About Michael Beetham
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael James Beetham, was a Second World War bomber pilot and a high-ranking commander in the Royal Air Force from the 1960s to the 1980s. As Chief of the Air Staff during the Falklands War, he was involved in the decision to send the Task Force to the South Atlantic. At the time of his death, Beetham was one of only six people holding his service's most senior rank and, excluding Prince Philip's honorary rank, he had the longest time in that rank, making him the senior Marshal of the Royal Air Force. Beetham was also awarded a King's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air in the 1952 New Year Honours. Notably, Beetham also drafted the first specification for the TSR 2. In July 1959 Wing Commander Beetham captained the first aircraft, a Valiant bomber, to fly non-stop from the United Kingdom to Cape Town. As an acting flight lieutenant in the RAFVR, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on 6 June 1944, and was promoted to flight lieutenant on 13 December 1944.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.