Gerry Mayhew

Last updated

Sir Gerry Mayhew
Air Marshal Gerry Mayhew (cropped).jpg
Air Marshal Mayhew in 2019
Born (1969-02-15) 15 February 1969 (age 55)
Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, England
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Air Force
Years of service1988–2022
Rank Air Marshal
Commands held No. 1 Group (2016–18)
RAF Leuchars (2013–14)
No. 13 Squadron RAF (2007–09)
Battles/wars Iraq War
Awards Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Air Marshal Sir Gerard Michael David Mayhew, KCB , CBE (born 15 February 1969) is a former senior Royal Air Force officer, who served as Deputy Commander Operations, Headquarters Air Command between May 2019 and August 2022.

Contents

Early life and education

Mayhew was born on 15 February 1969 in Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, (now in the West Midlands), England. He was educated at St Benedict's Catholic High School, a voluntary aided Catholic school in Alcester, Warwickshire, and at Alcester Grammar School, a grammar school in Alcester. [1]

Military career

Mayhew was commissioned into the Royal Air Force on 28 July 1988 as an acting pilot officer. [2] He served as an air traffic control officer from 1988 to 1990. [1] In 1990, he trained as a pilot and became a Qualified Weapons Instructor (QWI). [1] His early career as a pilot was spent flying the Jaguar and Tornado, and he has more than 3000 flying hours. [3] From 2007 to 2009, he served as Officer Commanding No. 13 Squadron RAF. [1]

In January 2013, Mayhew was appointed Air Officer Scotland and Officer Commanding RAF Leuchars. [3] One of his main duties was to oversee the transfer of Leuchars, then an RAF station, to the British Army as a barracks; this was finalised in March 2015. He stepped down as Air Officer Scotland on 17 November 2014. [4] From April 2015 to April 2016, he was a member of the Strategic Defence and Security Review Team in the Cabinet Office. [5] He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2015 Queen's Birthday Honours. [6] On 28 April 2016 was promoted to air vice marshal and appointed Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group. [7]

In August 2018, Mayhew succeeded Air Vice Marshal Michael Wigston as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff. [8] In May 2019, he became Deputy Commander Operations, Headquarters Air Command and was promoted to air marshal. [9] Mayhew was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2022 New Year Honours. [10] [11]

In April 2022 Mayhew accepted the freedom of Causeway Coasts and Glens Borough, on behalf of the RAF, at a ceremony in Limavady, County Londonderry. The town held a parade and saw a fly past of a Boeing P-8 Poseidon. The RAF were based in Limavady and in the nearby village of Ballykelly during World War Two. [12]

Mayhew was criticised in an employment tribunal case in October 2023 in which he was found to have offered "hollow and unconvincing evidence" in a claim by a serving military officer. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sue Gray (RAF officer)</span> Royal Air Force Air Marshal (born 1963)

Air Marshal Dame Susan Catherine Gray, is a former senior Royal Air Force officer. She served as Director of Combat Air at Defence Equipment and Support in the Ministry of Defence (2014–16), as Air Officer Commanding No. 38 Group (2016–18), and as Director-General of the Defence Safety Authority (2019–22). She is the most senior female officer ever to serve in the British Armed Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Peach</span> Royal Air Force officer (born 1956)

Air Chief Marshal Stuart William Peach, Baron Peach, is a British retired senior Royal Air Force officer. After training as a navigator, Peach commanded IX (Bomber) Squadron and then became Deputy Station Commander RAF Bruggen. He was deployed as NATO Air Commander (Forward) in Kosovo in 2000. He went on to be Chief of Defence Intelligence in 2006, Chief of Joint Operations in 2009 and the first Commander of Joint Forces Command in December 2011 before being appointed Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff in May 2013. Peach succeeded General Sir Nick Houghton as Chief of the Defence Staff on 14 July 2016. He succeeded General Petr Pavel as Chairman of the NATO Military Committee on 29 June 2018, serving as such until his retirement from NATO in June 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Atha</span> Royal Air Force Air Marshal (born 1962)

Air Marshal Sir Stuart David Atha,, is a former senior officer of the Royal Air Force. He led No. 3 (Fighter) Squadron from 2000 to 2004, which included deployment to Iraq on Operation Telic, commanded RAF Coningsby (2006–08), No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group (2009–10) and No. 1 Group (2011–14), and served as the Air Component Commander for security during the 2012 London Olympics. Atha was RAF Deputy Commander Operations from 2016 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry North</span>

Air Marshal Sir Barry Mark North, is a retired senior Royal Air Force officer, who served as Deputy Commander (Personnel) at RAF Air Command. A helicopter pilot, North has held command appointments at all levels, notably No. 78 Squadron in the Falkland Islands, the Special Forces Flight as a squadron leader and the newly established No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group in the Middle East as an air commodore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Bryant (RAF officer)</span> British Royal Air Force air marshal

Air Chief Marshal Sir Simon Bryant, is a former Royal Air Force officer, who served as Commander-in-Chief of Air Command, and he was the second-most senior officer in the service until this post was dis-established in March 2012. He was appointed in 2010, following the sudden death of the then Commander-in-Chief, Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Moran, having served as Deputy Commander-in-Chief Personnel for just over a year. He was knighted in the 2011 New Year Honours List.

