{{Short description|British RAF Air Chief Marshal (1917–2009)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}} {{Infobox military person |name= Sir Neil Wheeler |image= |image_size= |alt= |caption= |nickname= |birth_date= {{birth date|1917|07|08|df=yes}} |death_date= {{Death date and age|2009|01|09|1917|07|08|df=yes}} |birth_place= Pretoria, South Africa |death_place= |burial_place= |allegiance= United Kingdom |branch= Royal Air Force |service_years= 1935–1976 |rank= Air Chief Marshal |service_number= |unit= |commands= Air Member for Supply and Organisation (1970–73)<br/>Far East Air Force (1969–70)<br/>RAF Laarbruch (1959–61)<br/>RAF Kuala Lumpur (1948–49)<br/>No. 236 Squadron (1942–43) |battles= Second World War<br/>Malayan Emergency |awards= Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath<br/>Commander of the Order of the British Empire<br/>Distinguished Service Order<br/>Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar<br/>Air Force Cross |relations= Major General Norman Wheeler (brother)<br/>General Sir Roger Wheeler (nephew) |other_work= Director of Rolls-Royce (1977–82)<br/>Director of Flight Refuelling (Holdings) }} Air Chief Marshal '''Sir Henry Neil George Wheeler''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100|sep=,|GCB|CBE|DSO|DFC1|AFC}} (8 July 1917 – 9 January 2009) was a senior Royal Air Force (RAF) officer.
==Military career== Educated St Helen's College in Southsea and the Royal Air Force College Cranwell, Wheeler was commissioned into the RAF in 1935.<ref name=lh>[http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/locreg/WHEELER1.shtml Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives]</ref> He served with Bomber Command from 1937 and then spent part of the Second World War as Officer Commanding No. 236 Squadron<ref name=air>[http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Wheeler_HNG.htm Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Chief Marshal Sir Neil Wheeler]</ref> in Fighter Command before going to the RAF Staff College and US Army Staff College in 1943.<ref name=lh/>
After the war he joined the Directing Staff at the RAF Staff College and then transferred to the Far East Air Force in 1947.<ref name=lh/> He was posted to the Directing Staff at the Joint Services Staff College in 1949 and to Bomber Command in 1951 before going to the Air Ministry in 1953.<ref name=lh/> He was appointed Assistant Commandant at the RAF College in 1957 and Officer Commanding RAF Laarbruch in 1959.<ref name=lh/> He attended the Imperial Defence College in 1961 and then served in the Ministry of Defence from 1961.<ref name=lh/> He became Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters RAF Germany (2 Tactical Air Force) in 1963 and Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Operational Requirements) in 1966.<ref name=lh/> He was made Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Operational Requirements) in 1967 and Commander of the Far East Air Force in 1969.<ref name=lh/> He was Air Member for Supply and Organisation at the Ministry of Defence from 1970 and then Controller of Aircraft at the Procurement Executive from 1973.<ref name=lh/>
In retirement he became a Director of Rolls-Royce Limited.<ref name=lh/>
==Family== In 1942 he married Elizabeth Weightman and then went on to have two sons and a daughter. He was the younger brother of Major General Norman Wheeler, and uncle of General Sir Roger Wheeler.<ref name=tele>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/4229953/Air-Chief-Marshal-Sir-Neil-Wheeler.html Obituary: Sir Neil Wheeler] Daily Telegraph, 13 January 2009</ref>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== *[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/4229953/Air-Chief-Marshal-Sir-Neil-Wheeler.html Obituary in ''The Daily Telegraph''] *[http://disc.yourwebapps.com/discussion.cgi?disc=105008;article=17087;title=The%20Battle%20of%20Britain%20Historical%20Society%20Discussion%20Forum The Battle of Britain Historical Society Discussion Forum: Obituary]
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{s-new|post}} {{s-ttl|title=Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Operational Requirements)|years=1967–1968}} {{s-aft|after=Sir Noel Thomas}} |- {{s-bef|before=Sir Rochford Hughes}} {{s-ttl|title=Commander-in-Chief Far East Air Force|years=1969–1970}} {{s-aft|after=Nigel Maynard}} |- {{s-bef|before=Sir Thomas Prickett}} {{s-ttl|title=Air Member for Supply and Organisation|years=1970–1973}} {{s-aft|after=Sir Anthony Heward}} |- {{s-bef|before=Sir Peter Fletcher}} {{s-ttl|title=Controller Aircraft|years=1973–1975}} {{s-aft|after=Sir Douglas Lowe}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wheeler, Neil}} Category:1917 births Category:2009 deaths Category:People from Pretoria Category:Non-U.S. alumni of the Command and General Staff College Category:Graduates of the Royal College of Defence Studies Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Category:Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom) Category:Royal Air Force air chief marshals Category:Graduates of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell Category:British World War II pilots Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)