(Sir) Thomas Norman Coslett

[Stephen Nulty]

Does anybody have any information on the career of this chap? I have seven entries from the London Gazette, charting his move through the ranks; Pilot Officer at Cranwell in 1931, through to come OBE stuff in 1963.

I am keen to know what he did during the war. He was made Squadron Leader in 1938, Wing Commander in 1941, but I am having trouble finding out what he actually did.

I am asking this on behalf of a family member who is curious about his career.

Cheers

[Kyt]

COSLETT, Sir (Thomas) Norman (1909-1987), Air Marshal
Service biography

RAF Halton; commissioned, RAF 1930;

2 Army Co-operation Sqn, Manston, UK, and 5 Sqn, Quetta, India 1930-1934;

Specialist Engineering Course, RAF Station Henlow 1934-1936;

Technical Flying, 2 Flying Training Sqn, Digby 1936;

World War II 1939-1945;

flying and technical duties, Egypt 1939-1942;

liaison with US aircraft manufacturers and United States Air Force (USAF), USA 1942;

India Office, Air Ministry and RAF Staff College 1943-1945;

Commander, RAF Station Luneburg, Germany 1946;

Technical Training, Air Ministry 1946-1947;

Commander, Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment, Beaulieu 1948;

Industrial College Armed Forces, Washington, USA 1949-1950;

Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, USA 1950-1952;

Imperial Defence College 1953;

Deputy Director of Technical Planning, Air Ministry 1954-1956;

Senior Technical Staff Officer, Coastal Command, RAF 1957;

Commandant, First School of Technical Training, RAF Halton 1958-1961;

Air Officer Commanding 24 Group, RAF Technical Training Command 1961-1963;

Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief RAF Maintenance Command 1963-1966;

retired 1966;

Director, Flight Refuelling Ltd 1966-1975

It's been mentioned that his flying duties during the early parts of the war were as a fighter pilot - I've yet to confirm that. Coslett informed the Imperial War Museum that he had destroyed his papers

[spidge]

Ask and you shall receive!

[Kyt]

For someone who made it to the rank of Air Marshall it's amazing how little info is available on him. Apart from listing his name as commander etc, I can find no biographical details. If one was to believe a conspiracy-theory forum, Coslett's work in the experimental area is the reason for this.

[Stephen Nulty]

Many thanks for that, which is an awful lot more than I knew before.

The conspiracy theory is always bubbling under with him. His family have confirmed that he destroyed all his papers on retirement, but nobody knows why!