Nigel Maynard
Encyclopedia
Air Chief Marshal
Sir Nigel Martin Maynard KCB
, CBE
, DFC
, AFC
, RAF
(28 August 1921 – 18 June 1998) was a senior Royal Air Force
commander.
and educated at Aldenham School
, Maynard entered the RAF College Cranwell early in 1940 but due to the demands of war his training was cut short and he was posted to 210 Squadron
flying Sunderlands
in June 1940. In 1949 he was appointed Officer Commanding
No. 242 Squadron
and then, following various staff appointments, he was made Station Commander at RAF Changi
in 1960. He went on to be Group Captain, Operations at Headquarters Transport Command
in 1962, Director of Defence Plans (Air) at the Ministry of Defence
in 1964 and Director of Defence Plans in 1966. He was made Commandant of the RAF Staff College, Bracknell
in 1968 before being appointed Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Far East Air Force
in 1970. In 1972 he was made Chief of Staff at Strike Command
, in 1973 he took up the post of Commander-in-Chief, RAF Germany
and in 1976 he became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Strike Command
. He retired at his own request on 21 May 1977.
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir Nigel Martin Maynard KCB
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...
, CBE
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...
, DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
, AFC
Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
, 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...
(28 August 1921 – 18 June 1998) 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...
commander.
RAF career
Born the son of Air Vice-Marshal Forster MaynardF. H. Maynard
Air Vice-Marshal F.H. "Sammy" Maynard, was a New Zealander of the Royal Air Force who served in both World Wars. Maynard was a flying ace credited with six aerial victories during World War I...
and educated at Aldenham School
Aldenham School
Aldenham School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged thirteen to eighteen, located between Elstree and the village of Aldenham in Hertfordshire, England...
, Maynard entered the RAF College Cranwell early in 1940 but due to the demands of war his training was cut short and he was posted to 210 Squadron
No. 210 Squadron RAF
No. 210 Squadron was a Royal Air Force unit established in World War I. Disbanded and reformed a number of times in the ensuing years, it operated as a fighter squadron during World War I and as a maritime patrol squadron during the Spanish Civil War, World War II and the Cold War before it was...
flying Sunderlands
Short Sunderland
The Short S.25 Sunderland was a British flying boat patrol bomber developed for the Royal Air Force by Short Brothers. It took its service name from the town and port of Sunderland in northeast England....
in June 1940. In 1949 he was appointed Officer Commanding
Officer Commanding
The Officer Commanding is the commander of a sub-unit or minor unit , principally used in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. In other countries, the term Commanding Officer is applied to commanders of minor as well as major units.Normally an Officer Commanding is a company, squadron or battery...
No. 242 Squadron
No. 242 Squadron RAF
No. 242 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron. It flew in many roles during its active service and it is also known for being the first squadron Douglas Bader commanded.-In World War I:No...
and then, following various staff appointments, he was made Station Commander at RAF Changi
Changi Air Base
Changi Air Base or Changi Air Base ', formerly the RAF Changi, is a military airbase of the Republic of Singapore Air Force located at Changi, in the eastern tip of Singapore...
in 1960. He went on to be Group Captain, Operations at Headquarters Transport Command
RAF Transport Command
RAF Transport Command was a Royal Air Force command that controlled all transport aircraft of the RAF. It was established on 25 March 1943 by the renaming of the RAF Ferry Command, and was subsequently renamed RAF Air Support Command in 1967.-History:...
in 1962, Director of Defence Plans (Air) at the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
in 1964 and Director of Defence Plans in 1966. He was made Commandant of the RAF Staff College, Bracknell
RAF Staff College, Bracknell
The RAF Staff College at Bracknell was a Royal Air Force staff college active for most of the second half of the 20th century. Its role was the training of staff officers in the administrative, staff and policy aspects of air force matters...
in 1968 before being appointed Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Far East Air Force
RAF Far East Air Force
The former Royal Air Force Far East Air Force, more simply known as RAF Far East Air Force, was the Command organisation that controlled all Royal Air Force assets in the east of Asia . It was originally formed as Air Command, South East Asia in 1943...
in 1970. In 1972 he was made Chief of Staff at Strike Command
Strike Command
Strike Command, a military formation, can mean either:*RAF Strike Command *United States Strike Command...
, in 1973 he took up the post of Commander-in-Chief, RAF Germany
Royal Air Force Germany
The former Royal Air Force Germany was a command of the Royal Air Force and part of British Forces Germany, consisting of those units located in Germany initially as part of the occupation following World War II, and later as part of the RAF's commitment to the defence of Europe during the Cold...
and in 1976 he became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Strike Command
RAF Strike Command
The Royal Air Force's Strike Command was the military formation which controlled the majority of the United Kingdom's bomber and fighter aircraft from 1968 until 2007: it was merged with Personnel and Training Command to form the single Air Command. It latterly consisted of two formations - No. 1...
. He retired at his own request on 21 May 1977.