Neil Cameron, Baron Cameron of Balhousie

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Mentioned in Despatches
Spouse(s)
Patricia Louise Asprey
​
​
(m. 1947)​

People's Republic of China and lectured extensively on the Soviet
air threat.

Early life

The only son and younger child of Neil Cameron (a retired company sergeant major in the Seaforth Highlanders) and his wife, Isabella Cameron (née Stewart),[1] Cameron was brought up by his mother and grandfather in Perth, his father having died when he was three weeks old.[2] Cameron attended the Northern District School and took up employment with the Commercial Bank of Scotland in the Fife town of Newburgh in 1937.[2]

RAF career

Cameron joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in May 1939 and started his flying training at No. 3 Initial Training Wing at Hastings.[2] From March to September 1940 he completed his elementary pilot training, advanced training and operational training before being posted to No. 1 Squadron at RAF Wittering as a sergeant pilot flying Hurricanes.[2] He was posted to No. 17 Squadron at RAF Martlesham Heath in October 1940[2] in time to take part in the final stages of the Battle of Britain.[3]

Cameron joined No. 134 Squadron at Murmansk in northern Russia in July 1941[2] and was granted a commission with the war substantive rank of pilot officer on 31 July 1941.[4] Off the coast of northern Russia he was required to take-off from a Royal Navy aircraft carrier without practice.[3] Promoted to the war substantive rank of flying officer on 4 March 1942,[5] he joined No. 213 Squadron, part of the Desert Air Force, in August 1942,[2] and he was promoted to the war substantive rank of squadron leader on 4 March 1943.[6] In this role he took part in the Battle of Alam el Halfa in September 1942, the First Battle of El Alamein in July 1942 and the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942.[3]

Cameron went on to be an advisor to No. 335 (Hellenic) Squadron in April 1943 and, having been

Burma in February 1944 and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on 21 November 1944[8] and appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order on 2 October 1945.[9]

P-47 Thunderbolt, a type flown by Cameron in Burma during the Second World War

Cameron transferred from the RAF Volunteer Reserve to the Royal Air Force after the War ended and was given a permanent commission as a flight lieutenant on 1 September 1945.[10] He became an instructor at the School of Air Support at Old Sarum in October 1945 and went on to be RAF Liaison Officer at Headquarters Rhine Army in April 1948.[2] He attended RAF Staff College in 1949 and later that year joined the Air Staff in the Directorate of Organisation at the Air Ministry.[2]

Cameron was promoted to

wing commander on 1 January 1956,[12] but still recovering from illness, he became Officer Commanding the University of London Air Squadron in August 1956.[2] He became Personal Staff Officer to the Chief of the Air Staff in November 1958,[2] and having been promoted to group captain on 1 July 1960,[13] he became Officer Commanding RAF Abingdon in November 1960.[2] He attended Imperial Defence College in 1963 and became Principal Staff Officer to Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe at the end of the year.[2]

Promoted to

air vice marshal on 1 July 1968,[16] he became Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters Air Support Command in September 1970.[2]

Appointed Companion of the

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the 1976 Birthday Honours.[21]

Cameron was appointed

People's Republic of China and lectured extensively on the Soviet air threat.[23] He retired in August 1979.[2]

Later life

In retirement Cameron became Principal of

Knight of the Order of the Thistle on 30 November 1983.[29] He also became Chairman of the trustees of the RAF Museum.[30] He died of cancer at the Middlesex Hospital in London on 29 January 1985.[2]

Arms

Coat of arms of Neil Cameron, Baron Cameron of Balhousie
Motto
In Media Res

Personal life

In 1947 he married Patricia Louise Asprey; they had a son and a daughter.[1] His interests included rugby.[30]

References

  1. ^ a b "Neil Cameron, Baron Cameron of Balhousie". The Peerage.com. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y "Marshal of the Royal Air Force Lord Cameron". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
  3. ^ a b c Probert, p. 80
  4. ^ "No. 35260". The London Gazette. 29 August 1941. p. 5026.
  5. ^ "No. 35575". The London Gazette. 26 May 1942. p. 2297.
  6. ^ "No. 35989". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 April 1943. p. 1858.
  7. ^ "No. 36033". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 May 1943. p. 2453.
  8. ^ "No. 36805". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 November 1944. p. 5341.
  9. ^ "No. 37291". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 September 1945. p. 4857.
  10. ^ "No. 37700". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 August 1946. p. 4289.
  11. ^ "No. 38803". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 January 1950. p. 53.
  12. ^ "No. 40666". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 December 1955. p. 7307.
  13. ^ "No. 42080". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 June 1960. p. 4577.
  14. ^ "No. 43372". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 June 1964. p. 5719.
  15. ^ "No. 44326". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 June 1967. p. 6276.
  16. ^ "No. 44625". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 June 1968. p. 7352.
  17. ^ "No. 45262". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1970. p. 3.
  18. ^ "No. 46349". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 September 1974. p. 7907.
  19. ^ "No. 46444". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1974. p. 3.
  20. ^ "No. 46727". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 November 1975. p. 13887.
  21. ^ "No. 46919". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 June 1976. p. 8017.
  22. ^ "No. 46984". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 August 1976. p. 10916.
  23. ^ a b Probert, p. 83
  24. ^ "No. 47289". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 August 1977. p. 9978.
  25. ^ "No. 47311". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 August 1977. p. 11141.
  26. ^ "No. 48275". The London Gazette. 11 August 1980. p. 11379.
  27. ^ "No. 49212". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1982. p. 1.
  28. ^ "No. 49291". The London Gazette. 17 March 1983. p. 3737.
  29. ^ "No. 49557". The London Gazette. 2 December 1983. p. 15977.
  30. ^ a b Probert, p. 84

Sources

  • Probert, Henry (1991). High Commanders of the Royal Air Force. HMSO.
    ISBN 0-11-772635-4
    .
Military offices
Preceded by
Air Officer Commanding No. 46 Group

1973–1974 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Sir Harold Martin
 Air Member for Personnel
1974–1976 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief of the Air Staff
1976–1977 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief of the Defence Staff
1977–1979 		Succeeded by
Sir Terence Lewin
Academic offices
Preceded by Principal of King's College London
1980–1985 		Succeeded by
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