32-22 Group R.O.C. Commandants

Commandants Three:  Dougie Edgar-Harold Archer-Ken Maynard

Dec.1939	Carlisle Group formed as 32 Group O.C. with command split between two people. Col. F.R.W. Graham was responsible for Group Centre, as Controller, with
	Brig. Pringle looking after the Group’s Posts with the rank of Observer Officer.
1943	Col. Graham becomes Group Commandant with the rank of Obs./Cmdr.
	He is “retired” in 1944.
1944	Obs./Cmdr. C.J. Rowlands is transferred in as G.C. until stand down of the Corps in 1945. He also acted as stand down caretaker until reformation in 1947 as an Obs./Lt. He finishes his Corps career, in 1977, as Deputy Commandant with the rank of Obs./Capt.
1947	Obs./Cmdr. Potter acts as G.C. while the group is reformed following the remobilisation of the R.O.C.
1947	Obs./Cmdr. R. Ritson is appointed G.C.
	He is one of the original Group Officers mentioned in Hubert Ware’s “Musings and Memories” document.
1954?	Obs./Cmdr. R.J.F.A. Lawder is appointed G.C.
#	A.W.R. shows Mr. Lawder as G.C. from 1953 but a document, dated 29/3/1954, found amongst Bill Barbour’s donated papers shows him as Obs./Off Lawder. We have evidence of Mr. Ritson still as G.C. dated 17/6/1954, from documents provided by Ralph Pickering. Mr Lawder’s appointment to G.C., therefore, is at some point after this date.
	There is also confusion about his retirement date. We know he is followed as G.C. by Ken Maynard but when!
	Documents (thanks again Bill) from those years confirm Mr. Lawder in post in December 1958 but no documentary evidence exists (as yet!) as to when he stood down. We do know he was born in 1906 (May-June) so it’s likely he would have retired in 1966.
1966?	Obs./Cmdr. K. Maynard is appointed G.C.
#	A.W.R. shows Mr. Maynard as G.C. from 1962 but he must have been appointed after Oct. 1964 as he appears as Obs/Lt. Maynard in G.R.O’s at that time. The first documentary evidence we have of him as G.C. is a set of G.R.O’s from Feb. 1969. His appointment as G.C., therefore, must be between these dates. We can assume it would be probably May-June 1966 following Mr. Lawder’s retirement. He himself retires Dec. 1974.
Jan. 1975	Obs./Cmdr. D. Edgar is appointed G.C. until Dec 1982.
Jan. 1983	Obs./Cmdr H. Archer is appointed G.C. until Dec 1987.
Jan. 1988	Obs./Cmdr. F. Edgar is appointed G.C.
	but regrettably changes in employment swiftly forces Fred’s resignation.
Sep.1988	Obs./Cmdr. K. Dodd is appointed G.C. until Stand Down of the Corps September 1991.

# We would welcome sight of any documents, or even memories!, which confirm exact dates here.