Educated at Alleyn's School, Pretty joined the Royal Air Force as a cadet in 1929.
1 Radio Operator's School at RAF Cranwell and on the signals staff at Fighter Command.
[2] After the war he became Director-General of Navigational Services at the Ministry of Civil Aviation and then Director of Electronics Research and Development at the Ministry of Supply before being appointed Air Officer Administration at Headquarters Second Tactical Air Force in 1955.
[2] He lived near Cobham in Surrey[3] and became President of the Edward Alleyn Club.
[4] He married Betty Methven in 1940 and they had four children: Audrey, Beryl, Carol (mother of comedian Marcus Brigstocke), and Derek.