Martin Keith Widdowson | |
---|---|
Born | 10 May 1946 |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/branch | Royal Air Force |
Years of service | 1964[1] – 1996[2] |
Rank | Air Commodore |
Service number | 4232200 |
Commands held | OC No. 23 Squadron RAF 1982 OC RAF Coningsby 1988 Royal Observer Corps 1995 |
Air Commodore Martin Keith Widdowson (born 10 May 1946) was a British Royal Air Force pilot, a senior Royal Air Force officer in the 1980s and 1990s and the 23rd and last Commandant Royal Observer Corps.
Widdowson was commissioned into the Royal Air Force on 25 March 1964, as an Acting Pilot Officer.[1] A year later, on 25 March 1965, he was regraded as a Pilot Officer.[3] A year after that, on 25 March 1966, he was promoted to Flying Officer,[4] and he was appointed to a permanent commission on 1 October 1968.[5] He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on 25 September 1969.[6] On 1 January 1974, he was promoted to Squadron Leader.[7] He was promoted to Wing Commander on 1 July 1981.[8]
His final operational flying appointment was as the Officer Commanding No. 23 Squadron in 1982 and by the late 1980s, he was Station Commander of RAF Coningsby.[9] He was promoted from Wing Commander to Group Captain on 1 January 1988.[10] On 1 July 1992,[11] he was promoted to Air Commodore[12] and in 1995 he was appointed as Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) of No. 11/18 Group RAF, simultaneously holding the appointment of 23rd and last Commandant Royal Observer Corps until the ROC was disbanded.[13] He retired from the RAF[2] on 14 September 1996.[14]
Military offices | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by C C C Coville |
Station Commander RAF Coningsby c. 1988 – 1990 |
Succeeded by C R Spink |
Preceded by C R Spink |
Commandant Royal Observer Corps 1995 – 1996 |
Corps stood down |