Bill Crawford-Compton
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Air Vice-Marshal Air vice-marshal (Air Vce Mshl or AVM) is an air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometime ...
William Vernon Crawford-Compton, (2 March 1915 – 2 January 1988) was a New Zealand
flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviation, military aviator credited with shooting down a certain minimum number of enemy aircraft during aerial combat; the exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ...
of the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
(RAF) during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. He was officially credited with destroying at least 20 German aircraft. Born in
Invercargill Invercargill ( , ) is the southernmost and westernmost list of cities in New Zealand, city in New Zealand, and one of the Southernmost settlements, southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland Region, Southlan ...
, Crawford-Compton joined the RAF in 1939. He qualified as a pilot the following year and was posted to No. 603 Squadron. In March 1941, he was transferred to a newly formed unit, No. 485 Squadron. He flew numerous operations, including during the
Channel Dash The Channel Dash (, Operation Cerberus) was a German naval operation during the Second World War. A (German Navy) squadron comprising two s, and , the heavy cruiser and their escorts was evacuated from Brest in Brittany to German ports. '' ...
, and was credited with the shooting down of a number of aircraft. After recovering from injuries received in a crash landing, he served as a
flight Flight or flying is the motion (physics), motion of an Physical object, object through an atmosphere, or through the vacuum of Outer space, space, without contacting any planetary surface. This can be achieved by generating aerodynamic lift ass ...
commander in No. 611 Squadron. He was given command of No. 64 Squadron at the end of 1942 and led it for the early part of the following year. After a period of staff duties, he became
wing leader Wing leader, or wing commander (flying), denotes the tactical commander of a Commonwealth military wing on flying operations. The terms refer to a position, not a rank, although the role was usually taken by an officer ranked wing commander. The ...
of the Hornchurch fighter wing in mid-1943, and led it until the end of the year. He spent three months in the United States giving lectures on RAF operations before returning to active duty as commander of No. 145 Wing. He led the wing in offensive operations in France in the run up to and after
Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The ope ...
. After the war, he held a series of senior appointments in the RAF, including command of an airfield in Egypt during the
Suez Crisis The Suez Crisis, also known as the Second Arab–Israeli War, the Tripartite Aggression in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel, was a British–French–Israeli invasion of Egypt in 1956. Israel invaded on 29 October, having done so w ...
. His final posting before his retirement in late 1968 was commander of
No. 22 Group No. 22 Group Royal Air Force (22 Gp) is one of six groups currently active in the Royal Air Force (RAF), falling under the responsibility of Deputy Commander-in-Chief (Personnel) in Air Command. Its previous title up until 2018 was No. 22 (Trai ...
. He died in January 1988 at the age of 72.


Early life

William Vernon Crawford-Compton was born in
Invercargill Invercargill ( , ) is the southernmost and westernmost list of cities in New Zealand, city in New Zealand, and one of the Southernmost settlements, southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland Region, Southlan ...
, New Zealand, on 2 March 1915, the son of William Gilbert Crawford-Compton and Ethel (). The family later moved to
Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
, settling in Mission Bay. In 1938, he was working as a storeman in
Waiuku Waiuku is a rural town in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It is located at the southern end of the Waiuku River, which is an estuary, estuarial arm of the Manukau Harbour, and lies on the isthmus of the Āwhitu Peninsula, which extends to th ...
when he decided to enlist in the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
(RAF). He joined the crew of a
ketch A ketch is a two- masted sailboat whose mainmast is taller than the mizzen mast (or aft-mast), and whose mizzen mast is stepped forward of the rudder post. The mizzen mast stepped forward of the rudder post is what distinguishes the ketch f ...
, with the intention of sailing to England where he would enlist in the RAF. The yacht, ''Land's End'', left Auckland and began sailing through the South Pacific. After stops in
Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ...
and
Fiji Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...
, as they neared
New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the List of islands by area, world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is ...
, ''Land's End'' struck an uncharted reef. The four crew built a raft and were able to make it to nearby
Rossel Island Rossel Island (named after de Rossel, a senior officer on the French expedition of d'Entrecasteaux, 1791-1793; also known as Yela) is the easternmost island of the Louisiade Archipelago, within the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. Tree Isl ...
. They stayed with a local tribe for a time before making their way to Samari in New Guinea. There Crawford-Compton gained a berth as a carpenter on a steamer heading for England. He eventually arrived at
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
on 6 September 1939 just as the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
commenced. He promptly joined the RAF as an
aircraftman Aircraftman (AC) or aircraftwoman (ACW) was formerly the lowest rank in the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and is still in use by the air forces of several other Commonwealth countries. In RAF slang, aircraftmen were sometimes called "erks". Air ...
.


