Victor Hubert Tait

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Sir Victor Hubert Tait
British Ice Hockey Association
(1958–71)

Royal Canadian Engineers, the Royal Flying Corps, the Royal Air Force, and the Egyptian Air Force. He represented Great Britain at ice hockey in the 1928 Winter Olympics. In later life he was an executive of BOAC
.

Early life

Tait was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the son of Samuel Tait, and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Manitoba.[1]

Military career

With the outbreak of the

Royal Canadian Engineers as a sapper before being commissioned into the London Regiment of the British Army in 1916. He was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps, where he focussed on radio and aerial navigation. Transferring to the new Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1918, he was an instructor at the RAF's Electrical and Wireless School in 1919. After a period of illness Tait served with No. 4 Squadron in Constantinople
from 1922 to 1924 as a pilot and wireless specialist. On his return to the United Kingdom, Tait was appointed to signals staff officer duties.

By 1930 Tait was back in the Middle East where he continued his work in RAF signals. In 1932 Tait was made the Senior Air Advisor on the British Military Mission in Egypt. At the same time or not long afterwards he was seconded to the

King Farouk made him a Commander of the Order of the Nile.[2] In 1937 the Egyptian Army Air Force was transferred from British to Egyptian control and the last British Sirdar, Major General Sir Charlton Spinks instructed Tait to relinquish his position. Tait responded by stating that he now only took orders from the Egyptian minister of war and after a meeting with the minister was convened, Tait was made air advisor to the EAAF (a position created especially for him) and promoted to group captain.[3]

Returning to the RAF during the

invasion of Normandy
, Tait was responsible for planning the attack on German radar stations and spoofing other radar.

After the war Tait joined the British Overseas Airways Corporation, working as its operations director from 1945 to 1956.

Sportsman

Tait represented Great Britain at ice hockey and competed in the 1928 Winter Olympics, the British team finishing fourth in the Olympic ice hockey tournament of 1928.[5]

Tait was president of the

British Ice Hockey Association
from 1958 to 1971.

References

  1. ^ TAIT, Air Vice-Marshal Sir Victor Hubert, in Who Was Who (A. & C. Black, 1920–2008; online edition by Oxford University Press, December 2007)
  2. .
  3. .
  4. ^ "Noonans Mayfair: Auctioneers and Valuers".
  5. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Victor Hubert Tait Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2019.

External links

Military offices
New title
Egyptian Air Force established
Commander of the Egyptian Air Force
1932–1936
Succeeded by
Unknown
Preceded by Director-General of Signals
1942–1945
Succeeded by
Sporting positions
Preceded by President of the
British Ice Hockey Association

1958–1971
Succeeded by