Alasdair Steedman

Sir Alasdair Steedman
Born	(1922-01-29)29 January 1922
Died
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1942–1981
Rank	Air Chief Marshal
Commands held	No. 39 Squadron No. 8 Squadron Royal Ceylon Air Force Base Katanayake RAF Lyneham RAF Staff College, Bracknell
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Flying Cross

Air Chief Marshal Sir Alasdair McKay Sinclair Steedman GCB CBE DFC (29 January 1922 – 2 January 1992) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force.

RAF career

Steedman joined the Royal Air Force in 1942 and served as a pilot during World War II. He was appointed Officer Commanding No. 39 Squadron in 1948 and Officer Commanding No. 8 Squadron in 1949. He went on to be Station Commander at Royal Ceylon Air Force Base Katanayake in 1957 and after a tour on the Directing Staff at the Joint Services Staff College from 1960 he became Station Commander at RAF Lyneham in 1962. From 1965 to 1967 he was Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal Malaysian Air Force. He was made Director of Defence Plans (Air) in 1967, Director of the Defence Operations Staff in 1968 and Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Policy) in 1969. He went on to be Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters RAF Strike Command in 1971, Commandant of the RAF Staff College, Bracknell, in 1972 and Air Member for Supply and Organisation in 1976. In October 1977, on promotion to air chief marshal, Steedman took up his last appointment as the UK Military Representative to NATO.

After retiring in 1981, Steedman took up position as the Controller of the RAF Benevolent Fund until 1988. He was also Chairman of the Royal International Air Tattoo between 1981 and 1988.

Honours and awards

• Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath – 14 June 1980 (KCB – 12 June 1976, CB – 2 June 1973)
• Commander of the Order of the British Empire – 1 January 1965
• Distinguished Flying Cross -27 October 1944
• Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air – 13 June 1957
• Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society - 1981
• CBIM - 1979 (Fellow of the British Institute of Management)
• Order of the Defender of the Realm (Johan Mangku Negara) (Malaya) - 1967
• Commander of the Order of Polonia Restituta (Poland) - 1990

References

Military offices
Preceded by C S J West	Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal Malaysian Air Force 1965 – 1967	Succeeded by Sulaiman Sujak
Preceded by M J Beetham	Commandant of the RAF Staff College, Bracknell 1972–1975	Succeeded by K A Williamson
Preceded by Sir Anthony Heward	Air Member for Supply and Organisation 1976 – 1977	Succeeded by Sir John Nicholls
Preceded by Sir David Fraser	UK Military Representative to NATO 1977–1980	Succeeded by Sir Anthony Morton