35 Facts About Valston Hancock

Valston Hancock served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1961 to 1965.

Valston Hancock evaluated potential replacements for the RAAF's English Electric Canberra bomber, finding the American "TFX" to be the most suitable for Australia's needs, though he did not recommend its immediate purchase due to its early stage of development.

Valston Eldridge Hancock was born on 31May 1907 in Perth, Western Australia, and educated at Hale School in Wembley Downs.

Valston Hancock was the elder cousin of future mining magnate Lang Hancock.

Val Valston Hancock entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon, as a cadet on 18 February 1925.

Valston Hancock's preferred career path in the military was engineering, and it was only when he found there was no vacancy in his corps of choice, and that he had instead been earmarked for the artillery, that he put his name forward for transfer to the Royal Australian Air Force.

On 1February 1929, Valston Hancock was seconded to the RAAF as a temporary pilot officer.

Valston Hancock undertook flying instruction at RAAF Point Cook, Victoria, and was promoted flying officer on 1 July 1930.

Valston Hancock married Joan Butler on 26May 1932; the couple had two sons and a daughter.

Valston Hancock was promoted to acting group captain on 1 April 1941.

Valston Hancock was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 1January 1942.

Valston Hancock finally gained a combat command in January 1945, when he took charge of No 100 Squadron, flying Bristol Beaufort light bombers during the Aitape-Wewak campaign in New Guinea.

Valston Hancock's "distinguished flying on operations in Northern Command" earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross; the award was published in the London Gazette on 22February 1946.

Valston Hancock recalled it as a "twilight period" when "no-one wanted to know about us" and many good people were let go due to the government's parsimonious retention policies.

On 1 January 1947, Valston Hancock was promoted to substantive group captain.

Valston Hancock was raised to a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1953 New Years Honours.

On 16 October that year, Valston Hancock took over from Air Vice-Marshal Frank Bladin as Air Member for Personnel, and was promoted substantive air vice-marshal on 1 January 1954.

Valston Hancock spent much of the latter half of 1955 and early 1956 laid low by a stomach ailment that was initially diagnosed as amoebic dysentery but later thought to be Malta fever or malaria.

In March 1957, Valston Hancock was one of three candidates, along with Air Vice-Marshals Frederick Scherger and Allan Walters, touted as possible successors to Air Marshal Sir John McCauley as Chief of the Air Staff, the RAAF's senior position.

Valston Hancock made a point of getting out to units in the field, taking every opportunity to fly himself around his command.

Valston Hancock returned to Australia in July 1959 to serve as AOC Operational Command.

Valston Hancock was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1962 Queen's Birthday Honours, gazetted on 2June.

In June 1963, Valston Hancock undertook a mission to Britain, France and the United States to consider potential replacements for the English Electric Canberra bomber as Australia's prime aerial strike platform.

Once the F-111 had been ordered, Valston Hancock sought a suitable forward airfield from which they could operate.

Valston Hancock recommended redeveloping RAAF Base Learmonth in the northern part of Western Australia, due to its proximity to Indonesia.

Concerned at the potential drain on the RAAF's resources, Valston Hancock tried to resist calls for commitments to Vietnam.

Valston Hancock proposed that Australia continue to command the facility and provide local air defence, though this effectively made the Sabres a support unit in the war effort and therefore potential targets of North Vietnamese attack; as it happened, none occurred.

Valston Hancock retired from the Air Force in May 1965 after completing his term as CAS, which the government had extended for twelve months beyond its original three years.

Valston Hancock's name was put forward as a successor to Scherger when the latter's term as Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee completed in May 1966, but Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies preferred General Sir John Wilton for the position.

Later the same year, Valston Hancock took over as Commissioner-General for Australia at Expo 67 in Montreal, Canada, following the sudden death of the previous appointee, Vice Admiral Sir Hastings Harrington.

In 1975, prompted in part by the fall of Saigon in April that year, Valston Hancock co-founded the Australia Defence Association as an independent think tank for defence matters, and chaired its Western Australian chapter.

Valston Hancock was active in the Royal Commonwealth Society, and published an autobiography, Challenge, in 1990.

Valston Hancock continued to fly in retirement, joining his cousin Lang, a pilot, in promoting the Pilbara mining district.

Val Valston Hancock died in Perth on 29September 1998, and was survived by his wife and three children.

Valston Hancock is commemorated by Sir Valston Hancock Drive at Evans Head, New South Wales.