Frank Headlam
RAAF senior commander
Died when: 62 years 161 days (749 months)Star Sign: Cancer
Air Vice Marshal Frank Headlam, CB, CBE (15 July 1914 – 23 December 1976) was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
Born and educated in Tasmania, he joined the RAAF as an air cadet in January 1934.He specialised in flying instruction and navigation before the outbreak of World War II.
In April 1941, he became commanding officer of No. 2 Squadron, which operated Lockheed Hudsons.The squadron was deployed to Dutch Timor in December, and saw action against Japanese forces in the South West Pacific.
After returning to Australia in February 1942, Headlam held staff appointments and training commands, finishing the war a group captain.Headlam served as Officer Commanding North-Western Area in 1946, and as Director of Training from 1947 to 1950.
In 1950–51, during the Malayan Emergency, he was stationed at Singapore as commander of No. 90 (Composite) Wing and, later, RAF Tengah.
He twice served as acting Air Member for Personnel, in 1957 and 1959–60, receiving appointment as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1958.
Promoted air vice marshal, he successively held the positions of Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Operational Command in 1961–62, AOC No. 224 Group RAF from 1962 to 1965 during the Indonesia–Malaysia Konfrontasi, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff in 1965–66, and AOC Support Command in 1966–67.
He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1965.Following a posting to London as Head of the Australian Joint Services Staff from 1968 to 1971, he retired from the Air Force and died in Melbourne five years later.
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