William Bostock

William Bostock
Air Vice Marshal Bill Bostock, 1945
Born	5 February 1892 Sydney, New South Wales
Died	28 April 1968(1968-04-28) (aged 76) Benalla, Victoria
Allegiance	Australia
Service/branch	Royal Australian Air Force
Years of service	1914–1946
Rank	Air Vice Marshal
Unit	No. 48 Squadron RFC (1917–1918)
Commands held	No. 3 Squadron (1931–1936) RAAF Command (1942–1945)
Battles/wars	World War I Gallipoli Campaign Western Front World War II Pacific War South West Pacific theatre
Awards	Companion of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order Officer of the Order of the British Empire Croix de guerre (Belgium) Medal of Freedom with Silver Palm (US)
Other work	Member for Indi (1949–1958)

Air Vice Marshal William Dowling Bostock, CB, DSO, OBE (5 February 1892 – 28 April 1968) was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). During World War II he led RAAF Command, the Air Force's main operational formation, with responsibility for the defence of Australia and air offensives against Japanese targets in the South West Pacific Area. His achievements in the role earned him the Distinguished Service Order and the American Medal of Freedom. General Douglas MacArthur described him as "one of the world's most successful airmen".

A veteran of World War I, Bostock first saw combat as a soldier in the Australian Imperial Force at Gallipoli, then as a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps on the Western Front, where he earned the Belgian Croix de guerre. He joined the newly formed RAAF in 1921 and by 1941 had risen to become its third most senior officer, serving as Director of Training from 1930 to 1931, commanding officer of No. 3 Squadron from 1931 to 1936, and Director of Operations and Intelligence from 1938 to 1939.

The Deputy Chief of the Air Staff at the outbreak of World War II, Bostock was considered a leading candidate for the position of Chief of the Air Staff in 1942 but was passed over in favour of Air Commodore George Jones, a friend of twenty years. Appointed Air Officer Commanding RAAF Command soon after, Bostock became involved in a bitter and long-running dispute with Jones over control of the Air Force in the South West Pacific. Following his retirement from the RAAF in 1946, he became a journalist and later a Federal Member of Parliament.