Sir

Ewan Jamieson
Born(1930-04-19)19 April 1930
Christchurch, New Zealand
Died21 March 2013(2013-03-21) (aged 82)
Taupō, New Zealand
AllegianceNew Zealand
Service/branchRoyal New Zealand Air Force
Years of service1949–1986
RankAir Marshal
Commands heldChief of the Defence Staff (1983–86)
Chief of the Air Staff (1979–83)
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Companion of the Order of the Bath

Air Marshal Sir David Ewan Jamieson, KBE, CB (19 April 1930 – 21 March 2013) was a senior commander in the Royal New Zealand Air Force. He was Chief of the Air Staff from 1979 to 1983, and Chief of the Defence Staff from 1983 to 1986.[1][2][3]

Early life

Jamieson was born on 19 April 1930 in Christchurch. His father was Raymond Douglas Jamieson (1906–1982), who was later the chief judge of the Arbitration Court. His mother was Florence Ethel Jamieson (née Parsons). He received his schooling at Christchurch Boys' High School and New Plymouth Boys' High School. He married Margaret Elaine Bridge in 1957.[4]

Air force career

Jamieson joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) in 1949, served on an exchange posting to Germany in 1954, and held command posts by the end of the 1950s. Achieving air officer rank in 1974, his senior appointments were from 1974 to 1978 Air Officer Commanding RNZAF Operations Group. Thereafter he was Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (from 1978 to 1979). This was followed by a period as the professional head of the RNZAF, the Chief of the Air Staff from 1979 to 1983 and a period as New Zealand's most senior military appointment, the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) until his retirement in 1986. During his time as CDS, Jamieson tried to avoid a controversy with the United States over the then Labour government's decision to ban nuclear vessels from visiting New Zealand and preserve the ANZUS defence treaty. In the end Jamieson's compromise solution of accepting a non-nuclear US Navy vessel into New Zealand's waters was not accepted by the government.[5]

Honours

In 1977, Jamieson was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal.[6] In the 1981 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath.[7] He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1967 Queen's Birthday Honours,[8] and promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1986 New Year Honours.[9]

References

  1. ^ "Sir Ewan Jamieson - Obituary". The New Zealand Herald. 23 March 2013. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
  2. ^ "Air Marshal remembered as great Defence leader". Radio New Zealand. 25 March 2013. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
  3. ^ Obituary, Dominion Post, published 30 March 2013
  4. ^ Lambert, Max (1991). Who's Who in New Zealand, 1991 (12th ed.). Auckland: Octopus. p. 322. ISBN 9780790001302.
  5. ^ Air marshal resolute till end in opposing anti-nuclear stance The Dominion Post
  6. ^ Taylor, Alister; Coddington, Deborah (1994). Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand. Auckland: New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa. p. 201. ISBN 0-908578-34-2.
  7. ^ "No. 48469". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 31 December 1980. p. 42.
  8. ^ "No. 44328". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 10 June 1967. p. 6312.
  9. ^ "No. 50362". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 31 December 1985. p. 33.
Military offices Preceded byVice Admiral Sir Neil Anderson Chief of the Defence Staff 1983–1986 Succeeded byAir Marshal David Crooks Preceded byAir Vice Marshal Larry Siegert Chief of the Air Staff 1979–1983 Succeeded byAir Vice Marshal David Crooks
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