Air Force History Office, 1990-1995, 1999-2000

This collection contains an array of materials related to the Royal Air Force career of Air Vice-Marshal Ronald Dick and his later life as an aviation author and lecturer in the United States. The materials range from his articles and lectures on aviation history to materials specifically related to and his career in the Royal Air Force as a pilot, commander, and air attaché. The collection is organized into nine series and three subseries.

Series I, Personal Information, spanning a period from 1948 to 2008, contains general information about Ron Dick. Of particular notes is a Ron Dick biography and a DVDCD “Ron Dick, A Celebration of a Life Well Lived.” The series also contains a few diaries and planners, along with a number of certificates of recognition. Also included are newspaper clippings concerning his various postings in the Royal Air Force and correspondence concerning his participation is such organizations as the Royal Aeronautical Society and the Society of Military Historians.

Series II, Public Speaking and Writings, is a large series spanning from 1950 to 2007, with the bulk being from 1985 to 2007. The series contains many of Ron Dick’s numerous speeches and lectures before and after his retirement from the military. Ron was in demand as a guest speaker at the Air Force’s Air University in Montgomery, Alabama, as well as traveling lecturer with a number of cruise lines. This series contains research for his various lectures and articles, along with correspondence from various organizations requesting him as a lecturer. Of particular note is a copy of the book “The American Century,” written by Ron and Dan Patterson. Along with the book, there is research, speaking information requests, and other general information.

Series III, Correspondence, spanning 1950 to 2007, contains hundreds of formal invitations from various officials, ambassadors, generals from all over the world, and even Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, along with informal invitations from friends and family. There is a limited number of letters from Ron to a few people.

Subseries IV, Travels, covers the period from 1953 to 2006. The series contains documents related to Dick’s personal travels and his free time on tour around the world with his wife, Pauline.

Series V, Military Career, is another large series that spans Ron’s entire military career and beyond – 1942 to 2008. The series contains materials about Ron Dick’s career from military school to his work in the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. It includes correspondence, base visits, officer reports, and programs. There are also course materials from the Royal College of Defense Studies and various flight materials, such as manuals and pilot’s notes.

Series VI, Programs, contains event programs and information guides from 1946 to 2004. There are visitor programs and itineraries from Dick’s visits to various air force bases and for visits from royal family members to the bases where he was assigned. Of note in this series are programs for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and the funeral for Sir Winston Churchill.

Series VII, Audio-Visual Materials, spans 1938 to 2005, and is divided into three subseries. Subseries VIIA, Slides, are a collection of photographic slides concerning Ron Dick’s travels and slides accompanying his various lectures. Subseries VIIB, Photographs, is the largest of the subseries. It contains hundreds of photos and negatives regarding Dick’s travels around the world, events he attended, and many personal photos of his early life, including some wedding photos. Subseries VIIC, Film, consists of mostly 16mm films concerning various flights that Ron Dick may have taken. A majority of the films are dated, but some are unknown.

Series VIII, Scrapbooks, contains nine scrapbooks and four files of material for incomplete scrapbooks. The scrapbooks contain photographs of aircraft, people, family members, and some newspaper clippings span a period from 1944 to 1997. Of particular note are two scrapbooks: one concerns the restoration of a B-17G and its subsequent flight to the United Kingdom for display in 1983 and the second concerns a Flying Tigers Association tour to China led by Ron in 1997.

Series IX, Memorabilia, spans the period 1957 to 2004. The series contains plaques and other mementoes concerning his Royal Air Force career and his life as a guest lecturer.