|
Air Marshal David Evans, AC, DSO, AFC (born Selwyn David Evans on 3 June 1925) is a retired senior commander of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and a writer and consultant on defence matters. He served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1982 until 1985. Since leaving the RAAF he has published two military treatises, ''A Fatal Rivalry: Australia's Defence at Risk'' and ''War: A Matter of Principles'', as well as an autobiography. Enlisting in the Air Force in 1943, Evans graduated from flying school as a sergeant pilot, and was converting to Beaufort bombers when World War II ended. He gained his commission as a pilot officer in 1947. From 1948 to 1949, he was a member of the Australian contingent operating C-47 Dakota transports in the Berlin Airlift. He was a flying instructor in the early 1950s, before becoming a VIP captain with the Governor-General's Flight in 1954. His service in the flight earned him the Air Force Cross in 1957. In the 1960s Evans was twice posted to No. 2 Squadron, flying Canberra jet bombers: first as a flight commander when the unit was based in Malaysia from 1960 to 1962 and then as its commanding officer during the Vietnam War from 1967 to 1968. The Canberras achieved a high degree of accuracy on their bombing missions under his leadership, and he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order after completing his tour in Vietnam. Evans held senior staff positions in the early 1970s, before serving as Officer Commanding RAAF Base Amberley from 1975 until 1977. Promoted to air vice marshal, he then became Chief of Air Force Operations. In this role he worked to improve the RAAF's strategy for the defence of Australia, to fully exploit the "air-sea gap" on the northern approaches to the continent. Appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1981, he was Chief of Joint Operations and Plans for the Australian Defence Force before his promotion to air marshal and elevation to Chief of the Air Staff in April 1982. As head of the Air Force he focussed on morale, air power doctrine, and improving defensive capabilities in northern Australia. He was raised to Companion of the Order of Australia in 1984. Retiring from the RAAF in May 1985, Evans began to write and lecture on defence matters, and also stood for election in Federal politics. He was a board member and defence advisor to British Aerospace Australia (later BAE Systems Australia) from 1990 to 2009, and chairman of the National Capital Authority from 1997 until 2003. In 2001 he was awarded the Centenary Medal for his services to the ADF and the Canberra community. ==Early career== Selwyn Evans, known by his middle name of David, was born in the Sydney suburb of Paddington on 3 June 1925.〔Stephens; Isaacs, ''High Fliers'', pp. 168–170〕 The son of policeman Selwyn Douglas Evans and his wife Eileen, David was educated at Marist Brothers College in Mosman.〔Singh, ''Who's Who in Australia 2010'', pp. 714–715〕〔Evans, ''Down to Earth'', p. 4〕 A schoolboy when war was declared, he avidly followed reports of Allied fighter aces during the Battle of Britain, and resolved that, once he was old enough, he would serve as a pilot.〔Evans, ''Down to Earth'', pp. 2–3〕 He subsequently became one of the earliest recruits to the Air Training Corps, established in 1941 to facilitate basic training for youths aged 16 to 18 whose ambition was to become aircrew in the Royal Australian Air Force. After spending a short time as a bank clerk, Evans duly enlisted in the RAAF on 5 June 1943.〔〔(Evans, Selwyn David ) at (World War 2 Nominal Roll ). Retrieved on 12 June 2011〕 He received instruction under the Empire Air Training Scheme, firstly at No. 2 Initial Training School in Bradfield Park, Sydney, then at No. 5 Elementary Flying Training School in Narromine, New South Wales, and finally at No. 8 Service Flying Training School in Bundaberg, Queensland.〔Evans, ''Down to Earth'', pp. 5–7〕〔Mordike, ''The Home Front'', p. 44〕 After graduating as a sergeant pilot, he was posted in October 1944 to the flying staff of No. 1 Air Observer School at Evans Head, New South Wales.〔(Air Marshals ) at Royal Australian Air Force. Retrieved on 8 July 2012.〕〔Mordike, ''The Post-War Years'', p. vi〕 Promoted to flight sergeant, Evans was in the middle of a Bristol Beaufort light bomber conversion course at No. 1 Operational Training Unit in East Sale, Victoria, when the war ended on 14 August 1945. His Air Force career should have finished then and there, as he was slated for demobilisation along with thousands of other wartime enlistees. Evans was determined to remain and travelled to RAAF Headquarters in Melbourne to take his case to the officer responsible for discharges. He found a sympathetic ear and within days was transferred to No. 38 Squadron, with which he flew C-47 Dakota transports on a regular courier service to Japan between October 1945 and May 1948.〔〔Stephens, ''Going Solo'', p. 9〕 Evans was commissioned as a pilot officer on 3 March 1947, becoming the most junior name in the 1947 ''Air Force List'' of serving officers according to seniority.