List Of Royal Air Force Air Chief Marshals
The following is a list of Royal Air Force air chief marshals. The rank of air chief marshal is a four-star officer rank and currently the highest rank to which RAF officers may be promoted to in a professional capacity. Throughout the history of the RAF there have been 140 RAF officers promoted to air chief marshal and at present only one RAF officer holds the rank in an active capacity. He is Sir Michael Wigston, the Chief of the Air Staff (the only dedicated RAF 4-star post). The rank was first used in 1922 when Sir Hugh Trenchard the then Chief of the Air Staff was promoted. Up until the mid-1930s there was usually only one RAF officer in the rank of air chief marshal. During World War II, with the great expansion of the RAF, the number of air chief marshals active at any one time peaked at nine during the War. This number of air chief marshals was to remain approximately constant throughout the Cold War but after the British defence cuts of the mid-1990s there were o ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). Following the Allied victory over the Central Powers in 1918, the RAF emerged as the largest air force in the world at the time. Since its formation, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history. In particular, it played a large part in the Second World War where it fought its most famous campaign, the Battle of Britain. The RAF's mission is to support the objectives of the British Ministry of Defence (MOD), which are to "provide the capabilities needed to ensure the security and defence of the United Kingdom and overseas territories, including against terrorism; to support the Government's foreign policy objectives particularly in promoting international peace and security". The R ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Michael Armitage (RAF Officer)
Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael John Armitage, (25 August 1930 – 25 December 2022) was a British senior Royal Air Force commander. RAF career Educated at Newport Grammar School on the Isle of Wight, Armitage joined the Royal Air Force's Aircraft Apprentice Scheme at RAF Halton in 1947.Debrett's People of Today 1994 He was appointed Officer Commanding No. 17 Squadron in 1967 and Station Commander at RAF Luqa in 1972. He was then Director of Forward Policy in 1976, Deputy Commander of RAF Germany in 1978 and Senior RAF Representative on the Directing Staff at the Royal College of Defence Studies The Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) instructs the most promising senior officers of the British Armed Forces, His Majesty's Diplomatic Service and Civil Service in national defence and international security matters at the highest level ... in 1980. He went on to be Director of Service Intelligence in 1982, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Intelligence) in 1983 and Chief of ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Denis Barnett
Air Chief Marshal Sir Denis Hensley Fulton Barnett, (11 February 1906 – 31 December 1992) was a squadron commander and senior officer in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. In the post war years he held high command, serving as the British air commander during the Suez War and subsequently the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Transport Command and the Commander of British Forces Cyprus. Barnett was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, his parents being Sir Louis Barnett and Mabel Violet Barnett née Fulton (daughter of Catherine Fulton and James Fulton). He had three elder brothers, including Miles Barnett, and an older sister. He married Pamela Grant (21 December 1918 - 30 August 2010) on 22 April 1939, and they went on to have three daughters and one son. RAF career The New Zealander Barnett was commissioned into the Royal Air Force in 1929. He was appointed Officer Commanding No. 84 Squadron in 1938 and then served in the Second World War taking charge of No. 4 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Allied Air Forces Central Europe
Allied Air Forces Central Europe (AAFCE) was the NATO command tasked with air and air defense operations in NATOs Allied Forces Central Europe (AFCENT) area of command. History Allied Air Forces Central Europe was activated on 2 April 1951 at Fontainebleau in France through General Dwight D. Eisenhower's General Order No. 1. The first commanding officer of AAFCE was U.S. Air Force general Lauris Norstad, commanding general of US Air Forces in Europe, Wiesbaden. AAFCE reported to Allied Forces Central Europe (AFCENT) at Fontainebleau, which in turn reported to Allied Command Europe, headquartered at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Rocquencourt. The task of AAFCE was to control and command allied air assets in the NATO Central Region f Europein wartime. ''Flight'' magazine, in the first of a three-part feature on 26 June 1953, described AAFCE as already comprising two allied tactical air forces, Second Allied Tactical Air Force, under RAF Air Marshal Sir Rob ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Far East Air Force (Royal Air Force)
The former Royal Air Force Far East Air Force, more simply known as RAF Far East Air Force, was the Command organisation that controlled all Royal Air Force assets in the east of Asia (Far East). It was originally formed as Air Command, South East Asia in 1943 during the Second World War. In 1946, this was renamed RAF Air Command Far East, and finally Far East Air Force in June 1949. The command was disbanded on 31 October 1971. Early history The RAF's Far East Command was formed in January 1930 and its first officer commanding, Group Captain Henry Cave-Browne-Cave, was double-hatted as Officer Commanding RAF Singapore. This was upgraded to Headquarters Air Force Far East Command in 1933. During the Second World War, when Malaya, Singapore, Burma and Hong Kong were overrun by the Japanese, the command retreated to India, there receiving the name Air Headquarters Bengal. The true ancestor of the postwar Far East Air Force was formed on 16 November 1943, under Lord Louis Moun ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Percy Bernard, 5th Earl Of Bandon
