Air Vice-Marshal Sir Tom Ince Webb-Bowen, (17 January 1879 – 29 October 1956) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during the first half of the 20th century.

Early life

Tom Ince Webb-Bowen was born on 17 January 1879, the son of Thomas Ince Webb-Bowen (senior) who served as the Chief Constable of

Pembrokeshire Police Pembrokeshire ( ; cy, Sir Benfro ) is a county in the south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and the rest by sea. The county is home to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. The Park ...

from 1 January 1879 to 1 December 1906.

RAF career

Webb-Bowen was initially commissioned into a militia battalion of the Middlesex Regiment, later got a regular army commission into the

Bedfordshire Regiment The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment was the final title of a Line infantry, line infantry regiment of the British Army that was originally formed in 1688. After centuries of service in many conflicts and wars, including both the World War ...

and was appointed the Adjutant of the Madras Volunteer Corps while serving in India.Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Vice-Marshal Sir Tom Webb-Bowen
/ref> Finding himself unsuited to regimental life, Webb-Bowen learnt to fly in 1912. After several weeks as a

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

flight commander, he was posted to the Central Flying School as an instructor where he later served as the Assistant Commandant. In March 1915 Major Webb-Bowen took over command of No. 2 Squadron while the squadron was located at Merville, France. During his short tenure there were two significant events. Firstly, because of the difficulty suffered by ground troops in communicating their advance to higher command, a technique was developed whereby troops on the ground could convey their position by laying strips of white cloth on the ground. (These strips are referred to as "Popham strips" in a novel, and Webb-Bowen's predecessor was Robert Brooke-Popham.) Aircraft from No. 2 Squadron would then relay by WT the co-ordinates noted. The second and more historically significant event was the award of the first Victoria Cross awarded for bravery in the air, to Lieutenant William Rhodes-Moorhouse. Major Webb-Bowen handed over command to Major Becke in June 1915 following his posting to Home Establishment. He continued his war service commanding No. 3 Wing RFC from May 1915, and then as Brigadier-General Commanding first II Brigade RFC, then VII Brigade RFC and then II Brigade RFC again. He commanded these brigades in France and Italy. After the war he was appointed Air Officer Commanding South Eastern Area and then Air Officer Commanding RAF India. He was appointed Air Officer Commanding

No. 3 Group No. 3 Group (3 Gp) of the Royal Air Force was an RAF group first active in 1918, again in 1923–26, part of RAF Bomber Command from 1936 to 1967, and part of RAF Strike Command from 2000 until it disbanded on 1 April 2006. No. 3 Group was fi ...

in 1923, Air Officer Commanding Inland Area in 1924Battle of Britain – 1940
/ref> and Air Officer Commanding

Middle East Command Middle East Command, later Middle East Land Forces, was a British Army Command established prior to the Second World War in Egypt. Its primary role was to command British land forces and co-ordinate with the relevant naval and air commands to ...

in 1925. He then went on to be Air Member for Personnel in 1930 and Air Officer Commanding Wessex Bombing Area in 1931 before retiring on 26 September 1933. He was recalled during the Second World War to be Duty Air Commodore in the Operations Room at Headquarters Fighter Command.

References

, - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Webb-Bowen, Tom 1879 births 1956 deaths Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Officers of the Military Order of Savoy Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 3rd class Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) Officiers of the Légion d'honneur Deputy Lieutenants of Pembrokeshire High Sheriffs of Pembrokeshire Royal Air Force generals of World War I Royal Air Force air marshals Middlesex Regiment officers Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment officers Royal Flying Corps officers