Martin Widdowson

Widdowson was commissioned into the Royal Air Force on 25 March 1964, as an acting pilot officer.[1] A year later, on 25 March 1965, he was regraded as a pilot officer.[3] A year after that, on 25 March 1966, he was promoted to flying officer,[4] and he was appointed to a permanent commission on 1 October 1968.[5] He was promoted to flight lieutenant on 25 September 1969.[6] On 1 January 1974, he was promoted to squadron leader.[7] He was promoted to wing commander on 1 July 1981.[8]

His final operational flying appointment was as the Officer Commanding No. 23 Squadron in 1982 and by the late 1980s, he was Station Commander of RAF Coningsby.[9] He was promoted from wing commander to group captain on 1 January 1988.[10] On 1 July 1992,[11] he was promoted to air commodore[12] and in 1995 he was appointed as Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) of No. 11/18 Group RAF, simultaneously holding the appointment of 24th and last Commandant Royal Observer Corps until the ROC was Stood Down.[13] He retired from the RAF[2] on 14 September 1996.[14]