Sir Walter Couchman | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1905-03-19)19 March 1905 Madras, India |
| Died | 2 May 1981(1981-05-02) (aged 76) Sudbury, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1918–1960 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands | Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (1960) Flag Officer, Air (Home) (1957–60) HMS Glory (1946) HMS Broke (1941–42) HMS Veteran (1940–41) |
| Battles / wars | Second World War |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Distinguished Service Order Officer of the Order of the British Empire |
AdmiralSir Walter Thomas Couchman,KCB, CVO, DSO, OBE (19 March 1905 – 2 May 1981) was aRoyal Navy officer who served asVice Chief of the Naval Staff from February to November 1960, when he retired from service.
The son of Malcolm Edward Couchman, a civil servant inBritish India, and Emily Elizabeth Ranking, Walter Couchman was born inMadras in 1905.Educated at theRoyal Naval College, Osborne, andRoyal Naval College,Dartmouth, Couchman joined theRoyal Navy and specialized in naval aviation.[1][2]
Couchman attended staff college at theRoyal Naval College, Greenwich in 1928 and qualified as a naval pilot in 1935.[2]
He served in theSecond World War as Commander in the Air Materials Division and then as Commanding Officer of thedestroyerHMS Veteran.[1] In 1941 he was appointed Staff Officer (Plans) for theMediterranean Fleet.[1] Later in the War he became Naval Assistant (Underwater Weapons) and then Chief Staff Officer to the Flag Officer Air (Home).[1]
After the War he became Captain of theaircraft carrierHMS Glory and then, from 1947, Director of Naval Air Organisation and Training at theAdmiralty.[3]
He went on to beFlag Officer, Flying Training in 1951,[3] in which role he led the Fleet Air Armflypast of 327 aircraft at theCoronation review of the fleet, flying ade Havilland Sea Vampire.[4] He was then appointed Flag Officer, Heavy Squadron in 1953,Flag Officer, Aircraft Carriers in 1954 and Deputy Controller of Supplies (Air) at theMinistry of Supply in 1955.[3] He becameFlag Officer, Air (Home) in 1957 andVice Chief of the Naval Staff in 1960.[1] He retired in November 1960.[1]
He married Phyllida Connellan;[5] they had a son and two daughters.[2] Following the dissolution of his first marriage, he married Hughe Thelma Hunter Blair née Reid in 1965.[6] After the death of Hughe in 1972, he married Daphne Harvey, the widow of a naval captain.[2]
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Vice Chief of the Naval Staff 1960 | Succeeded by |