〔〔Evans, ''Down to Earth'', pp. 37–38〕 On 23 August 1948 he married Dorothy (Gail) Campbell, the daughter of a Merchant Navy captain; the couple had three daughters and a son.〔 They had planned to wed on 29 August but had to bring the ceremony forward when Evans was selected to take part in Australia's contribution to the Berlin Airlift. Having been promoted to flying officer, he departed Sydney on 28 August, bound for London.〔Evans, ''Down to Earth'', pp. 39–40〕〔Clark, ''Operation Pelican'', p. 43〕 From there he joined RAAF Squadron Berlin Air Lift—which comprised crews from Nos. 36 and 38 Squadrons and was based in Lubeck, West Germany—and over the next 14 months flew over 250 sorties in Royal Air Force Dakotas.〔Clark, ''Operation Pelican'', pp. 40, 46–47〕〔 at BAE Systems. Retrieved on 6 July 2012.〕 Airlift operations were considered particularly challenging, as aircraft were expected to fly on instruments their entire route, often in inclement weather, and keep just three minutes separation. On one occasion, Evans and his crew discovered that boxes of condoms were their main cargo. According to Air Force historian Alan Stephens, "as they took off into a bleak, snow-filled night they found themselves questioning the worth of the sortie, an attitude which doubtless was not shared by the eventual recipients".〔Stephens, ''Going Solo'', pp.199–200〕 Evans' worst moment was when one of his engines failed just after take-off, with 23 passengers—mostly children—aboard, but he was able to land safely.〔Clark, ''Operation Pelican'', p. 53〕 Returning to Australia in November 1949, Evans was posted to Central Flying School (CFS) at RAAF Base East Sale, Victoria, where he qualified as a flying instructor.〔〔Evans, ''Down to Earth'', pp. 65, 68, 70〕 He served in this capacity for the next four years, including an exchange posting with the Royal New Zealand Air Force from May 1951 to July 1953.〔〔 As he was preparing to depart New Zealand, he received word that his next posting would be to the Korean War as a pilot with No. 77 Squadron; the armistice prevented this and he returned to No. 38 Squadron as an instructor.〔Evans, ''Down to Earth'', pp. 79–82〕 In 1954 he was assigned to transporting VIPs, serving with the Governor-General's Flight (later No. 34 (Special Transport) Squadron} until 1956.〔〔Stephens, ''Going Solo'', p. 426〕 As well as Governor-General Sir William Slim and Lady Slim, his passengers included Prime Minister Robert Menzies and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.〔Evans, ''Down to Earth'', pp. 87, 93, 96〕 Promoted to squadron leader, Evans' service with the VIP flight earned him the Air Force Cross in the Queen's Birthday Honours promulgated in the ''London Gazette'' on 13 June 1957.〔 The same year, he attended RAAF Staff College at Point Cook, Victoria. He became personal staff officer to the Minister for Air in 1958, a position he found valuable for the insight he gained into Australia's political culture.〔〔Evans, ''Down to Earth'', pp. 106–107〕 In November 1959, he took a refresher course at CFS, qualifying on De Havilland Vampire and English Electric Canberra jets. He underwent further training on Canberra bombers with No. 1 Operational Conversion Unit at RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland, graduating in May 1960.〔Evans, ''Down to Earth'', pp. 117–120〕 From then until 1962 he served as a flight commander in No. 2 Squadron, operating Canberras out of RAAF Base Butterworth, Malaysia. He subsequently attended the RAF College of Air Warfare.〔〔 In January 1963, Evans was transferred to Air Staff Division, Canberra, where he helped formulate operational requirements for a new RAAF bomber.〔Evans, ''Down to Earth'', pp. 127–132〕 His final specification included a payload of , speed of Mach 2, and range of . This requirement was met by the General Dynamics F-111C, 24 of which were ordered by the Australian government in October 1963.〔Lax, ''From Controversy to Cutting Edge'', pp. 16, 30〕 As an interim measure until delivery of the F-111, the US government offered 24 Boeing B-47 Stratojets to the RAAF. Though the offer was never seriously considered, a B-47 was test flown from Amberley to Darwin in November 1963 by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Val Hancock, with Evans as passenger. Evans had been assigned to fly the plane but was replaced at the last moment by Hancock; the take-off almost ended in disaster after Hancock unknowingly switched off the engines' water injection—needed to ensure sufficient thrust in hot conditions—that Evans had switched on before vacating the pilot's seat.〔Lax, ''From Controversy to Cutting Edge'', pp. 38–40〕 In January 1965, Evans was posted to Washington, DC, as Assistant Air Attaché, having "had quite enough of writing Air Staff Requirements".〔〔Evans, ''Down to Earth'', p. 136〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「David Evans (RAAF officer)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|