Michael Beetham

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael James Beetham GCB, CBE, DFC, AFC, DL (17 May 1923 – 24 October 2015) was a World War II bomber pilot and a high-ranking commander in the Royal Air Force from the 1960s to the 1980s. As Chief of the Air Staff during the Falklands War he was involved in the decision to send the Task Force to the South Atlantic. At the time of his death Beetham was one of only six people holding his service's most senior rank and, excluding Prince Philip's honorary rank, and had the longest time in rank, making him the senior Marshal of the Royal Air Force.

Early life

The son of Major G. C. Beetham MC, Beetham was born in London on 17 May 1923. He was educated at St Marylebone Grammar School.

RAF career

World War II

As a young man he witnessed the Battle of Britain from the ground which prompted him to join the RAF in May 1941. Promoted to leading aircraftman on 19 June 1942, Beetham was granted an emergency commission as a pilot officer on probation in the RAFVR on 13 December 1942. He was promoted to flying officer in the RAFVR on 13 June 1943.

Beetham

Coordinates: 54°12′29″N 2°46′30″W / 54.208°N 2.775°W / 54.208; -2.775

Beetham is a village and civil parish in Cumbria, England, situated on the border with Lancashire. It is part of the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

History

Craven in the Domesday Book shows that up till 1066 Earl Tostig was lord of Beetham and the surrounding areas of Farleton, Preston Richard, Hincaster, Heversham and Levens in Cumbria plus Yealand Redmayne and Borwick in Lancashire. Beetham manor then amounted to 25 carucates (ca3000 acres/1250ha) of ploughland. The Norman conquest of England added it to the extensive lands of Roger de Poitou.

Demography

The parish had a population of 1,724 recorded in the 2001 census, increasing to 1,784 at the 2011 Census.

Community

Points of interest include:

Beetham (disambiguation)

Beetham may refer to:

Places

In England

In Trinidad and Tobago

People

See also