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 Edgar Rainey Ludlow-Hewitt, (9 June 1886 – 15 August 1973) was a senior

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 ...

commander.

Early life

He was the second son and the second of five children of the Rev. Thomas Arthur Ludlow-Hewitt (17 May 1850 - 16 June 1936) of Clancoole, Co. Cork and later vicar of Minety, Wiltshire and Edith Annie Hudson (9 March 1854 - 15 November 1944).

First World War

Educated at

Eastman's School Eastman's Royal Naval Academy, originally in Southsea and later at Winchester, both in England, was a Preparatory school (United Kingdom), preparatory school. Between 1855 and 1923 it was known primarily as a school that prepared boys for entry t ...

, Hammerton, Sir John ''ABC of the RAF'' London 1941 p.48

Radley College Radley College, formally St Peter's College, Radley, is a public school (independent boarding school for boys) near Radley, Oxfordshire, England, which was founded in 1847. The school covers including playing fields, a golf course, a lake, and ...

and Sandhurst, Ludlow-Hewitt was commissioned into the

Royal Irish Rifles The Royal Irish Rifles (became the Royal Ulster Rifles from 1 January 1921) was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army, first created in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 83rd (County of Dublin) Regiment of Foot and the 86th (Royal County ...

in 1905, but transferred to the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

(RFC) before the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, where he qualified on 11 September 1914 for the

Royal Aero Club The Royal Aero Club (RAeC) is the national co-ordinating body for air sport in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1901 as the Aero Club of Great Britain, being granted the title of the "Royal Aero Club" in 1910. History The Aero Club was foun ...

's Aviator's Certificate no. 886.Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Chief Marshal Sir Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt
/ref> During the war he served first as a pilot in No. 1 Squadron

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

and then later as the Officer Commanding No. 15 Squadron and No. 3 Squadron on the Western Front. In 1916 Ludlow-Hewitt took up command of the 3rd (Corps) Wing as a temporary lieutenant colonel. Late in the following year, he was promoted to brigadier general and made the Inspector of Training at the headquarters of the RFC Training Division. Like other members of the RFC, he transferred to the Royal Air Force (RAF) on its creation on 1 April 1918. It was also on that date that he became General Officer Commanding (GOC) the Training Division. Less than two months later he was appointed GOC the 10th Brigade.

Later career

He was appointed

Air Secretary The Air Secretary and Chief of Staff, Personnel is the Royal Air Force officer with responsibility for appointments, promotions, postings, and discipline of high ranking members of the British air force. From 1978 to 1983 the Air Secretary was ...

in 1922 and Commandant of the

RAF Staff College The RAF Staff College may refer to: *RAF Staff College, Andover (active: 1922 to 1940 and 1948 to 1970) *RAF Staff College, Bulstrode Park (active: 1941 to 1948) *RAF Staff College, Bracknell The RAF Staff College at Bracknell was a Royal Air ...

in 1926. He went on to be Air Officer Commanding Iraq Command in 1930,

Deputy Chief of the Air Staff Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (DCAS) may refer to: * Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Australia) * Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (India) * Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Pakistan) * Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (United Kingdom) The Deputy Chief ...

and Director of Operations and Intelligence in 1933 and Air Officer Commanding the

RAF India RAF India, later called Air Forces in India (1938–47) was a command of the Royal Air Force (RAF) that was active from 1918 until Indian independence and partition in 1947. It was the air force counterpart of the British Army in India. Origi ...

in 1935. In 1937 Ludlow-Hewitt was promoted to

and appointed Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of

Bomber Command Bomber Command is an organisational military unit, generally subordinate to the air force of a country. The best known were in Britain and the United States. A Bomber Command is generally used for strategic bombing (although at times, e.g. during t ...

. In the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Ludlow-Hewitt was replaced by Portal in April 1940 because of Ludlow-Hewitt's insistence on the formation of Operational Training Units, at the expense of the availability of front line airmen. He spent the remainder of the war as

Inspector-General of the RAF The Inspector-General of the RAF was a senior appointment in the Royal Air Force, 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-ge ...

and did not retire until November 1945, making him the RAF officer with the longest service as an

during the 20th century.

References

, - , - , - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Ludlow-Hewitt, Edgar 1886 births 1973 deaths Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst Aviation pioneers Royal Air Force air marshals Royal Air Force generals of World War I Royal Ulster Rifles officers Royal Flying Corps officers Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Recipients of the Military Cross Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur Deputy Lieutenants of Wiltshire