1 Air Marshal Richard Williams, KBE CB DSO

1 Air Marshal Richard Williams, KBE CB DSO

Date of birth	1890-08-03	Moonta Mines, SA
Date and unit at enlistment (ORs)	1909	Enlisted in the South Australian Infantry Regiment.
Date commissioned	1911	Appointed to a permanent commission in the Australian Army.
Other	1914	Attended a war flying course at Point Cook, Victoria.
Other	1914-11	Qualified for a pilot licence.
Other	1915-07	Passed an Advanced Flying Course.
Other units	1916-01-05	Appointed flight commander with No 1 Squadron, AFC, the first complete flying Corps to be formed in Australia.
Other	1917-05	Williams took command of No. 1 Squadron with the rank of major.
Date of honour or award	1917-08-16	Distinguished Service Order (DSO), for rescuing a pilot shot down behind enemy lines.
Date promoted	1918-06	Promoted to temporary lieutenant colonel and given command of 40 Wing, Royal Flying Corps.
Other	1919	Staff officer, aviation, at AIF Headquarters in London.
Date of honour or award	1919-01-01	Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
Date returned to Australia	1919-10	Recalled to Australia for duty as Director of Air Services at Army Headquarters.
Other	1920-11	Became senior member of the Air Board.
Other	1922 - 1939	Became chief of air staff, RAAF.
Other	1923	Graduated from the British Army Staff College in Camberley, England.
Other	1924	Graduated from the RAF Staff College.
Date promoted	1925-07	Promoted to captain.
Date of honour or award	1927-06-03	Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
Other	1933	Graduated from the Imperial Defence College.
Date promoted	1935	Williams was appointed air vice marshal.
Date of honour or award	1935-06-03	Companion of the Bath (CB).
Other	1939-02	Attached to Britain's Air Ministry as Air Officer in Charge of Administration of Coastal Command of the RAF.
Date returned to Australia	1940	Returned to Australia with the rank of air marshal.
Other	1941-12	He established Overseas Headquarters, RAAF, in London and became its commander.
Other	1942-07-06	Went to Washington as the RAAF representative in with the Combined Chiefs of Staff.
Other	1946	Transferred to the Retired List.
Other	1946-06-11 - 1955-12-31	Appointed Director-General of Civil Aviation.
Date of honour or award	1954-01-01	Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE).
Date of death	1980-02-07	Melbourne, VIC

Previously Lieutenant Colonel in Australian Flying Corps (AFC) during First World War