The

Inspector-General An inspector general is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is "inspectors general". Australia The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (Australia) (IGIS) is an independent statutory off ...

of the RAF was a senior appointment in the

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 ...

, responsible for the inspection of airfields. The post existed from 1918 to 1920 and from 1935 until the late 1960s. For much of World War II, a second inspector-general post existed. The first creation of the post began on 22 August 1918 as a member of the

Air Council Air Council (or Air Force Council) was the governing body of the Royal Air Force until the merger of the Air Ministry with the other armed forces ministries to form the Ministry of Defence in 1964. It was succeeded by the Air Force Board. Mem ...

. However, in February or March of the following year, the Inspector-General ceased to sit on the Air Council.

Inspectors-general

The following people served as Inspector-General of the RAF: *22 August 1918

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Sir

Godfrey Paine Rear Admiral Sir Godfrey Marshall Paine, (21 November 1871 – 23 March 1932) was a senior officer in the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force in the early part of the 20th century. He played a leading role in joint and naval flying training befor ...

(

Air Vice-Marshal Air vice-marshal (AVM) is a two-star air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes u ...

from 1 August 1919) *''1920 to 1935 - Post Abolished'' *1 August 1935

Air Chief Marshal Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer originating from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. An air chief marshal is equivalent to an Admir ...

Sir

Robert Brooke-Popham Air Chief Marshal Sir Henry Robert Moore Brooke-Popham, (18 September 1878 – 20 October 1953) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force. During the First World War he served in the Royal Flying Corps as a wing commander and senior staff o ...

*1 September 1937

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Marshal of the Royal Air Force (MRAF) is the highest rank in the Royal Air Force (RAF). In peacetime it was granted to RAF officers in the appointment of Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), and to retired Chiefs of the Air Staff (CAS), who were ...

Sir

Edward Ellington Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Edward Leonard Ellington, (30 December 1877 – 13 June 1967) was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force. He served in the First World War as a staff officer and then as director-general of military aeronaut ...

*1 July 1939 Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Burnett *15 January 1940 Air Marshal Sir

Leslie Gossage Air Marshal Sir Ernest Leslie Gossage, (3 February 1891 – 8 July 1949) was an officer of the British Army and then of the Royal Air Force. He served as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at RAF Balloon Command from 1940 to 1944. Early life Gos ...

*14 April 1940 Air Chief Marshal Sir

Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt Air Chief Marshal Sir Edgar Rainey Ludlow-Hewitt, (9 June 1886 – 15 August 1973) was a senior Royal Air Force commander. Early life He was the second son and the second of five children of the Rev. Thomas Arthur Ludlow-Hewitt (17 May 1850 - 1 ...

From May 1940 to November 1943, a second inspector-general was appointed in addition to Ludlow-Hewitt who continued to serve. The additional inspectors-general were *24 May 1940 Air Marshal Sir

William Mitchell William Mitchell may refer to: People Media and the arts * William Mitchell (sculptor) (1925–2020), English sculptor and muralist * William Frederick Mitchell (1845–1914), British naval artist * William M. Mitchell, American writer, ministe ...

*1 June 1941 Air Chief Marshal Sir

Arthur Longmore Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Murray Longmore, (8 October 1885 – 10 December 1970) was an early naval aviator, before reaching high rank in the Royal Air Force. He was Commander-in-Chief of the RAF's Middle East Command from 1940 to 1941. Ea ...

*1943 Air Chief Marshal Sir

Philip Joubert de la Ferté Air Chief Marshal Sir Philip Bennet Joubert de la Ferté, (21 May 1887 – 21 January 1965) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during the 1930s and the Second World War. Early life Joubert de la Ferté was born in Darjeeling, India t ...

After November 1943, Ludlow-Hewitt remained as the only inspector-general until he handed over to Sir Arthur Barratt in October 1945. *29 October 1945 Air Chief Marshal Sir

Arthur Barratt Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Sheridan Barratt, (25 February 1891 – 4 November 1966) was an officer in the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War and a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. He acquired the n ...

*17 January 1947 Air Chief Marshal Sir

Norman Bottomley Air chief marshal Sir Norman Howard Bottomley, (18 September 1891 – 13 August 1970) was the successor to Arthur 'Bomber' Harris as Commander-in-Chief of RAF Bomber Command in 1945. RAF career Born in Ripponden, West Riding of Yorkshire, Botto ...

*1 January 1948 Air Chief Marshal Sir George Pirie *1 September 1948 Air Chief Marshal Sir Leslie Hollinghurst *30 September 1949 Air Chief Marshal Sir

Hugh Saunders Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh William Lumsden Saunders, (24 August 1894 – 8 May 1987) was a South African aviator who rose through the ranks to become a senior Royal Air Force commander. RAF career Saunders enlisted with the Witwatersrand Rifle ...

*9 February 1951 Air Chief Marshal Sir James Robb *1 October 1951 Air Marshal Sir Thomas Williams *1 October 1952 Air Marshal Sir

Stephen Strafford Air Marshal Stephen Charles Strafford, (21 November 1898 – 18 May 1966) was a pilot in the Royal Naval Air Service during the First World War and a senior officer in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and the following years. RAF ...

*19 April 1954 Air Marshal Sir

Charles Guest Air Marshal Sir Charles Edward Neville Guest, (4 October 1900 – 23 June 1977) was a Royal Air Force officer who became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at RAF Transport Command from 1952 to 1954. RAF Career Educated at King Edward's School, Bi ...

*31 July 1956 Air Chief Marshal Sir Walter Dawson *1 January 1958 Air Marshal Sir

Gilbert Nicholetts Air Marshal Sir Gilbert Edward Nicholetts, (9 November 1902 – 7 September 1983) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during the 1950s. RAF career Educated at Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, Nicholetts joined the Royal Air Force (RAF ...

*3 June 1959 Air Marshal Sir John Whitley *1 June 1962 Air Marshal Sir

Paterson Fraser Air Marshal Sir Henry Paterson Fraser, (15 July 1907 – 4 August 2001) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and in the post-war years. RAF career Educated at St. Andrew's College, Grahamstown, South Africa ...

*15 August 1964 Air Chief Marshal Sir

Augustus Walker Air Chief Marshal Sir George Augustus Walker, (24 August 1912 – 11 December 1986) was a Second World War bomber pilot, a jet aircraft pioneer, and a senior Royal Air Force officer in the post-war era, as well as a rugby player. Early life Walk ...

*17 February 1967 Air Marshal Sir

Reginald Emson Air Marshal Sir Reginald Herbert Embleton Emson (11 January 1912 – 27 March 1995) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force in the post-Second World War years. RAF career Emson joined the Royal Air Force in 1930. He became an Armament Off ...

References

Royal Air Force appointments {{RAF-stub