Sir Walter
Firstname
Greames
Middle Name
Cheshire
Surname
Date of Birth
School Years:
Date of Death:
1922 - 24
Family
Father J. F. Cheshire of Libau Latvia and Beckenham, Kent.
Married Mary (nee Chance) in December 1940 and had 2 children, Colin and John.
School Record
School House. Commissioned into the RAF 1926 and, whilst a serving officer, gained an honours degree in Mechanical Sciences at Downing College Cambridge.
Branch of Service:
RAF
Service Number:
24005
Rank:
Decorations:
Service Record
Air Chief Marshall
MID (twice) and Campaign Medals
Post War Career
Attended RAF Staff College in 1938 and promoted to Squadron Leader. He was then appointed to the Air Staff of Bomber Command, becoming Chief Intelligence Officer in 1941. He spoke fluent Russian and, in 1942 was posted as Air Attache to Moscow. His next appointment, in 1944, was as Chief Air Intelligence Officer at the Head Quarters of Allied Command S. E. Asia. At the end of the War, he became Air Officer Commanding in Indo-China. His intelligence duties led him to being mentioned in despatches on two occasions.
He attended the Senior Officers' Staff Course at the Imperial College in 1949. He was A.O.C. Gibraltar from 1950- 52 and A.O.C.in charge of Administration of H.Q. 2nd Tactical Air Force in Germany from 1953 - 55. After two years from 1955 - 57 as A.O.C. 13 Group Fighter Command he was RAF Instructor at the Imperial Defence College from 1957 - 59. He then served A.O.C. RAF Malta and Deputy Commander in Chief (Air) of the Allied Forces, Mediterranean NATO from 1959 - 61. He was Air Member for Personnel at the ministry of Defence(Air) and was appointed an Air Chief Marshal in 1962, retiring in 1965.
He was Aide-de-Camp to the Queen from 1963-65. He was made a C.B.E. in 1949, a C.B. in 1955, a K.C.B. in in 1959 and a G.B.E. in 1965.
After his retirement, he worked for the RAF Benevolent Fund with particular reference to homes for the elderly and disabled. In 1968, he became a member of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and was vice Chairman from 1970 - 74
Burial Information
Additional Information
Obituary OIM No 27 1979 at pages 92 and 93.
The photograph below features Sir Walter inspecting the graduation of the 100th Entry of Aircraft Apprentices from No1 Radio School at RAF Locking on 15th December 1964.
It is said that he always seemed to know about O.I.s who were RAF Officers, where they were stationed and if they had been recently promoted. While he was an Air Chief Marshal at H.Q. 2nd R.A.F. in Germany, he heard that Cadet N.C.O.s from Ipswich School C.C.F. were on a course attached to an infantry battalion in Germany. He invited them to stay at his H.Q. for the week-end. He sent a car to fetch them and they went sailing and had flights in Jet fighter aircraft.
Other Pictures
