Brian Eaton
RAAF senior commander
Died when: 75 years 307 days (910 months)Star Sign: Sagittarius
Air Vice-Marshal Brian Alexander Eaton, CB, CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC (15 December 1916 – 17 October 1992) was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
Born in Tasmania and raised in Victoria, he joined the RAAF in 1936 and was promoted to flight lieutenant on the outbreak of World War II.
He held training positions before being posted to No. 3 Squadron at the beginning of 1943, flying P-40 Kittyhawk fighter-bombers in North Africa.
Despite being shot down three times within ten days soon after arriving, Eaton quickly rose to become the unit's commanding officer, and by year's end had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
His leadership earned him the Distinguished Service Order and Bar in 1944–45, and command of No. 239 Wing RAF in Italy, with the temporary rank of group captain.
He was also awarded the US Silver Star in 1946 in recognition of his war service.In the decade following World War II, Eaton led No. 81 Wing in Japan, and No. 78 Wing in Malta.
He commanded RAAF Base Williamtown from 1957 to 1959, after which he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
As Director-General of Operational Requirements in 1965, Eaton argued for increased RAAF co-operation with the Australian Army in light of growing involvement in the Vietnam War.
He was promoted to air vice-marshal the next year, and became Deputy Chief of the Air Staff.Posted to Singapore as Air Officer Commanding (AOC) No. 224 Group RAF in 1967, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath for his work as chief of staff at Headquarters RAF Far East Air Force in 1969.
He then served as Air Member for Personnel, before being selected as AOC Operational Command in 1973.Eaton retired from the RAAF in December that year, and became an executive for Rolls-Royce in Canberra.
He died in 1992 at the age of 75.
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