Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Thursday 25 August 1966, page 24


Air Vicc-Marshal

Hcly

Senior RAAF officer retires

A senior member of the Air Board. Air Vice-Marshal W. L. Hely, retired yesterday after 39i years' service with the Royal Australian Air Force.

Air Vice-Marshal Hely. who now lives at Narrabundah, was horn at Wellington and educated at Fort Street High School, Sydney. He has been Air member for .Personnel on the Air Board since I960.

He entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon, as an air force cadet in 1927. He graduated in 1930 and completed his flying training in 1931.

During his appointment as commander of the Survey Flight. Northern Territory, lie was awarded the Air Force Cross.

In 1951 he became Air Officer Commanding Western Area Headquarters al Pearce, WA. It was during this period that he was made a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

Air Vice-Marshal llely. was Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, RAAF headquarters. from 1953 until 1956. Then lie was appointed Air Officer Commanding Headquarters Training Com

mand.

lie was promoted to the rank of Air Vice-Marshal in 1956. and Ihe following year was seconded to Ihe Department of Dcfcncc for duly as head of the Australian Joint Services Staff in Washington, He returned to Australia in I960.