Second World War

Although Crawford-Compton enlisted in the RAF in a
groundcrew In all forms of aviation, ground crew (also known as ground operations in civilian aviation) are personnel that service aircraft while on the ground, during routine turn-around; as opposed to aircrew, who operate all aspects of an aircraft whi ...
role, he was later selected for flight training. Once this was completed, towards the end of 1940, he was posted to No. 603 Squadron, based at
Hornchurch Hornchurch is a suburban town in East London in the London Borough of Havering. It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross. It comprises a number of shopping streets and a large residential area. It historically formed a large ancient par ...
, as a
sergeant pilot A sergeant pilot was a non-commissioned officer who had undergone flight training and was a qualified pilot in the air forces of several Commonwealth countries before, during and after World War II. It was also a term used in the United States Arm ...
. In March 1941 he was transferred to No. 485 Squadron. His new unit, newly formed at
Driffield Driffield, also known as Great Driffield (neighbouring Little Driffield), is a market town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The civil parish is formed by the town of Driffield and the village of Little Driffield. By ...
, had a cadre of experienced New Zealand pilots. After a period of training, the squadron became operational on 12 April, flying
Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced conti ...
fighters on patrols over the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...
.


Circus offensive

In June No. 485 Squadron graduated to taking part in the RAF's
Circus offensive Circus was the codename given to operations by the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War where bombers, with a mass escort of fighters, were sent over continental Europe to bring fighters into combat. These were usually formations o ...
, carrying out sweeps over the French coast and the following month was operating from Redhill. By this time Crawford-Compton had been commissioned in the
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) was established in 1936 to support the preparedness of the U.K. Royal Air Force (RAF) in the event of another war. The Air Ministry intended it to form a supplement to the Royal Auxiliary Air Force ( ...
(RAFVR) and was a probationary
pilot officer Pilot officer (Plt Off or P/O) is a junior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Pilot officer is the lowest ran ...
. Redhill was a satellite airfield to
Kenley Kenley is a suburb within the London Borough of Croydon. It is located south of Charing Cross and within the southern boundary of London, England. Surrounded by the Metropolitan Green Belt on three sides, it includes the large open spaces of K ...
and the squadron formed part of Kenley Wing, alongside No. 452 and No. 602 Squadrons. It flew 22 offensive operations in July during which seven pilots were lost. By September the tempo of operations had slowed, with the squadron only involved in seven operations. During one of these, on 21 September, Crawford-Compton engaged a
Messerschmitt Bf 109 The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a monoplane fighter aircraft that was designed and initially produced by the Nazi Germany, German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt#History, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW). Together with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the ...
fighter, claiming it as probably destroyed. The following month, while covering bombers attacking St. Omer on 13 October, he destroyed a Bf 109, stating that he had seen it break up in midair. As winter set in, offensive operations were scaled back but on one of the final sweeps of year, carried out on 6 November, he claimed another Bf 109 as probably destroyed near
Cap Gris-Nez Cap Gris-Nez is a cape located in Audinghen, a commune in the Pas-de-Calais département of northern France. Part of the Côte d'Opale, it is classified as a protected natural area. Its cliffs mark the closest point of France to Great Britain, ...
. On 12 February 1942, No. 485 Squadron was among those
scrambled Scramble, Scrambled, or Scrambling may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Scramble'' (film), a 1970 British children's sports drama * ''Scrambled'' (film), a 2023 American comedy-drama * ''Scrambled!'', a British children' ...
during the
Channel Dash The Channel Dash (, Operation Cerberus) was a German naval operation during the Second World War. A (German Navy) squadron comprising two s, and , the heavy cruiser and their escorts was evacuated from Brest in Brittany to German ports. '' ...
, with Crawford-Compton leading one of its flights. He shot down one Bf 109, which crashed near
Ostend Ostend ( ; ; ; ) is a coastal city and municipality in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke, Raversijde, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the la ...
and damaged a second. Now holding the rank of acting flight lieutenant, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) early the following month; the citation, published in ''
The London Gazette ''The London Gazette'', known generally as ''The Gazette'', is one of the official journals of record or government gazettes of the Government of the United Kingdom, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, i ...
'', read: The Kenley Wing resumed offensive operations the next month and on 26 March, while escorting
Douglas Boston The Douglas A-20 Havoc (company designation DB-7) is an American light bomber, attack aircraft, Intruder (air combat), night intruder, night fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft of World War II. Designed to meet an Army Air Corps requirement for ...
bombers attacking
Le Havre Le Havre is a major port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the Seine, river Seine on the English Channel, Channe ...
, the squadron encountered large numbers of Bf 109s. Crawford-Compton, leading the squadron on this operation, shot down one of the enemy fighters during the engagement, and with Pilot Officer
