Colin Coulthard
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox military person
|honorific-prefix=
|name=Colin Weall Coulthard
|honorific_suffix = {{small|CB AFC and Bar}}
|birth_date ={{birth date|df=y|1921|2|27}}
|death_date={{death date and age|df=y|2004|11|15|1921|02|27}}
|birth_place=Bournemouth, Dorset, United Kingdom
|death_place= Cornwall
|allegiance={{flag|United Kingdom}}
|serviceyears=1939–1976
|rank=15px Air Vice-Marshal
|branch={{air force|United Kingdom}}
|commands=No. 266 Squadron RAF
RAF Gütersloh
|battles=Second World War
|awards= Companion of the Order of the Bath
Air Force Cross and Bar
Mentioned in Despatches
}}
Air Vice-Marshal Colin Weall Coulthard, CB, AFC and Bar (27 February 1921 – 15 November 2004) was an officer in the Royal Air Force. He served as a fighter pilot and instructor during World War II, and held several command assignments in Europe between 1945 and 1976.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1477724/Air-Vice-Marshal-Colin-Coulthard.html|title=Obituary|date=|publisher=The Telegraph|accessdate=15 December 2012}}Janes, p.47
Early life
Coulthard was educated at Watford Grammar School for Boys, and later studied aeronautical engineering at the de Havilland Aeronautical Technical School in Hatfield. On the outbreak of war he joined the RAF and trained to fly the Supermarine Spitfire.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1477724/Air-Vice-Marshal-Colin-Coulthard.html|title=Obituary|date=|publisher=The Telegraph|accessdate=11 February 2013}}
Military career
After undergoing pilot training in Rhodesia, Coulthard deployed to Malta in 1943 and took part in the Invasion of ItalyThomas, p. 95 and Operation Dragoon, the Allied invasion of the south of France. He was mentioned in dispatches. Towards the end of the war Coulthard was selected to be part of the initial group of pilots that would transition to Britain's first operational jet fighter, the Gloster Meteor.Flypast After the war he was attached to the Central Fighter Establishment and stationed in RAF Wunstorf in Germany, where he took part in the evaluation trials for the de Havilland Venom.Watkins, p. 71 In 1955 he became chief instructor at RAF Pembrey. In 1961 he assumed command of RAF Gütersloh. Units under his command were involved in operations related to the Berlin Airlift in 1962.
In 1967 Coulthard was promoted to Air CommodoreKelly's, p. 524 and transferred to the Ministry Of Defence as Director of Operational Requirements. In 1970 he was appointed Air Attaché to Washington.Diplomatic List His final promotion to Air Vice-Marshal was as head of the Defence Export Services Organisation, prior to his retirement in 1976.
Later life
After retirement, Coulthard settled in Cornwall where he became governor of Truro School. He was awarded CB in 1975, and became an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society the same year. He died in 2004, aged 83.
Notes
{{Reflist|2}}
Bibliography
- {{cite book
|last1=Martell
|first1=Paul
|last2=Hayes
|first2=Grace P.
|last3=Dupuy
|first3=Trevor Nevitt
|title=World defence who's who
|accessdate=2012-12-15
|year=1974
|publisher=Macdonald and Jane's
|location=London
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5BkxAQAAIAAJ
|isbn=9780356080031}}
- {{cite book
|last=Thomas
|first=Andrew
|title=Spitfire Aces of North Africa and Italy
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EQws5MNsvvcC
|accessdate=2012-12-15
|volume=93 of Aircraft of the Aces
|year=2011
|publisher=Osprey Publishing
|isbn=9781849083430}}
- {{cite book
|others=United States Department of State
|title=Diplomatic List
|url=https://archive.org/details/diplomaticlist1950wash_9
|accessdate=2012-12-15
|edition=2
|series=Department and Foreign Service series
|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office
|location=Washington, DC}}
- {{cite journal
|year=2005
|journal=Flypast
|title=Flypast Magazine
|publisher=Key Publishing Ltd.
|issue=282–286
|issn=0262-6950
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=\_hIKAQAAMAAJ
|accessdate=2012-12-15}}
- {{cite book
|title=Kelly's Handbook to the Titled, Landed and Official Classes
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PKIWAQAAIAAJ
|year=1969
|publisher=Kelly's Directories}}
- {{cite book
|last=Watkins
|first=David
|title=Venom: de Havilland Venom and Sea Venom: the complete history
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i4YgAQAAIAAJ
|accessdate=2012-12-15
|year=2003
|publisher=Sutton
|isbn=9780750931618}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coulthard, Colin}}
Category:People educated at Watford Grammar School for Boys
Category:Royal Air Force air marshals
Category:British World War II pilots
Category:Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)