Geoffrey Roberts (airline manager)
New Zealand aviator (1906–1995)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sir Geoffrey Newland Roberts CBE AFC (8 December 1906 – 27 August 1995) was a New Zealand military aviator and leader, and airline manager. He was born in Inglewood, Taranaki, New Zealand in 1906.[1]
Roberts was the first commander of No. 1 Squadron, being appointed to the role in May 1940.[2] He was awarded the Air Force Cross in the 1941 King's Birthday Honours.[3] He commanded the New Zealand Air Task Force, which was headquartered at Bougainville.[4] In 1946 he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his service in operations against the Japanese.[5] He was appointed a Knight Bachelor, for services to aviation, in the 1973 New Year Honours.[6]
In 2001, Roberts was posthumously inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame.[7]