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 ...

Reginald Newham Waite, (30 June 1901 – 7 May 1975) was a senior officer 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 ...

during the middle of the 20th century. Waite joined the RAF in 1920, receiving his initial instruction as a flight cadet at the

RAF College Cranwell The Royal Air Force College (RAFC) is the Royal Air Force academy which provides initial training to all RAF personnel who are preparing to become commissioned officers. The College also provides initial training to aircrew cadets and is respo ...

in Lincolnshire. In 1948, while Waite was Head of Disbandment at the headquarters of the

Allied Control Commission Following the termination of hostilities in World War II, the Allies were in control of the defeated Axis countries. Anticipating the defeat of Germany, Italy and Japan, they had already set up the European Advisory Commission and a proposed Far ...

, he suggested that the

Berlin Blockade The Berlin Blockade (24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949) was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, roa ...

could be broken by an airlift. Subsequently, the British and Americans started a joint operation to circumvent the Russian blockade of all overland routes.

References

Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Cdre Waite
1901 births 1975 deaths Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Order of the Bath Graduates of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell Royal Air Force air commodores Royal Air Force personnel of World War II {{RAF-bio-stub