Conway Pulford 1034127 216587208 2008-06-02T09:16:58Z Abraham, B.S. 4540583 Postnominals {{Wikify|date=September 2007}} [[Air Vice Marshal]] '''Conway Walter Heath Pulford''' [[Order of the Bath|CB]], [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]], [[Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)|AFC]] (born [[1892]], died 10 March [[1942]]) was a senior [[Royal Air Force]] officer. In 1941 he attempted to build up the RAF in the Far East to support all the forces under the [[British Far East Command|Far East Command]]. But before the Japanese attacked on [[December 8]] [[1941]] the Far East was given a low prioritory so little was done. To bolster his very small staff now that the war had started, Air Vice Marshal [[Paul Copeland Maltby|Paul Maltby]] arrived and undertook duties as his deputy. Pulford was authorised to evacuate himself on [[February 5]] [[1942]], ten days later Pulford and his naval counterpart, Rear Admiral [[Ernest John Spooner|Spooner]], where amongst the last to leave. Their motor boat was hit and forced to run aground on a malaria ridden island in the Juju group. The survivors managed to hold out for two months before being forced to surrender to the Japanese, but the Air Vice Marshal and Rear Admiral had both died of exhaustion and malaria. When Pulford did not arrive in Java, Maltby took over command of RAF Far East Command, but was captured and spent the rest of the war as a [[Prisoner of War]] of the Japanese. ==Career History== * Joined the [[Royal Navy]] *[[1914]] [[December 18]]? Pilot, HMS Ark Royal *[[1915]] [[March 6]] promoted [[Flight Lieutenant]] *[[1915]] Staff, Aliki Seaplane Base, Imbros. *[[1916]] [[June 30]] promoted Flight Commander * Acting Squadron Commaner *[[1917]] [[December 31]] Squadron Commander *[[1919]] [[April 1]] Flight Commander/Deputy OC, No 210 Squadron *[[1919]] [[August 1]] Awarded Permanent Commission as a Major *[[1919]] Transferred to the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) *[[1919]] [[April 1]] promoted Squadron Leader. *[[1920]] [[January 22]] Removed from the Navy Lists on being awarded Permanent Commission in RAF. *[[1920]] [[April 1]] Officer Commanding, No 210 Sqn. (Cuckoo – Gosport) *[[1920]] [[September 28]] Flight Commander/Deputy OC, No 210 Squadron *[[1921]] [[October 1]] Squadron Commander, RAF Base, Gosport *[[1922]] [[April 2]] Attended RAF Staff College. *[[1923]] April Staff, Directorate of Training and Staff Duties. *[[1923]] August–September Staff, Directorate of Training. *[[1925]] [[July 1]] promoted Wing Commander *[[1925]] [[August 17]] Supernumerary, HQ Coastal Area. *[[1925]] [[November 6]] Officer Commanding, RAF Cape Flight. *[[1926]] He led the RAF Cape Flight of four Fairey IIIDs in a record breaking flight from [[Cairo]] to [[Cape Town]], for which he was awarded the AFC. *[[1926]] [[September 1]] Officer Commanding - Flying, HMS Furious. *[[1928]] [[October 16]] Supernumerary, RAF Depot. *[[1929]] [[January 14]] Attended Imperial Defence College. *[[1929]] [[December 15]] Officer Commanding, No 7 Sqn. *[[1931]] [[April 9]] Officer Commanding, RAF Bircham Newton. *[[1932]] [[July 1]] promoted Group Captain *[[1932]] [[November 4]] Officer Commanding, RAF Heliopolis. *[[1934]] [[October 1]] Officer Commanding, Air Armament School. *[[1936]] [[July 1]] promoted Air Commodore *[[1936]] [[September 14]] Air Officer Commanding, No 26 (Training) Group. *[[1938]] [[August 15]] Director of Volunteer Reserve Expansion *[[1939]] [[April 1]] Air Vice Marshal *[[1939]] [[August 31]] Air Officer A?, HQ Reserve Command *[[1941]] [[March 6]] Air Officer Commanding, [[RAF Far East Command]]. ==References== *[http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Pulford.htm Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - AVM Pulford] {{DEFAULTSORT:Pulford, Conway Walter Heath}} [[Category:1892 births]] [[Category:1942 deaths]] [[Category:Royal Air Force air marshals]] [[Category:Military of Singapore under British rule]]