Allegiance United Kingdom Service/branch Royal Air Force Years of service 1964–2003 Rank Air marshal | Name Christopher Coville Books Target - The Queen! Awards Order of the Bath | |
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Commands held Personnel and Training Command
Training Units
RAF Coningsby
No. 111 (Fighter) Squadron | ||
Air Marshal Sir Christopher Charles Cotton Coville, (born 1945) is a retired senior Royal Air Force commander.
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RAF career
Born in Liverpool, Coville joined the Royal Air Force in 1964, at the height of the Cold War. Early in his career he flew Lightnings and F4 Phantoms. He assumed command of No. 111 (Fighter) Squadron in 1983, and then became Group Captain Air at Headquarters No. 11 Group. In 1986 he became Station Commander at RAF Coningsby, where he flew Tornado F3 and displayed Hurricanes and Spitfires on the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Promoted to air vice marshal, he became Air Officer Commanding Training Units in 1992, Assistant Chief of Defence Staff Operational Requirements (Air Systems) in 1994 and Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces Central Europe in 1998. In 2000 his NATO command was absorbed into the Regional Headquarters Allied Forces North Europe of which Coville became the Deputy Commander-in-Chief. In March 2001 he became the Air Member for Personnel and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Personnel and Training Command. He retired in 2003.
Coville was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 2000 New Year Honours.
In retirement he was appointed Chairman of Westland Helicopters.
Family
He is married to Irene and they have one son and two daughters.