Background
Read came from a wealthy family and was the eldest son of W. T. Read of Hampstead.
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Willie Read
Edit Profilelieutenant commander officer of World War
Education
He was educated at Jesus College, Cambridge.
Career
Read was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Hampshire Carabiniers, a yeomanry (part-time volunteer cavalry) regiment, on 23 September 1906. On 6 March 1907, after leaving Cambridge, he transferred to the 1st (King"s) Dragoon Guards, a regular regiment. After obtaining his pilot"s licence in April 1913, Read was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps as a pilot on 28 April 1914 and joined 3 Squadron.
He was promoted lieutenant on 14 June 1914.
Read accompanied his squadron to France in August 1914. He was wounded in December 1914.
On 8 February 1915, he was appointed a flight commander in the Royal Flying Corps with the temporary rank of captain. In December 1915 he was sent home to organise 45 Squadron, returning to France in command in April 1916.
He was awarded the Military Cross on 1 January 1916 and promoted to the substantive rank of captain on 19 August 1917.
In April 1917, disillusioned with heavy losses and with his superiors, he requested and received a transfer back to his regiment. He did not much enjoy it, however, and returned to the Reconstruction Finance Corporation as the first commanding officer of 104 Squadron, a bomber unit, in September 1917 with the acting rank of major. He was awarded the Air Force Cross (AFC) on 1 January 1919, and the Distinguished Flying Cross (Distinguished Flying Cross) on 3 June 1919 for services in France.
After the war he remained in the Royal Air Force with the rank of flight lieutenant, although technically still on attachment from his regiment.
He served in Palestine with Number. 216 Squadron from 1919 to 1921, and received a bar to his AFC on 12 July 1920.
By October 1921, he had been promoted to squadron leader in the Royal Air Force, although still holding the rank of captain in the Army, and was in command of 216 Squadron. On 17 November 1921, he finally transferred from the Army to a permanent commission in the Royal Air Force.
He was awarded a second bar to his AFC in the 1922 New Year Honours.
He was promoted wing commander on 1 January 1924. Having previously been commander of an apprentices" wing at Royal Air Force Halton, in January 1928 he became station commander of Royal Air Force Upavon, and he was appointed first commander of Royal Air Force Boscombe Down in September 1930. In March 1931, he was appointed Inspector of Recruiting for the Royal Air Force. He retired on 17 May 1932, his 47th birthday.
Membership
A pre-war member of the Royal Flying Corps (which became the Royal Air Force in 1918), he was one of only a handful of officers to ever receive a second bar to the Air Force Cross (ie he was awarded the AFC three times).
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Born
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Died
1972 (aged 86) -
Nationality
United Kingdom