Allegiance British Empire Name Charles Meredith | Rank Air Vice-Marshal Years of service 1917-1945 | |
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Died April 1977 (aged 80–81) Commands held Rhodesian Air Training Group Awards Air Force Cross
Grand Commander Royal Order of the Phoenix (with swords) Service/branch Royal Flying Corps, South African Air Force, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve | ||
Battles and wars World War I, World War II | ||
Air Vice-Marshal Sir Charles Warburton Meredith (1896 – 19 April 1977) was a South African air force pilot, and Air Officer Commanding of the Rhodesian Air Training Group during the Second World War.
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Early life and family
Meredith was born in Wynberg, Cape Town and attended Wynberg Boys' High School. He was a cadet at RAF Staff College, Andover and was then commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing) in October 1917. He was promoted to Flying Officer in February 1918.
After the First World War, in 1924, he joined the South African Air Force, having been recruited by Major Allister Miller, and in 1937 was appointed Commanding Officer of the Aircraft and Artillery Depot.
He was appointed Director of Civil Aviation in Southern Rhodesia in 1939.
Meredith was commissioned Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on 21 March 1940 for the duration of the hostilities. He was promoted to Air Vice-Marshal during the War.
Rhodesian Air Training Group
Meredith was Air Officer Commanding of the Rhodesian Air Training Group, part of the Empire Air Training Scheme. Sir Archibald Sinclair, the British Secretary of State for Air, praised the excellent quality of the reinforcements coming to the RAF from the RATG.
Meredith expressed in 1943 that the Air Training Group would expand and that the expansion would be beneficial after the war for aeronautical training.
Honours
Meredith was awarded the Air Force Cross in June 1919.
He was appointed Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in July 1941; Grand Commander of the Royal Order of the Phoenix (with swords) in 1943; and Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (Military Division) in June 1943.