Knowledge (XXG)

Harold Martin (RAF officer)

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Martin was appointed to a succession of staff jobs: Air Attache, Tel Aviv in 1952; Operation Plans Division in 1955; attached to NATO in Fontainebleau, France 1955-1958; and Group Captain — Electronic Warfare, HQ Signals Command in 1959, before becoming
372:. In February 1942, he captained the first all-Australian crewed bombing sortie against Germany. Martin soon acquired a reputation for low-level flying in order to avoid anti-aircraft fire and fighters. After 13 operations, he and his crew joined 1000: 415:(DSO) for his actions. Martin was considered one of the best pilots in the squadron and was known for his dry jokes and constant good humour that he exhibited at all times, even when he was under considerable pressure. He was portrayed by 426:
Following Gibson's retirement from operations and the immediate loss in action of his successor, Squadron Leader George Holden, Martin assumed temporary command of No. 617 Squadron. Later, under the command of Wing Commander
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He was initially chosen to head up the Operation Jiu Jitsu flights, which the RAF were performing on behalf of the US Government. The flights were top secret reconnaissance missions deep into the Soviet Union using American
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night fighter missions in support of Bomber Command aircraft. By late 1944, Martin had flown another 34 operations, where he claimed two aircraft shot down, and three destroyed (and one damaged) on the ground.
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Bob Hay, while wounding another crew member. Martin could not make the return trip to England, and flew on south toward an RAF base at Corsica before diverting further to the
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in Western Germany. Martin's plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire during the attack, but he successfully accomplished the bombing run and returned. He was awarded a
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bombers. Unfortunately Martin failed a pressurisation test and the entire project was handed over to Squadron Leader
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as "one of the three great bomber pilots of the war". He rose to become a senior officer in the RAF, commanding
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Martin's penchant for low flying contributed to his selection in March 1943 for assignment to the newly formed
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and in 1945 joined the headquarters staff of No. 100 Group. He broke the speed record for flying from
19:"H. B. Martin" redirects here. For the 19th century British naval officer and watercolour artist, see 970: 965: 843: 547: 543: 467: 407:"Popsie" (officially known as AJ-P "Peter") in the first formation, which was assigned to attack the 392: 369: 181: 146: 373: 141: 760: 597:
as an advisor. Sir Harold Martin died at his home in London on 3 November 1988, and is buried at
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When Martin returned to England he was transferred out of No. 617 Squadron and placed in
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After retiring from the RAF on 31 October 1974, Martin worked for aircraft manufacturer
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Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Marshal Sir Harold Martin
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to the Queen in 1964. He then served for three years from 1967 to 1970 as
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Australian recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
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Chased by the Sun: The Australians in Bomber Command in World War II
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After the war, Martin attended a course at the RAF Staff College in
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Australian Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
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Australian Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath
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Medal Bar of 9 Air Marshal Sir Harold ‘Micky’ Martin
