# Walter Pretty

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Royal Air Force Air Marshal (1909-1975)

Sir Walter Pretty Born (1909-05-02)2 May 1909 Died 17 January 1975(1975-01-17) (aged 65) Allegiance United Kingdom Branch Royal Air Force Service years 1929–66 Rank Air marshal Commands Signals Command (1961–64) No. 1 Radio Operator's School (1941) Conflicts Second World War Awards Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companion of the Order of the Bath Mentioned in dispatches (2)

[Air Marshal](/source/Air_Marshal) **Sir Walter Philip George Pretty**,[1] [KBE](/source/Knight_Commander_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire), [CB](/source/Companion_of_the_Order_of_the_Bath) (2 May 1909 – 17 January 1975) was a [Royal Air Force](/source/Royal_Air_Force) officer who served as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief [Signals Command](/source/RAF_Signals_Command) from 1961 until 1964.

## RAF career

Educated at [Alleyn's School](/source/Alleyn's_School), Pretty joined the [Royal Air Force](/source/Royal_Air_Force) as a cadet in 1929.[2] He served in the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War) as Station Commander at the [Chain Home Low](/source/Chain_Home_Low) [early warning radar](/source/Early_warning_radar) base near [Clacton](/source/Clacton), as [Officer Commanding](/source/Officer_Commanding) No. 1 Radio Operator's School at [RAF Cranwell](/source/Royal_Air_Force_College_Cranwell) and on the signals staff at [Fighter Command](/source/RAF_Fighter_Command).[2]

After the war he became Director-General of Navigational Services at the [Ministry of Civil Aviation](/source/Ministry_of_Civil_Aviation_(United_Kingdom)) and then Director of Electronics Research and Development at the [Ministry of Supply](/source/Ministry_of_Supply) before being appointed Air Officer Administration at Headquarters [Second Tactical Air Force](/source/Second_Tactical_Air_Force) in 1955.[2] He went on to be Director-General of Organisation at the [Air Ministry](/source/Air_Ministry) in 1958, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at [Signals Command](/source/RAF_Signals_Command) in 1961 and Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Personnel & Logistics) in 1964 before retiring in 1966.[2]

He lived near [Cobham](/source/Cobham%2C_Surrey) in [Surrey](/source/Surrey)[3] and became President of the Edward Alleyn Club.[4] He married Betty Methven in 1940 and they had four children: Audrey, Beryl, Carol (mother of comedian [Marcus Brigstocke](/source/Marcus_Brigstocke)), and Derek.[5]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Pretty, Air Marshal Sir Walter (Philip George): Who Was Who"](http://oxfordindex.oup.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U158634). Oxfordindex.oup.com. 2 May 1909. Retrieved 10 February 2019.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-air_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-air_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-air_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-air_2-3) [Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Marshal Sir Walter Pretty](http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Pretty.htm)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [National Archives](http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=008-d199&cid=8-7#8-7)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Edward Alleyn Club](http://www.edwardalleynclub.com/page/about_past_presidents)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Family history](https://s3.amazonaws.com/audreywatters/Mum%27s+life+page+2.pdf)

Military offices Preceded by Alick Foord-Kelcey Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Signals Command 1961–1964 Succeeded by Sir Thomas Shirley

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