Air Marshal Carey William Adamson, CNZM, AFC (5 September 1942 – 10 May 2019) was a senior officer of the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
Carey Adamson | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Carey William Adamson |
| Born | 5 September 1942 Fairlie, New Zealand |
| Died | 10 May 2019 (aged 76) |
| Allegiance | New Zealand |
| Service | Royal New Zealand Air Force |
| Years of service | 1961–2001 |
| Rank | Air Marshal |
| Commands | Chief of Defence Force Chief of the Air Staff No. 40 Squadron RNZAF |
| Battles / wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards | Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit Air Force Cross |
Adamson grew up in Fairlie before attending Timaru Boys' High School, where he was a boarder apart from his final year, when he commuted daily on his motorcycle.[1] As a teenager, Adamson joined the Air Training Corps. He then joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1961, where he served as a pilot flying Austers and Harvards. In 1964 Adamson was assigned to the United States to train on the C130 Hercules.[2]
He was Chief of the Air Staff from 1995[3] to 1999 and Chief of Defence Force from 1999 to 2001.[1] In 2002, he caused "unprecedented controversy" when he criticised the government for disestablishing the air combat force.[1]
In the 1979 Queen's Birthday Honours, Adamson was awarded the Air Force Cross.[4] In the 1999 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.[5]
Adamson was predeceased by his wife, Denyce (née Pickens), in 2013.[6] He had Parkinson's disease for the last few years of his life,[1] and died on 10 May 2019.[7] He received a military funeral at Wellington Cathedral of St Paul.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Williams, Al (20 May 2019). "Former Chief of Defence Carey Adamson remembered as 'top bloke'". Stuff. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ "Pilot's painful duty to clip wings of his own fighters". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
- ^ Lee-Frampton, Nick (24–30 July 1996). "Forward Thrust". Flight International. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
- ^ "No. 47871". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 16 June 1979. p. 31.
- ^ "New Year honours list 1999". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 1998. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
- ^ "Denyce Adamson obituary". The New Zealand Herald. 9 January 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
- ^ "Carey Adamson death notice". The Press. 16 May 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
External links
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