Air Chief Marshal Percy Ronald Gardner Bernard, 5th Earl of Bandon, (30 August 1904 – 8 February 1979) was an Anglo-Irish aristocrat who served as a senior commander in the Royal Air Force in the mid-20th century. He was a squadron, station and group commander during the Second World War, and the fifth Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps after the war. He was awarded the American Distinguished Flying Cross and Bronze Star Medal in 1946. Early life Born in Gillingham, Kent, Bernard was the elder of twin boys by twenty minutes and the son of Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Percy Hamilton Bernard and Lettice Mina Paget, daughter of Captain Gerald Cecil Stewart Paget, son of Lord Alfred Paget, younger son of Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey. On his father's side he was a great-grandson of the Right Reverend Charles Bernard, Bishop of Tuam, younger son of James Bernard, 2nd Earl of Bandon. His family resided in a house on the Theobald's Park estate in Hertfordshire where the e ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Controller Aircraft
Controller Aircraft (CA), originally Controller of Aircraft, is a senior (3 star) British Ministry of Defence appointment who is responsible for delivering an airworthy aircraft to the Services, whereupon the Service issues a Release to Service (RTS), releasing the aircraft into service. The difference between CA Release and RTS is normally one of Build Standard. Although usually held by a Royal Air Force officer, several civil servants have held the post in the 20th century. The incumbent is a member of the Air Force Board. History Prior to 1953, the equivalent responsibilities were held by Controller of Supplies (Air). In 1971 the post was moved from the Ministry of Technology to the Ministry of Defence's Procurement Executive. Controllers The following officers have held the post: *9 November 1953 Air Chief Marshal Sir John Baker *1956 Air Chief Marshal Sir Claude Pelly *1959 Sir George Gardner *1963 Morien Morgan *1967 Air Marshal Sir Christopher Hartley *1 September ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Vice-Chief Of The Air Staff (United Kingdom)
The British Vice-Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS) was the post occupied by the senior Royal Air Force officer who served as a senior assistant to the Chief of the Air Staff. The post was created during World War II on 22 April 1940 and its incumbent sat on the Air Council. It was abolished in 1985 when the post's responsibilities were combined with those of the Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Policy) and the Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operations) to create a single post, the Assistant Chief of the Air Staff. The Vice-Chief was responsible for defining the operational requirements for the RAF and conducting wider strategic planning. Vice-Chiefs of the Air Staff Holders of the post included: *22 April 1940 – 4 October 1940 Air Marshal Sir Richard Peirse *4 October 1940 – 19 October 1942 Air Chief Marshal Sir Wilfrid Freeman *19 October 1942 – 21 March 1943 Air Vice-Marshal C E H Medhurst (acting) Air Chief Marshal Tedder had been due to take the appointment but aft ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Deputy Chief Of The Air Staff (United Kingdom)
The Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (DCAS) was a senior appointment in the Royal Air Force. The incumbent was the deputy to the Chief of the Air Staff. The post existed from 1918 to 1969. Today, the Chief of the Air Staff's deputy is titled as the Assistant Chief of the Air Staff. History The post was created on 3 January 1918 as part of the preliminary work before the creation of the RAF and the incumbent sat on the Air Council. However, with the establishment of the RAF on 1 April 1918, the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff was removed from the Air Council. From the mid-1920s to 1938, the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff was double-hatted as the RAF's Director of Operations and Intelligence. In 1930, when Trenchard stepped down as Chief of the Air Staff, the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff was once again appointed to the Air Council. Deputy Chiefs of the Air Staff Holders of the post included: *3 January 1918 Major-General M E F Kerr *1 April 1918 Brigadier-General R M Groves *12 Aug ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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John Baker (RAF Officer)
Air Chief Marshal Sir John Wakeling Baker, (23 October 1897 – 10 March 1978) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force in the mid-20th century. Flying career Baker was commissioned into the Royal Garrison Artillery in February 1916.Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Chief Marshal Sir John Baker profile rafweb.org; accessed 14 June 2015. He transferred to the later that year initially as a Gunnery Liaison Officer. In 1918 he was awarded the Military Cross, the citation for which was promulgated in '' [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Vice-Chief Of The Defence Staff (United Kingdom)
The Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff (VCDS) is the deputy to the Chief of the Defence Staff, the professional head of the British Armed Forces. Ministry of Defence The position was titled before 1964. From 1966 to 1978 the post was occupied by a 3 star officer Military star ranking is military terminology, u ...
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