Charles Warburton Meredith

{{Infobox military person

| honorific_prefix = Air Vice-Marshal

| name = Sir Charles Warburton Meredith

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|KBE|CB|AFC}}

| native_name =

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| image = Royal Air Force, the Rhodesian Air Training Group in Southern Rhodesia, 1941-1945. CRH22.jpg

| image_size = 280px

| alt =

| caption = Meredith in Salisbury during the Second World War

| birth_date = {{birth date|1896|08|23|df=yes}}

| death_date = {{death date and age|1977|04|19|1896|08|23|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Wynberg, Cape Town

| death_place =

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| allegiance = {{Flag|British Empire}}

| branch = {{ubl|Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing)|South African Air Force|Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve}}

| serviceyears = 1917-1945

| rank = Air Vice-Marshal

| servicenumber =

| unit =

| commands = Rhodesian Air Training Group

| battles = {{ubl|First World War|Second World War}}

| battles_label = Wars

| awards = Air Force Cross
Grand Commander Royal Order of the Phoenix (with swords)

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}}

Air Vice-Marshal Sir Charles Warburton Meredith {{post-nominals|KBE|CB|AFC}} (23 August 1896 – 19 April 1977) was a South African air force pilot, and Air Officer Commanding of the Rhodesian Air Training Group during the Second World War.

Early life and family

Meredith was born in Wynberg, Cape Town, and attended Wynberg Boys' High School. He was an electrical engineering student with South African Railways before becoming a cadet at RAF Staff College, Andover and was then commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing) in October 1917.{{cite news|title=The British Air Services|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1917/1917%20-%201118.PDF|accessdate=27 November 2012|newspaper=Flight|date=25 October 1917}} He was promoted to Flying Officer in February 1918.{{cite news|title=The British Air Services|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1918/1918%20-%200462.PDF|accessdate=27 November 2012|newspaper=Flight|date=25 April 1918}}

After the First World War, in 1924, he joined the South African Air Force, having been recruited by Major Allister Miller,{{cite news|title=A Loss to South African Aviation|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1951/1951%20-%202167.PDF|accessdate=27 November 2012|newspaper=Flight|date=26 October 1951}} and in 1937 was appointed Commanding Officer of the Aircraft and Artillery Depot.{{cite news|title=Here and There|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1939/1939%20-%201982.PDF|accessdate=27 November 2012|newspaper=Flight|date=29 June 1939}}

He was appointed Director of Civil Aviation in Southern Rhodesia in 1939.

Meredith was commissioned Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on 21 March 1940 for the duration of the hostilities.{{London Gazette|issue=34927|date=20 August 1940|page=5094}} He was promoted to Air Vice-Marshal during the War.

Rhodesian Air Training Group

Meredith was Air Officer Commanding of the Rhodesian Air Training Group, part of the Empire Air Training Scheme. Sir Archibald Sinclair, the British Secretary of State for Air, praised the excellent quality of the reinforcements coming to the RAF from the RATG.{{cite news|title=Here and There|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1941/1941%20-%202672.PDF|accessdate=27 November 2012|newspaper=Flight|date=13 November 1941}}

Meredith expressed in 1943 that the Air Training Group would expand and that the expansion would be beneficial after the war for aeronautical training.{{cite news|title=Here and There|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1943/1943%20-%202302.PDF|accessdate=27 November 2012|newspaper=Flight|date=23 September 1943}}

Meredith is the author of an article, "The Rhodesian Air Training Group 1940–1945", in a Rhodesian historical journal, published in July 1973.The Rhodesian Air Training Group 1940–1945

Honours

Meredith was awarded the Air Force Cross in June 1919.{{London Gazette|issue=31378|date=30 May 1919|page=7034}}

He was appointed Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in July 1941;{{London Gazette|issue=35204|date=27 June 1941|page=3742}} Grand Commander of the Royal Order of the Phoenix (with swords) in 1943;{{London Gazette|issue=35936|date=9 March 1943|page=1190}} and Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (Military Division) in June 1943.{{London Gazette|issue=36033|date=28 May 1943|page=2419}}

References

External links

[http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Meredith.htm Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - Air Vice-Marshal Sir Charles Meredith]
http://www.saafmuseum.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=43:artbattleofbritten&catid=50:catmuseumupdate&Itemid=34{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
https://web.archive.org/web/20150619220945/http://www.saafmuseum.org/index.php?limitstart=40
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/searches/subjectView.asp?ID=P19669
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/last-wings-parade/query/Meredith
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/air-conference-cape-town/query/Meredith

Category:South African Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath

Category:Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)

Category:1896 births

Category:1977 deaths

Category:South African Air Force officers

Category:Rhodesian Air Force air marshals

Category:Alumni of Wynberg Boys' High School

Category:Royal Air Force air marshals of World War II

Category:British Army personnel of World War I

Category:Royal Flying Corps officers

Category:Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II