https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Robert_Freer_%28RAF_officer%29Robert Freer (RAF officer) - Revision history2026-08-18T18:51:48ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Freer_(RAF_officer)&diff=373539&oldid=prevBot: robot: Create/update articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.2022-01-18T04:37:25Z<p>robot: Create/update articles. If there is a mistake please report on my <a href="/wiki/User_talk:Bot" title="User talk:Bot">talk page</a>.</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}<br />
{{Infobox military person<br />
|name= Sir Robert Freer<br />
|image= <br />
|image_size= <br />
|alt= <br />
|caption= <br />
|nickname= <br />
|birth_date= {{birth date|1923|09|01|df=yes}}<br />
|birth_place= [[Darjeeling]], India<br />
|death_date= {{Death date and age|2012|01|15|1923|09|01|df=yes}}<br />
|death_place= [[Farnham]], [[Surrey]], England<br />
|placeofburial= <br />
|allegiance= United Kingdom<br />
|branch= [[Royal Air Force]]<br />
|serviceyears= 1942–1982<br />
|rank= [[Air Chief Marshal]]<br />
|servicenumber= <br />
|unit= <br />
|commands= [[Commandant Royal College of Defence Studies|Royal College of Defence Studies]] (1980–82)<br/>[[No. 18 Group RAF|No. 18 Group]] (1975–78)<br/>[[No. 11 Group RAF|No. 11 Group]] (1972–75)<br/>[[Seletar Airport|RAF Seletar]] (1963–66)<br/>[[No. 92 Squadron RAF|No. 92 Squadron]] (1955–57)<br />
|battles= [[Second World War]]<br/>[[Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation]]<br />
|awards= [[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire]]<br/>[[Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath]]<br/>[[Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air]]<br />
|relations= <br />
|laterwork= <br />
}}<br />
[[Air Chief Marshal]] '''Sir Robert William George Freer''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|GBE|KCB|FRAeS|FRSA}} (1 September 1923 – 15 January 2012) was a [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) officer who served as Deputy Commander of [[RAF Strike Command|Strike Command]] from 1978 to 1979.<br />
<br />
==RAF career==<br />
Educated at [[Bay House School|Gosport Grammar School]], Freer joined the Royal Air Force during the [[Second World War]] and became a flying instructor.<ref name=debrett>{{cite book|title=Debrett's People of Today 1994|last=Parker|first= Jonathan |isbn= 978-1870520195}}</ref> He was given command of [[No. 92 Squadron RAF|No. 92 Squadron]] in 1955,<ref name=debrett/> and became Station Commander of [[Seletar Airport|RAF Seletar]] in [[Singapore]] in 1963 during the [[Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation]].<ref>[http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/documents/Journal%2013%20-%20Seminar%20-%20Confrontation%20with%20Indonesia.pdf Proceedings of the Royal Air Force Historical Society, Issue No.13, 1994, p. 27]</ref> He was made deputy director of Defence Plans in 1966, Deputy Commandant of the [[RAF Staff College, Bracknell]] in 1969 and Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters Near East Air Force in 1971.<ref name=debrett/> He went on to be Air Officer Commanding [[No. 11 Group RAF|No. 11 Group]] in 1972, Air Officer Commanding [[No. 18 Group RAF|No. 18 Group]] in 1975 and Deputy Commander of [[RAF Strike Command|Strike Command]] in 1978.<ref name=debrett/> His last appointment was as [[Commandant Royal College of Defence Studies|Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies]] in 1980 before he retired in 1982.<ref name=debrett/><br />
<br />
In retirement he became a Director of [[Rediffusion]].<ref name=debrett/> He died at home on 15 January 2012.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160203020358/http://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/deaths/144207/freer Telegraph announcements]</ref><br />
<br />
==Family==<br />
In 1950 he married Margaret Tinkler, daughter of John William Elkington of Ruskington Manor; they had one son and one daughter.<ref name=debrett/><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/air-force-obituaries/9055130/Air-Chief-Marshal-Sir-Robert-Freer.html Obituary in ''The Telegraph'']<br />
* [http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Freer_RWG.htm Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert Freer]<br />
<br />
{{s-start}}<br />
{{s-mil}}<br />
{{s-bef|before=[[David Fraser (British Army officer)|Sir David Fraser]]}}<br />
{{s-ttl|title=[[Commandant Royal College of Defence Studies|Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies]]|years=1980–1982}}<br />
{{s-aft|after=[[William Pillar|Sir William Pillar]]}}<br />
|-<br />
{{s-bef|before=[[Alfred Ball|Sir Alfred Ball]]}}<br />
{{s-ttl|title=Deputy Commander-in-Chief [[RAF Strike Command|Strike Command]]|years=1978–1979}}<br />
{{s-aft|after=[[Thomas Kennedy (RAF officer)|Sir Thomas Kennedy]]}}<br />
|-<br />
{{s-bef|before=[[Douglas Lowe (RAF officer)|Douglas Lowe]]}}<br />
{{s-ttl|title=Air Officer Commanding [[No. 18 Group RAF|No. 18 Group]]|years=1975–1978}}<br />
{{s-aft|after=[[Philip Lagesen]]}}<br />
|-<br />
{{s-bef|before=[[Ivor Broom]]}}<br />
{{s-ttl|title=Air Officer Commanding [[No. 11 Group RAF|No. 11 Group]]|years=1972–1975}}<br />
{{s-aft|after=[[William Harbison]]}}<br />
{{s-end}}<br />
<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Freer, Robert}}<br />
[[Category:1923 births]]<br />
[[Category:2012 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:British military personnel of the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation]]<br />
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Aeronautical Society]]<br />
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath]]<br />
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire]]<br />
[[Category:Recipients of the Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air]]<br />
[[Category:Royal Air Force air marshals]]<br />
[[Category:Royal Air Force personnel of World War II]]<br />
[[Category:British people in colonial India]]<br />
[[Category:Military personnel of British India]]</div>Bot