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In February 1944, during an attack on the 991:Australian emigrants to the United Kingdom 824: 38: 27: 270:Sir Harold Brownlow Morgan "Micky" Martin 228:Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath 44:Flight Lieutenant Micky Martin, June 1943 609: 16:Royal Air Force Air Marshal (1918-1988) 1031:Royal Air Force pilots of World War II 347:, but instead volunteered to join the 1036:Australian World War II bomber pilots 680: 678: 676: 674: 672: 670: 668: 666: 664: 662: 7: 981:Australian aviation record holders 14: 811:article on Martin's record flight 622:British Broadcasting Corporation 546:in support of No. 54 Squadron's 490: 852:September – November 1943 1006:Australian World War II pilots 976:Military personnel from Sydney 710:"1947 | 0703 | Flight Archive" 331:, the RAF's controlling body. 1: 800:The Dambusters: AJ-P "Popsie" 453:United States Army Air Forces 176: 32:Harold Brownlow Morgan Martin 1026:Royal Air Force air marshals 805:"Two London-Capetown Records 756:Sir Harold Martin, Pilot, 70 368:in October 1941, flying the 339:Born on 27 February 1918 in 695:Shore, Christopher (2004). 413:Distinguished Service Order 399:. Martin took part in the " 232:Distinguished Service Order 1052: 544:transatlantic jet crossing 386:Distinguished Flying Cross 341:Edgecliff, New South Wales 240:Distinguished Flying Cross 18: 944: 935: 927: 917: 910:Second Tactical Air Force 900: 896:Christopher Foxley-Norris 892: 882: 872: 864: 854: 840: 832: 827: 351:(RAF) on 28 August 1940. 37: 1011:Britannia Trophy winners 938:Air Member for Personnel 583:Air Member for Personnel 325:Air Member for Personnel 158:Air Member for Personnel 874:Air Officer Commanding 441:Anthéor railway Viaduct 345:University of Edinburgh 311:(RAF). He took part in 163:Royal Air Force Germany 908:Also Commander of the 819:Royal Air Force Museum 581:and finally, in 1973, 572:Air Officer Commanding 536:Oswald Watt Gold Medal 886:Denis Crowley-Milling 776:Bowyer, Chaz (1983). 548:de Havilland Vampires 472:de Havilland Mosquito 395:under Wing Commander 366:No. 455 Squadron RAAF 323:and later serving as 137:No. 455 Squadron RAAF 115:Years of service 1016:British air attachés 714:www.flightglobal.com 370:Handley Page Hampden 182:No. 617 Squadron RAF 147:No. 515 Squadron RAF 902:Commander-in-Chief 842:Officer Commanding 821:Collections Online. 376:. Flying Hampdens, 374:No. 50 Squadron RAF 142:No. 50 Squadron RAF 780:. Kimber & Co. 764:, 6 November 1988. 761:The New York Times 697:Those Other Eagles 616:O'Donnell, Conal: 502:. You can help by 327:, a member of the 313:Operation Chastise 206:Operation Chastise 954: 953: 945:Succeeded by 918:Succeeded by 912: 883:Succeeded by 855:Succeeded by 849: 828:Military offices 643:Allen & Unwin 520: 519: 419:in the 1955 film 264: 263: 21:Henry Byam Martin 1043: 948:Sir Neil Cameron 931:Sir Lewis Hodges 928:Preceded by 907: 893:Preceded by 865:Preceded by 858:Leonard Cheshire 847: 844:No. 617 Squadron 833:Preceded by 825: 765: 753: 747: 746: 739: 733: 728: 722: 721: 720:on 14 June 2015. 716:. Archived from 706: 700: 693: 687: 682: 657: 656: 631: 625: 618:WW2 People's War 614: 540:Britannia Trophy 515: 512: 494: 487: 468:No. 515 Squadron 437:Operation Garlic 429:Leonard Cheshire 393:No. 617 Squadron 378:Avro Manchesters 360:Second World War 317:Sir Max Hastings 306: 301: 290: 279: 211:Operation Garlic 201:European theatre 196:Second World War 178: 168:No. 38 Group RAF 104: 84: 68:27 February 1918 67: 65: 42: 28: 1051: 1050: 1046: 1045: 1044: 1042: 1041: 1040: 956: 955: 950: 941: 933: 923: 914: 906: 898: 888: 879: 870: 860: 851: 846: 838: 787: 773: 771:Further reading 768: 754: 750: 741: 740: 736: 729: 725: 708: 707: 703: 694: 690: 683: 660: 653: 633: 632: 628: 615: 611: 607: 595:Hawker Siddeley 591: 516: 510: 507: 500:needs expansion 485: 382:Avro Lancasters 362: 357: 355:Military career 349:Royal Air Force 337: 309:Royal Air Force 299: 288: 277: 273: 259:Hawker Siddeley 254:Other work 248:Air Force Cross 246: 238: 230: 219: 180: 171: 166: 161: 145: 140: 109:Royal Air Force 86: 82: 81:3 November 1988 69: 63: 61: 45: 33: 24: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1049: 1047: 1039: 1038: 1033: 1028: 1023: 1018: 1013: 1008: 1003: 