Evan Mackie Evan Dall "Rosie" Mackie, (31 October 1917 – 28 April 1986) was a New Zealand fighter pilot and flying ace of the Second World War. Credited with 21.5 aerial victories, he was the highest scoring flying ace to serve with the Royal New Zealand ...
, shared in the destruction of another. Two days later he shot down a
Focke-Wulf Fw 190 The Focke-Wulf Fw 190, nicknamed ''Würger'' (Shrike) is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulf in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its well-known counterpart, the ...
fighter, one of several put up by the
Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
in response to a sweep mounted by the RAF that covered the French coast from Cap Gris-Nez to
Dunkirk Dunkirk ( ; ; ; Picard language, Picard: ''Dunkèke''; ; or ) is a major port city in the Departments of France, department of Nord (French department), Nord in northern France. It lies from the Belgium, Belgian border. It has the third-larg ...
. On 27 April, Crawford-Compton was involved in an accident when the engine of his Spitfire cut out while landing after an operation. During the resulting crash landing, he broke his wrist. This took him off flight operations for a time while he recovered and meant he missed being given command of No. 485 Squadron, for its commander,
Squadron Leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr or S/L) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Squadron leader is immediatel ...
Edward Wells, was to be appointed to lead Kenley Wing. In August, once he recovered from his injuries, he was posted to No. 611 Squadron, another Spitfire unit, as one of its flight leaders. He soon was back in action, and damaged a Fw 190 on 19 August while flying one of two covering patrols he carried out during the
Dieppe Raid Operation Jubilee or the Dieppe Raid (19 August 1942) was a disastrous Allied amphibious attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe in northern France, during the Second World War. Over 6,050 infantry, predominantly Canadian, supported by a ...
. On the other patrol, he became separated from his section and was pursued by four Fw 190s, which only ceased the chase halfway across the
English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...
. Five days later, he destroyed another Fw 190. He claimed to have shot down two more on 28 August, when his squadron was escorting
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engined heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A fast and high-flying bomber, the B-17 dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during ...
es of the
United States Army Air Force The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
(USAAF) on a bombing raid of an aircraft factory at
Méaulte Méaulte () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography The commune is situated on the D329 road, some northeast of Amiens. Population Personalities * Henry Potez (1891–1981), aeroplane maker, wa ...
, near
Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; , or ) is a city and Communes of France, commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in the region ...
. On subsequent operations from September to early November, he was credited with damaging at least six Fw 190s. On 9 November he claimed a Fw 190 as destroyed near Cap Gris-Nez. A further Fw 190 was claimed as probably shot down south of Dunkirk on 6 December. Crawford-Compton was appointed commander of the Spitfire-equipped No. 64 Squadron on Christmas Day. By this time he had been awarded a
Bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar ** Chocolate bar * Protein bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...
to his DFC; the published citation read: Crawford-Compton was credited with damaging a Fw 190 on 20 January 1943 and damaged another one the following month. On 8 March he had two Fw 190s confirmed as destroyed near
Clères Clères () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in north-western France. Geography A farming and forestry market town situated by the banks of the Clérette river, in the Pays de Caux, some northeast of Rouen, ...
. He gave up command of No. 64 Squadron shortly afterwards, at which time he was assigned a staff role at No. 11 Group. Despite his duties, he still occasionally flew on operations, and on 13 March, while flying with No. 122 Squadron was credited with damaging a Bf 109. In June he was appointed commander of the fighter wing at Hornchurch, which included No. 129 and No. 222 Squadrons. Much of the wing's work involved escorting bombers of the USAAF on raids to France. In recognition of these efforts, he was awarded the
Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against a ...
, a United States gallantry medal. He destroyed a Bf 109 on 27 June. Another Bf 109 was destroyed on 19 August and this was followed by Fw 190s on 5 and 23 September. Shortly afterwards, his award of the
Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, awarded for operational gallantry for highly successful ...
(DSO) was announced, the published citation reading: Within a few days of the announcement of his DSO, he was credited with damaging a Fw 190 near
Beauvais Beauvais ( , ; ) is a town and Communes of France, commune in northern France, and prefecture of the Oise Departments of France, département, in the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, north of Paris. The Communes of France, commune o ...
and then on 3 October, the destruction of a Bf 109 near
Noordwijk Noordwijk () is a town and municipality in the west of the Netherlands, in the provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of of which is water and had a population of in . On 1 January 2019, the f ...
. His substantive rank was made up to squadron leader later that month. At the end of the year, Crawford-Compton was taken off active duties and selected to go to the United States to give talks regarding the operations of the RAF. Along with another experienced pilot, Wing Commander
Raymond Harries Raymond Hiley Harries, (1916 – 14 May 1950) was a Royal Air Force fighter pilot and flying ace of the Second World War. Harries scored 15 victories against enemy aircraft, as well as three shared kills, two probable kills and five damaged dur ...
, he spent three months in the country lecturing before returning to England.


