Wallace Kyle

Sir Wallace Hart Kyle
26th Governor of Western Australia
In office 24 November 1975 – 30 September 1980
Monarch	Queen Elizabeth II
Premier	Sir Charles Court
Preceded by	Sir Hughie Edwards
Succeeded by	Sir Richard Trowbridge
Personal details
Born	22 January 1910 Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Died	31 January 1988(1988-01-31) (aged 78) Lymington, Hampshire
Military service
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1928 – 1968
Rank	Air Chief Marshal
Commands	No. 139 Squadron RAF Marham RAF Downham Market RAF Technical Training Command RAF Bomber Command RAF Strike Command
Battles/wars	Second World War Malayan Emergency
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order Distinguished Flying Cross Knight of St John Mention in Despatches (4 times)

Air Chief Marshal Sir Wallace Hart Kyle GCB, KCVO, CBE, DSO, DFC, RAF (22 January 1910 – 31 January 1988) was a senior Royal Air Force commander and the Governor of Western Australia from 1975 to 1980.

Career

Born in Western Australia and educated at Guildford Grammar School, Kyle was commissioned into the Royal Air Force in 1929. He served in World War II and in 1940 was appointed Officer Commanding No. 139 Squadron before becoming Station Commander at RAF Marham in 1942 and Station Commander at RAF Downham Market in 1944 and them transferring to Bomber Command.

After the War he joined the Directing Staff at the RAF Staff College, Bracknell and was then joined the Air Plans team at Headquarters RAF Mediterranean & Middle East. He was appointed Assistant Commandant at the RAF Cranwell in 1951 and Director of Operational Requirements (Air) at the Air Ministry in 1952. He became Air Officer Commanding at Air Headquarters Malaya in 1955 during the Malayan Emergency, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operational Requirements) in 1957 and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Technical Training Command in 1959. He became Vice-Chief of the Air Staff in 1962 and Air Officer Commander-in-Chief Bomber Command in 1965. When Bomber Command merged with Fighter Command to form Strike Command, Kyle became Strike Command's first Air Officer Commander-in-Chief in 1968.

He served as Governor of Western Australia from 1975 and briefly caused excitement when he spoke out in favour of developing a uranium processing plant at Kalgoorlie in 1978.

Honours and awards

• Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath – 1 Jan 1966 (KCB - 1 January 1960, CB – 1 January 1953)
• Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order – 5 August 1977 [26 March 1977]
• Commander of the Order of the British Empire - 1 January 1946
• Distinguished Service Order – 26 October 1945
• Distinguished Flying Cross – 2 May 1941
• Knight of St John - 26 February 1976
• Air Aide de Camp to the King - 26 April 1949
• Air Aide de Camp to the Queen - 10 June 1952 to 31 July 1956
• Mention in Despatches - 11 June 1942, 14 January 1944, 1 January 1945, 4 June 1945
• Hon Doctor of Technology (Western Australian Institute of Technology) - 1979
• Hon Doctor of Law (University of Western Australia) - 1980

References

Military offices
Preceded by Sir Arthur McDonald	Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Technical Training Command 1959 – 1962	Succeeded by Sir Alfred Earle
Preceded by Sir Edmund Hudleston	Vice-Chief of the Air Staff 1962 – 1965	Succeeded by Sir Brian Burnett
Preceded by Sir John Grandy	Commander-in-Chief Bomber Command 1965–1968	Succeeded by Title ceased to exist
Preceded by New title	Commander-in-Chief Strike Command 1968–1968	Succeeded by Sir Denis Spotswood
Government offices
Preceded by Air Commodore Sir Hughie Edwards	Governor of Western Australia 1975–1980	Succeeded by Rear Admiral Sir Richard Trowbridge