Malcolm Calder
Malcolm Calder | |
|---|---|
Calder at his desk at RNZAF Headquarters in Fiji, 1943 | |
| Born | 28 August 1907 Temuka, New Zealand |
| Died | 31 August 1978 (aged 71) Lower Hutt, New Zealand |
| Allegiance | New Zealand |
| Branch | Royal Air Force Royal New Zealand Air Force |
| Service years | 1931–1939 (RAF) 1939–1962 (RNZAF) |
| Rank | Air Vice-Marshal |
| Commands | Chief of the Air Staff |
| Conflicts | Second World War Malayan Emergency |
| Awards | Companion of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire |
Malcolm Frederick Calder CB, CBE (28 August 1907 – 31 August 1978) was a New Zealand aviator and military leader who served with the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) during the Second World War and in the postwar period.
Born in Temuka, Calder joined the Royal Air Force in 1931, serving until 1939, at which time he transferred to the RNZAF. He was involved in training duties for the early phase of the Second World War and spent the final 18 months of the conflict as a staff officer. Recognised for his war services by being made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, he oversaw the demobilisation of the RNZAF after the war. In his later career, he held a series of staff postings and commands of RNZAF stations. Appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in November 1957, he became Chief of the Air Staff the following year. Retiring as an air vice-marshal in July 1962, he died in 1978 at the age of 71.