Squadron Leader Colin Woodward - DFC - Royal Air Force
My Dad joined the RAF in 1935. He served in India, Palestine and Iraq. In Iraq he served in Habbaniya and the Transjordan desert with a detachment of Assyrian Levies guarding the H3 staging post. Near Rutbah Wells.
At the outbreack of WW2, Dad was sent back to England. Being a medical orderly at the time his services were urgently needed.
Soon after his return to England, Dad began flight training and earned his wings. In 1942, after many missions as a Pilot in Bomber Command over occupied Europe experienced Pilots were needed for special missions, he volunteered. Dad spent the rest of the war flying unarmed Lysanders, Wellingtons and Sunderlands dropping axis agents behind enemy lines.
Dad retired from the RAF in 1957 as Squadron Leader. He spent the next eight years training pilots from all over the world in his capacity as a a NATO and RAF instructor. In 1962 he was asked to build a modern Air Force for Kuwait which he did and became its Commander and later advisor to the Kuwaiti Government.
This is only a very brief outline of his career, and honestly does not do him justice. For the full story of a very interesting and colorful career, come back and visit this page from time-to-time.
EXTRACT FROM THE LOG BOOK OF SQUADRON LEADER C. J. WOODWARD DFC RAF [rtd]
"The above (entry) is an Air Ministry assessment of the academic and physical skills and abilities of a pilot/instructor/examiner on single/multi/piston/jet engined aircraft. It is a rare assessment, none is higher. With his senior examiner's qualification it enables the above to award pilot categorisations, up to, and including that of his own."
Colin Woodward - A Winged Career
- Pilot Officer and Squadron Leader - RAF - 138 and 161 Squadrons - Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
- Squadron Leader Training - RAF Central Flying School
- Squadron Leader NATO Air Examining Squadron. This Squadron was responsible for the standardisation of all the NATO Air Forces procedures
- Colonel (KAF) and Air Advisor to the Kuwaiti Government
- Technical Secretary of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Association IFALPA. Dad's criticism of "politically/financially correct" airline safety regulations resulted in his dismissal. Dad accurately predicted the a number of catastrophic aircraft failures years before they occured.
- Flying Instructor - Pilot Instructor: Papua and New Guinea - Trained the first indigenous Papuans to fly aircraft. These pilots subsequently formed the nucleus of what was to become Papuan Airways. In addition, many of Dad's Port Moresby Aero Club students went on to become airline pilots throughout Australasia
- Husband, father, friend to hundreds throughout the world. Significant adversary to those who peddled in deceipt and corruption, no matter what their wealth or status.