Air Vice Marshal Clive Arthur Bairsto is a former Royal Air Force officer and former Air Officer Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air Officer Scotland</span> Senior RAF officer for Scotland

Air Officer Scotland is the senior Royal Air Force officer in Scotland. Since January 2024, the appointment has been held by Air Commodore Bill Gibson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Pulford</span>

Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Douglas Pulford, is a retired senior Royal Air Force (RAF) commander. A helicopter pilot with operational service in Northern Ireland, the Falklands War and Iraq War, Pulford commanded RAF Odiham and No. 2 Group, and served as Assistant Chief of Defence Staff Operations, before taking up the post of Deputy Commander-in-Chief Personnel at Air Command and Air Member for Personnel in 2010. He became Chief of the Air Staff on 31 July 2013, retiring from the Royal Air Force on 12 July 2016.

Air Marshal Sir Kevin James Leeson, is a retired Royal Air Force engineer officer, whose final appointment was as Chief of Materiel – Air at the Defence Equipment and Support organisation, concurrently holding the appointments of Air Member for Materiel on the Air Force Board and Chief Engineer (RAF), at which point he was the most senior non-aircrew officer in the service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Hillier</span>

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen John Hillier, is a retired senior Royal Air Force officer, who served as Chief of the Air Staff from 2016 to 2019. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for actions in the Gulf in 1999 and was awarded the United States Bronze Star Medal for service in the Iraq War. He went on to be Air Officer Commanding No. 2 Group, Director Information Superiority at the Ministry of Defence, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Capability) and finally Chief of the Air Staff from July 2016. He was appointed chair of the Civil Aviation Authority in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Waterfall</span> Royal Air Force Air Vice-Marshal (born 1967)

Air Vice Marshal Gary Martin Waterfall, is a retired senior Royal Air Force officer and formerly Chief of Staff (Operations) in the Permanent Joint Headquarters. He has also been squadron president of 2248(Rutland squadron) air training corps since the first of September 2009. From July 2014 to April 2016, he was Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Knighton</span> Royal Air Force officer and professional head, and aerospace engineer

Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard John Knighton, is a senior Royal Air Force (RAF) officer and professional engineer, currently serving as Chief of the Air Staff, the professional head of the RAF, since 2 June 2023. He previously served as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff from January 2015 to January 2017, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff at the Ministry of Defence, and as Deputy Commander Capability at RAF Air Command. Knighton is notable for being the first Chief of the Air Staff who is not a military pilot or indeed aircrew-qualified.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gavin Parker</span> Royal Air Force officer

Air Vice-Marshal Gavin Douglas Anthony Parker, is a retired senior Royal Air Force officer and was the Head of the British Defence Staff and Defence Attaché in Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Turner (RAF officer)</span> Senior Royal Air Force officer

Air Marshal Andrew Mark Turner, is a former senior Royal Air Force officer and helicopter pilot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philip Robinson (RAF officer)</span> Royal Air Force Air Vice-Marshal

Air Vice-Marshal Philip Jeremy Robinson, is a decorated British pilot and senior Royal Air Force officer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvey Smyth</span> Northern Irish Royal Air Force officer

Air Marshal Harvey Smyth, is a senior Northern Irish Royal Air Force officer, who has been the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff since March 2024. Previously, he served as Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group (2018–2020) and Air and Space Commander (2022–2024). Between February 2020 and August 2022, he took up the new post of Director Space, in the Ministry of Defence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allan Marshall (RAF officer)</span> Royal Air Force Air Vice-Marshal

Air Marshal Allan Paul Marshall, is a senior Royal Air Force officer, who since March 2024 has been Air and Space Commander.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Smeath</span>

Air Vice-Marshal Michael John Smeath, is a senior Royal Air Force officer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Maddison</span> Royal Air Force officer

Air Marshal Richard Clark Maddison, is a senior Royal Air Force officer. He was Air Officer Commanding No. 22 Group RAF from 2020 to 2023, and then served as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff and Air Member for Personnel from May to September 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Flewin</span> Royal Air Force Air Vice-Marshal

Air Vice-Marshal Mark Robert Flewin, is a senior Royal Air Force who currently serves as Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group RAF, headquartered at RAF High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 'MAYHEW, Air Vice-Marshal Gerard Michael David', Who's Who 2017 , A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2017; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2016; online edn, Nov 2016 accessed 7 Nov 2017
  2. ↑ "No. 51524". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 November 1988. p. 12505.
  3. 1 2 "RAF Leuchars commander to oversee handover to army". The Courier. 12 February 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  4. ↑ "Senior Appointments". raf.mod.uk. Royal Air Force. 4 November 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  5. ↑ "Senior Appointments". raf.mod.uk. Royal Air Force. 4 March 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  6. ↑ "No. 61256". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 June 2015. p. B7.
  7. ↑ "Senior Appointments". raf.mod.uk. Royal Air Force. 20 April 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  8. ↑ "Senior Appointments". raf.mod.uk. Royal Air Force. 15 March 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  9. ↑ "Senior Appointments". raf.mod.uk. Royal Air Force. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  10. ↑ "No. 63571". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 2022. p. N2.
  11. ↑ "The Military Division of the New Year Honours 2022". GOV.UK. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  12. ↑ "Royal Air Force given freedom of Causeway Coast and Glens". 8 April 2022 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  13. ↑ "Reserved Judgement: Allan Steele v. The Ministry of Defence" (PDF). Employment Tribunals. 28 April 2023. p. 12. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
Military offices
Preceded by Station Commander RAF Leuchars
2013–2014		Post disbanded
Air Officer Scotland
2013–2014		Succeeded by
Preceded by Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group
2016–2018		Succeeded by
Preceded by Assistant Chief of the Air Staff
2018–2019		Succeeded by
Preceded by Deputy Commander Operations
2019–2022		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.