List of Royal Flying Corps generals

The following is a list of Royal Flying Corps generals. While officially general officers are not considered to belong to any regiment or corps (simply being "late" of their erstwhile regiment), in practice almost all the general officers to hold a Royal Flying Corps-related appointment gained their promotion to the general officer ranks in that appointment and remained in such appointments until the creation of the Royal Air Force on 1 April 1918. Royal Flying Corps generals then became Royal Air Force generals.

Two officers took up Royal Flying Corps related appointments while holding general officer rank: David Henderson was already a brigadier-general when the Royal Flying Corps was established, and Edward Ellington was promoted to brigadier-general while serving on the General Staff of the British VIII Corps in France, prior to taking up appointment as Deputy Director-General of Military Aeronautics. Conversely, Duncan MacInnes gained his promotion to brigadier-general while serving at the Military Aeronautics Directorate but subsequently served with the Royal Engineers.

Senior generals

Ranks indicated are the highest rank the officer obtained while in the RFC.

In addition to the above generals, Brigadier-General N J G Cameron was a member of the Royal Flying Corps reserve who had qualified as a military pilot. Unlike the above generals, Cameron never held a Royal Flying Corps appointment.^[40]

General officer appointments and incumbents

War Office

• Director-General of Military Aeronautics
  • Sir David Henderson (1913–17)
  • J M Salmond (1917–18)
  • E. L. Ellington (1918)
• Deputy Director-General of Military Aeronautics
  • W S Brancker (1917)
  • E. L. Ellington (1917–18)
• Director of Air Organization
  • W S Brancker (1916–17)
  • L E O Charlton (1917)
  • G Livingston (1917–18)
• Director of Aircraft Equipment
  • D S MacInnes (1916–17)
  • W B Caddell (1917)
  • A Huggins (1917–18)

Commands

• General Officer Commanding the Royal Flying Corps in the Field (for France and Belgium)
  • Sir David Henderson (1914)
  • F H Sykes (1914) – did not hold general officer rank
  • Sir David Henderson (1914–15)
  • H M Trenchard (1915–18)
  • J M Salmond (1918) – continued to hold equivalent post in the RAF until 1919
• General Officer Commanding, Training Division
  • J M Salmond (1917)
  • C A H Longcroft (1917–1918)
  • E R Ludlow-Hewitt (1918)
• General Officer Commanding, London Air Defence Area
  • E B Ashmore (1917–1918)
• General Officer Commanding, Royal Flying Corps Middle East
  • W S Brancker (1917–1918)
  • W G H Salmond (1918)

Staff Officers

• Brigadier General General Staff, Royal Flying Corps in the Field
  • P W Game (1916–1918)
• Deputy Adjutant and Quartermaster General, Royal Flying Corps in the Field
  • H R M Brooke-Popham (1916–1917)
• Deputy Quartermaster General, Royal Flying Corps in the Field
  • H R M Brooke-Popham (1917–1918)
• Deputy Adjutant General, Royal Flying Corps in the Field
  • F L Festing (1917–1918)
• Brigadier General Royal Flying Corps Staff, Training Division
  • G Livingston (1917)
  • J G Hearson (1917–1918)
• Inspector of Training, Training Division
  • E R Ludlow-Hewitt (1917–1918)

Brigades

In late 1915 brigades started to be established in the RFC and so brigadier-generals were created. A list of brigade command appointments is at List of Royal Flying Corps brigades.

References

1. "No. 29534". The London Gazette. 4 April 1916. p. 3559.
2. "Lieutenant General Sir David Henderson". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
3. "Marshal of the RAF The Viscount Trenchard of Wolfeton". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
4. "Air Vice-Marshal Sir Sefton Brancker". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
5. "No. 29476". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 February 1916. p. 1777.
6. "Marshal of the RAF Sir John Salmond". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
7. "Major-General E. B. Ashmore". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
8. "No. 30375". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 November 1917. p. 11640.
9. Baker, Anne (2003). From Biplane to Spitfire: the life of Air Chief Marshal Sir Geoffrey Salmond KCB KCMG DSO. Barnsley: Leo Cooper. p. 120. ISBN 9780850529807.
10. "Air Chief Marshal Sir Geoffrey Salmond". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
11. "Air Vice-Marshal Sir Tom Webb-Bowen". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
12. "Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
13. "No. 29543". The London Gazette. 11 April 1916. p. 3804.
14. "Air Commodore D. le G. Pitcher". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
15. "Air Marshal Sir John Higgins". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
16. "Air Vice-Marshal Sir Philip Game". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
17. "Brigadier-General J. H. W. Becke". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
18. "Marshal of the RAF Sir Edward Ellington". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
19. "Brigadier-General G. S. Shephard". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
20. "Air Commodore L. E. O. Charlton". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
21. "Brigadier-General W. B. Caddell". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
22. "Air Chief Marshal Lord Dowding of Bentley Priory". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
23. "Brigadier-General C G Hoare". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
24. "Air Commodore P. L. W. Herbert". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
25. "Brigadier-General R. E. T. Hogg". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
26. "Brigadier-General G. Livingston". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
27. "Air Commodore T. C. R. Higgins". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
28. "No. 30411". The London Gazette. 30 November 1917. p. 12650.
29. "Air Chief Marshal Sir Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
30. "Air Commodore J. G. Hearson". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
31. "Air Vice-Marshal A. E. Borton". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
32. "Brigadier-General A. Huggins". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
33. "Marshal of the RAF The Lord Newall of Clifton upon Dunsmoor". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
34. "No. 30515". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 February 1918. p. 1805.
35. "No. 30582". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 March 1918. p. 3400.
36. "No. 30640". The London Gazette. 19 April 1918. p. 4743..
37. "No. 30582". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 March 1918. p. 3405.
38. "Air Commodore A. C. Critchley". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
39. "Brigadier-General C. F. De S. Murphy". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
40. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 January 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)