Northwest Europe

In April 1944, Crawford-Compton was appointed wing commander, flying, of No. 145 Wing, which had two
Free French Free France () was a resistance government claiming to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third French Republic, Third Republic during World War II. Led by General , Free France was established as a gover ...
squadrons of Spitfires. Under the overall command of Wing Commander
Alan Deere Air Commodore Alan Christopher Deere, (12 December 1917 – 21 September 1995) was a New Zealand fighter ace with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. He was also known for several near-death experiences over the course o ...
, and later
Group Captain Group captain (Gp Capt or G/C) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British influence. Group cap ...
Adolph Malan Adolph Gysbert Malan, (3 October 1910 – 17 September 1963), better known as Sailor Malan, was a South African fighter pilot and flying ace in the Royal Air Force (RAF) who led No. 74 Squadron RAF during the Battle of Britain. He finishe ...
, the wing was part of the
Second Tactical Air Force The Second Tactical Air Force (2TAF) was one of three tactical air forces within the Royal Air Force (RAF) during and after the Second World War. It was made up of squadrons and personnel from the RAF, other British Commonwealth air forces, and ...
. In the prelude to
Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The ope ...
, the landings at
Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
, Crawford-Compton led the wing in attacks on targets in France, including transportation infrastructure, flying-bomb sites and military installations in the
Pas-de-Calais The Pas-de-Calais (, ' strait of Calais'; ; ) is a department in northern France named after the French designation of the Strait of Dover, which it borders. It has the most communes of all the departments of France, with 890, and is the ...
. Following the invasion, Crawford-Compton's wing conducted regular patrols over Normandy and covering the Allied forces maintaining their hold on the bridgehead. The day after the landings, he intercepted and destroyed a
Junkers Ju 88 The Junkers Ju 88 is a twin-engined multirole combat aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works. It was used extensively during the Second World War by the ''Luftwaffe'' and became one o ...
medium bomber, one of a group of five that were attacking the landing beaches. As the Allied ground forces moved inland, the wing began operating from temporary airstrips established in the bridgehead at Normandy. It sought out and attacked German transports on the roads between
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
and
Caen Caen (; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune inland from the northwestern coast of France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Calvados (department), Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inha ...
, disrupting the flow of supplies to the front lines. At the end of the month, he destroyed a Bf 109 and Fw 190 that had just taken off from Evereux airfield, with other pilots in the wing accounting for four other German aircraft. As the Allies advanced further into Normandy, No. 145 Wing continued to provide support, carrying out fighter-bomber operations on the
Falaise pocket The Falaise pocket or battle of the Falaise pocket (; 12–21 August 1944) was the decisive engagement of the Battle of Normandy in the Second World War. Allied forces formed a pocket around Falaise, Calvados, in which German Army Group B, c ...
and on 9 July, Crawford-Compton destroyed a Bf 109. By the end of the year, his command was operating from
Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
. Upon completion of his tour in early 1945, he was awarded a Bar to his DSO and was posted to the headquarters of No. 11 Group, as a staff officer. He ended the war having flown at least 517 operational missions and was credited with destroying at least 20, possibly 21, German aircraft. He also shared in the destruction of one further aircraft, claimed three probables and a share in a fourth, and thirteen damaged.


