Wing Commander (rank) - Notable Wing Commanders

Notable Wing Commanders

  • M. Hamidullah Khan, commander - Sector 11, Bangladesh Forces, War of Independence 1971, first Provost Marshal and Commander of Ground Defense Command of Bangladesh Air Force. After retirement in 1979, joined BNP and embarked on a political career. Remained active until death on December 30th 2011.
  • Guy Gibson, commanding officer of 617 Squadron and leader of the "Dam Busters" raid.
  • Adrian Warburton, legendary for his role as a reconnaissance aviator in the defence of Malta; shot down over Germany on 12 April 1944, aged 26. It was only in 2002 that his remains were found in wreckage of his plane.
  • Roland Beamont, Second World War fighter pilot and post-war test pilot.
  • Pierre Clostermann, Second World War fighter pilot and author of The Big Show.
  • Andy Green, current holder of the land speed record and first person to break the sound barrier on land.
  • Roald Dahl, Second World War fighter pilot, and famous novelist. His record of five aerial victories has been confirmed by post-war research and cross-referenced in Axis records. (He ended the war with the temporary rank of Wing Commander; substantive rank was squadron leader)
  • Paddy Finucane, top ranking RAF World War 2 ace with 32 kills. A native of Rathmines, Dublin, Ireland (who emigrated to Britain with his family in 1936), he is the youngest Wing Commander in the history of the RAF. He was promoted to the rank in 1942 at age 21 and was shot down and killed shortly thereafter.
  • Humphrey de Verd Leigh, inventor of the Leigh light which was developed to spotlight U-boats as they surfaced at night. The Leigh light is reputed to have changed the course of the Battle of the Atlantic in World War 2.
  • Douglas Bader, Second World War fighter pilot and double amputee, was the first commander to lead formations of three or more squadrons during the Battle of Britain.
  • Roly Falk, test pilot on the maiden flight of the Avro Vulcan.
  • Mervyn Middlecoat, fighter pilot belonged to Pakistan Air Force.
  • Abdel Latif Boghdadi, pilot in the Egyptian Air Force turned politician
  • Ken Wallis, Second World War fighter pilot, aircraft engineer, and multiple world record holder in autogyro aircraft flight

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