Roland Beamont
| Roland Prosper Beamont | |
|---|---|
Roland "Bee" Beamont pictured in a Lightning
|
|
| Nickname(s) | Bee |
| Born |
10 August 1920 Chichester, Sussex |
| Died | 19 November 2001 (aged 81) Hampshire |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 Royal Air Force
|
| Years of service | 1939–1979 |
| Rank | Wing commander |
| Unit |
No. 87 Squadron RAF No. 79 Squadron RAF No. 609 Squadron RAF No. 150 Wing RAF |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order & Bar Distinguished Flying Cross & Bar Croix de guerre (Belgium) |
| Other work | Test Pilot Author |
Wing Commander Roland Prosper "Bee" Beamont CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar (10 August 1920 — 19 November 2001) was a British fighter pilot and test pilot for the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, and the years that followed, later becoming chief test pilot for the English Electric Company, where he test flew the Canberra, Lightning, and TSR2. Born in Chichester, Sussex, he was educated at Eastbourne College.
Roland Prosper Beamont was born on 10 August 1920 at 8 Private Road, Enfield, Middlesex. He was the son of Lieutenant-Colonel Ernest Clement Beamont, a trade officer with the Foreign Office, and Dorothy Mary, née Haynes. He was brought up in Chichester, Sussex,and educated at Eastbourne College from 1934 to 1937. He spent childhood holidays at Tangmere watching the Hawker Furies fly overhead, which inspired him to join the RAF. His first flights at that aerodrome were in his early teens. By chance, he was given a flight in a Fox Moth piloted by C.W.A. Scott.
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