Later life

In the postwar period, Crawford-Compton went to the RAF's Staff College after which he formally transferred from the RAFVR to the regular RAF. He was granted a permanent commission as a squadron leader with effect from 1 September 1945 although remained in his acting wing commander rank. After a period of service at the headquarters of
Middle East Command Middle East Command, later Middle East Land Forces, was a British Army Command established prior to the Second World War in Egypt. Its primary role was to command British land forces and co-ordinate with the relevant naval and air commands to ...
in
Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
, he served as a time as the Air attache in
Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
, Norway. He then went on to command the RAF station at Bruggen in West Germany. In January 1955, he was promoted to group captain. During the
Suez Crisis The Suez Crisis, also known as the Second Arab–Israeli War, the Tripartite Aggression in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel, was a British–French–Israeli invasion of Egypt in 1956. Israel invaded on 29 October, having done so w ...
, he was commander of Gamil airfield in Egypt and for his services, in the
Queen's Birthday Honours The Birthday Honours, in some Commonwealth realms, mark the King's Official Birthday, reigning monarch's official birthday in each realm by granting various individuals appointment into Order (honour), national or Dynastic order of knighthood, dy ...
the following year, Crawford-Compton was appointed a
Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
. In July 1960, his acting rank of
air commodore Air commodore (Air Cdre or Air Cmde) is an air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes ...
was made permanent. Three years later he was promoted to
air vice-marshal Air vice-marshal (Air Vce Mshl or AVM) is an air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometime ...
, having already held the rank in an acting capacity for a month. In the
1965 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1965 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced in supplements to the '' Lo ...
Crawford-Compton was appointed a
Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregi ...
. He was the senior air staff officer in the Near East Air Force, based at
Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...
, until December 1965. He then succeeded Air Vice-Marshal Albert Case in January 1966 as commander of
No. 22 Group No. 22 Group Royal Air Force (22 Gp) is one of six groups currently active in the Royal Air Force (RAF), falling under the responsibility of Deputy Commander-in-Chief (Personnel) in Air Command. Its previous title up until 2018 was No. 22 (Trai ...
, part of the RAF's
Technical Training Command The United States Army Air Forces during World War II had major subordinate Commands below the Air Staff level. These Commands were organized along functional missions. One such Command was the Flying Training Command (FTC). It began as Air Cor ...
. This was Crawford-Compton's last appointment for he retired from the RAF in November 1968. He died in England on 2 January 1988.


Notes


References

* * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Crawford-Compton, William Vernon 1915 births 1988 deaths New Zealand Commanders of the Order of the British Empire New Zealand Companions of the Distinguished Service Order New Zealand Companions of the Order of the Bath New Zealand commanders New Zealand World War II pilots New Zealand World War II flying aces People from Invercargill New Zealand recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Recipients of the Silver Star Royal Air Force air marshals Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II