998: 993: 988: 983: 978: 973: 968: 958: 957: 952: 951: 946: 943: 934: 929: 925: 924: 919: 916: 899: 894: 890: 889: 884: 881: 871: 868:Peter Fletcher 866: 862: 861: 856: 853: 839: 834: 830: 829: 823: 822: 812: 802: 797: 786: 785:External links 783: 782: 781: 772: 769: 767: 766: 748: 734: 723: 701: 688: 658: 651: 626: 608: 606: 603: 590: 587: 518: 517: 497: 495: 484: 481: 445:French Riviera 421:The Dambusters 380:, and finally 361: 358: 356: 353: 336: 333: 262: 261: 255: 251: 250: 225: 221: 220: 218: 217: 216: 215: 214: 213: 208: 192: 190: 186: 185: 155: 151: 150: 134: 130: 129: 124: 120: 119: 116: 112: 111: 106: 100: 99: 98:United Kingdom 96: 92: 91: 85:(aged 70) 79: 75: 74: 59: 55: 54: 51: 47: 46: 43: 35: 34: 31: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1048: 1037: 1034: 1032: 1029: 1027: 1024: 1022: 1019: 1017: 1014: 1012: 1009: 1007: 1004: 1002: 999: 997: 994: 992: 989: 987: 984: 982: 979: 977: 974: 972: 969: 967: 964: 963: 961: 949: 940: 939: 932: 926: 922: 921:Nigel Maynard 913: 911: 905: 897: 891: 887: 878: 877: 869: 863: 859: 850: 845: 837: 836:George Holden 831: 826: 820: 816: 813: 810: 806: 803: 801: 798: 796: 792: 791:Harold Martin 789: 788: 784: 779: 778:Bomber Barons 775: 774: 770: 763: 762: 757: 752: 749: 744: 738: 735: 732: 727: 724: 719: 715: 711: 705: 702: 698: 692: 689: 686: 681: 679: 677: 675: 673: 671: 669: 667: 665: 663: 659: 654: 652:1-74114-847-2 648: 644: 640: 636: 630: 627: 623: 619: 613: 610: 604: 602: 600: 596: 588: 586: 584: 580: 576: 573: 569: 563: 561: 560:John Crampton 557: 551: 549: 545: 541: 537: 533: 529: 525: 514: 511:February 2010 505: 501: 498:This section 496: 493: 489: 488: 482: 480: 477: 473: 470:, flying the 469: 465: 464:No. 100 Group 460: 458: 454: 450: 446: 442: 438: 434: 430: 424: 422: 418: 414: 410: 406: 402: 398: 394: 389: 387: 383: 379: 375: 371: 367: 359: 354: 352: 350: 346: 342: 334: 332: 330: 326: 322: 318: 314: 310: 305: 298: 294: 287: 283: 276: 271: 268: 260: 256: 252: 249: 245: 241: 237: 233: 229: 226: 222: 212: 209: 207: 204: 203: 202: 199: 198: 197: 194: 193: 191: 187: 183: 174: 169: 164: 159: 156: 152: 148: 143: 138: 135: 131: 128: 125: 121: 117: 113: 110: 107: 101: 97: 93: 89: 80: 76: 72: 60: 56: 52: 48: 41: 36: 29: 26: 22: 936: 901: 876:No. 38 Group 873: 841: 808: 795:Find a Grave 777: 759: 751: 737: 726: 718:the original 713: 704: 696: 691: 638: 635:Nelson, Hank 629: 612: 592: 575:No. 38 Group 568:Aide-de-camp 564: 556:B-45 Tornado 552: 521: 508: 504:adding to it 499: 461: 433:Tallboy bomb 425: 390: 363: 338: 269: 265: 189:Battles/wars 83:(1988-11-03) 25: 971:1988 deaths 966:1918 births 904:RAF Germany 731:Flight 1948 599:Gunnersbury 579:RAF Germany 435:as seen in 329:Air Council 321:RAF Germany 267:Air Marshal 173:RAF Nicosia 127:Air Marshal 73:, Australia 50:Nickname(s) 960:Categories 942:1973–1974 915:1970–1973 880:1967–1970 641:. Sydney: 605:References 601:Cemetery. 589:Later life 449:bomb aimer 401:Dambusters 397:Guy Gibson 335:Early life 95:Allegiance 64:1918-02-27 562:instead. 532:Cape Town 417:Bill Kerr 409:Möhne Dam 257:Advisor, 170:(1967–70) 165:(1970–73) 160:(1973–74) 139:(1941–42) 118:1940–1974 90:, England 71:Edgecliff 699:, p. 388 637:(2006). 538:and the 483:Post-war 457:Sardinia 455:base at 297:Two Bars 244:Two Bars 179:1960–62) 154:Commands 103:Service/ 807:a 1947 476:serrate 443:in the 388:(DFC). 848:Acting 809:Flight 649:  528:London 295:& 284:& 242:& 234:& 224:Awards 184:(1943) 149:(1944) 144:(1942) 105:branch 88:London 524:Haifa 302: 300:, 291: 289:, 280: 278:, 53:Micky 647:ISBN 405:AJ-P 133:Unit 123:Rank 78:Died 58:Born 817:at 793:at 530:to 506:. 474:on 466:'s 423:. 304:AFC 293:DFC 286:Bar 282:DSO 275:KCB 236:Bar 962:: 758:, 712:. 661:^ 645:. 620:, 585:. 550:. 272:, 177:c. 745:. 655:. 624:. 513:) 509:( 175:( 66:) 62:( 23:.

Index

Henry Byam Martin

Edgecliff
London
Royal Air Force
Air Marshal
No. 455 Squadron RAAF
No. 50 Squadron RAF
No. 515 Squadron RAF
Air Member for Personnel
Royal Air Force Germany
No. 38 Group RAF
RAF Nicosia
No. 617 Squadron RAF
Second World War
European theatre
Operation Chastise
Operation Garlic
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Distinguished Service Order
Bar
Distinguished Flying Cross
Two Bars
Air Force Cross
Hawker Siddeley
Air Marshal
KCB
DSO
Bar
DFC

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