in 1933 as a Westland Wapiti
Westland Wapiti
The Westland Wapiti was a British two-seat general purpose military single-engined biplane of the 1920s. It was designed and built by Westland Aircraft Works to replace the Airco DH.9A in Royal Air Force service....
pilot. By 1944 Chacksfield was in command of No. 910 Wing in Burma operating the Republic Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
fighter-bomber. By the end of the war he had been mentioned in dispatches four times. From 1945 he became an air officer and served in the Air Ministry and later with NATO. He served in a number of senior positions until finally becoming Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment
Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment
The Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment is the Royal Air Force commander of the RAF Regiment. The post was established in January 1942 immediately prior to the creation of the RAF Regiment. The first two holders of the post were major-generals in the British Army. From 1948 onward, the...
in 1963. Chacksfield retired in 1968 as an Air Vice-Marshal.
With a long time interest in the Scout movement he was appointed in 1970 as chief commissioner for the Scout Association later being awarded the movements highest award, the Silver Wolf
Silver Wolf
The Silver Wolf is the highest award made by The Scout Association "for services of the most exceptional character." It is an unrestricted gift of the Chief Scout...
in 1975. In retirement he became chairman on the Burma Star Association
Burma Star Association
The Burma Star Association is a British veterans' association for ex-servicemen and women of all services who served in the Burma Campaign of World War II...
until his death from cancer in 1999.
Honours and awards
- 14 June 1945 - Appointed an Officer of the British EmpireOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
. - 25 June 1946 - Awarded the Cloud and Banner Decoration with Special RosetteOrder of the Cloud and BannerThe Order of the Cloud and Banner is a military award of the Republic of China. It was instituted on June 15, 1935 and is awarded in nine grades for contributions to national security. It is also sometimes referred to as the Order of the Resplendent Banner....
by the Chinese government. - 10 June 1961 - Appointed a Companion of the Order of the BathOrder of the BathThe Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
. - 1 January 1968 - Appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
.