The British Vice-Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS) was the post occupied by the 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 ...

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 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 ...

. 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 Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (ACAS) is a senior appointment in the Royal Air Force. The current ACAS is Air Vice-Marshal Simon Edwards. The post was originally established circa February 1938, but without being made a member of the Air ...

. 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 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 Wilfrid Freeman *19 October 1942 – 21 March 1943

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 ...

C E H Medhurst (acting) Air Chief Marshal

Tedder Tedder is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Arthur Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder, British air marshal * Constant Tedder, former Chief Executive Officer of Jagex Games Studio * Ernest Tedder (1915–1972), English cricketer *Henry Ric ...

had been due to take the appointment but after a meeting with Eisenhower, the Americans asked Churchill to appoint Tedder as Air Commander for the whole Mediterranean area. *21 March 1943 – 1 June 1946 Sir Douglas Evill *1 June 1946 – 1947 Air Marshal Sir William Dickson *1947 – 1948 Air Marshal Sir James Robb *1 November 1948 Air Marshal Sir Arthur Sanders *1 March 1950 Air Chief Marshal The Honourable Sir

Ralph Cochrane Air Chief Marshal Sir Ralph Alexander Cochrane, (24 February 1895 – 17 December 1977) was a British aviator and Royal Air Force officer, perhaps best known for his role in Operation Chastise, the famous "Dambusters" raid. Early RAF career Ral ...

*1 November 1952 Air Marshal

Sir John Baker John Baker or Jon Baker may refer to: Military figures *John Baker (American Revolutionary War) (1731–1787), American Revolutionary War hero, for whom Baker County, Georgia was named *John Baker (RAF officer) (1897–1978), British air marshal ...

*9 November 1953 Air Marshal Sir

Ronald Ivelaw-Chapman Air Chief Marshal Sir Ronald Ivelaw-Chapman, (17 January 1899 – 28 April 1978) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force in the middle of the 20th century and the penultimate RAF commander-in-chief of the Indian Air Force. Early life and ...

*16 September 1957 Air Marshal Sir

Edmund Hudleston Air Chief Marshal Sir Edmund Cuthbert Hudleston, (30 December 1908 – 14 December 1994) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force. RAF career The son of the Rev Cuthbert Hudleston, sometime Archdeacon of Perth, Western Australia Hud ...

*2 March 1962 Air Marshal Sir

Wallace Kyle Air Chief Marshal Sir Wallace Hart Kyle, (22 January 1910 – 31 January 1988) was an Australian who served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a senior commander and later as the 24th Governor of Western Australia. Born in Kalgoorlie, Western Austr ...

*November 1964 Air Marshal Sir

Brian Burnett Air Chief Marshal Sir Brian Kenyon Burnett, (10 March 1913 – 16 September 2011) was a senior Royal Air Force officer who became Air Secretary and served as the last Commander-in-Chief of Far East Command. Early life The grandson of Ernest B ...

*6 November 1967 Air Marshal Sir Peter Fletcher *1 August 1970 Air Chief Marshal Sir

Denis Smallwood Air Chief Marshal Sir Denis Graham Smallwood, (13 August 1918 – 26 July 1997) was a senior Royal Air Force commander. RAF career Educated at King Edward VI School in Birmingham, Smallwood joined the Royal Air Force in 1938. Smallwood took p ...

*1 November 1973 Air Marshal Sir

Ruthven Wade Air Chief Marshal Sir Ruthven Lowry "Gerry" Wade, (15 July 1920 – 24 September 2001) was a senior Royal Air Force officer who served as Vice-Chief of the Air Staff from 1973 to 1976. RAF career Educated at Cheltenham College, Wade joined the ...

*February 1976 Air Marshal Sir David Evans *March 1977 Air Marshal Sir

Peter Terry Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter David George Terry, (18 October 1926 – 19 December 2017) was a senior Royal Air Force commander who held a number of high-level British and NATO posts. Terry was Governor of Gibraltar from 1985 to 1989. Royal Air ...

*30 January 1979 Air Marshal Sir John Nicholls *May 1980 Air Marshal Sir David Craig *August 1982 Air Marshal Sir Peter Harding

References

*{{cite web , url=http://www.rafweb.org/Organsation/AirMin2A.htm , title=Air Council Appointments , first=M. B. , last=Barrass , website=Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation 1940 establishments in the United Kingdom 1985 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Royal Air Force appointments Vice chiefs of staff