Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Marshal of the Royal Air Force | |
---|---|
Country | United Kingdom |
Service branch | Royal Air Force |
Abbreviation | Mshl of RAF / MRAF |
Rank | Five-star rank |
NATO rank code | OF-10 |
Non-NATO rank | O-11 |
Formation | 1927 |
Abolished | No active MRAFs since 1995. |
Next lower rank | Air chief marshal |
Equivalent ranks |
Marshal of the Royal Air Force (MRAF) is the highest rank in the
Marshal of the Royal Air Force is a
The rank was instituted in 1919 and the first officer to be promoted to MRAF was
Excluding
Origins
Prior to the creation of the RAF's officer rank titles in 1919, it was proposed that by analogy with
Insignia, command flag and star plate
The rank insignia consists of four narrow light blue bands (each on a slightly wider black band) above a light blue band on a broad black band. This insignia is derived from the sleeve lace of an admiral of the fleet and is worn on both the lower sleeves of the tunic or on the shoulders of the flying suit or the service working dress uniform. Marshals of the Royal Air Force wear
The command flag of a marshal of the Royal Air Force has a broad red horizontal band in the centre with a thinner red band on each side of it.
The vehicle star plate for a marshal of the Royal Air Force depicts five white stars (marshal of the Royal Air Force is equivalent to a five-star rank) on an air force blue background.
The rank insignia and flag exists in some other air forces for equivalent ranks. The rank title differs slightly, often being a variation on marshal of the air force, usually with the name of the relevant air force in place of the words 'Royal Air Force'. A notable example of this practice is the rank of marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force.
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Marshal of the RAF sleeve insignia
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Marshal of the RAF shoulder board
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Marshal of the RAF sleeve mess insignia
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Marshal of the RAF sleeve on No. 1 Service Dress uniform
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Marshal of the RAF command flag
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Marshal of the RAF star plate
Marshals of the Royal Air Force
Date of promotion | Image | Officer | Year of birth | Year of death | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 January 1927[13][14] | Sir Hugh Trenchard (later The Viscount Trenchard) |
1873 | 1956 | Chief of the Air Staff 1918 and 1919–1930 | |
1 January 1933[15] | Sir John Salmond | 1881 | 1968 | Chief of the Air Staff 1930–1933 | |
21 January 1936[16] | King Edward VIII | 1894 | 1972 | Assumed the rank on the date shown following accession to the throne. | |
11 December 1936[17] | King George VI | 1895 | 1952 | Assumed the rank on the date shown following accession to the throne. | |
1 January 1937[18] | Sir Edward Ellington | 1877 | 1967 | Chief of the Air Staff 1933–1937 | |
4 October 1940[19] | Sir Cyril Newall (later The Lord Newall) |
1886 | 1963 | Chief of the Air Staff 1937–1940. Retired 20 days after promotion. | |
1 January 1944[20] | Sir Charles Portal (later Viscount Portal of Hungerford) |
1893 | 1971 | Chief of the Air Staff 1940–1946 | |
12 September 1945[21] | Sir Arthur Tedder (later The Lord Tedder) |
1890 | 1967 | Chief of the Air Staff 1946–1950 | |
1 January 1946[22] | Sir Sholto Douglas (later The Lord Douglas of Kirtleside) |
1893 | 1969 | ||
1 January 1946[22][23] | Sir Arthur "Bomber" Harris | 1892 | 1984 | Promoted several months after retirement. | |
8 June 1950[24] | Sir John Slessor | 1897 | 1979 | Chief of the Air Staff 1950–1952 | |
15 January 1953[25] | The Duke of Edinburgh | 1921 | 2021 | Honorary appointment. | |
1 June 1954[26] | Sir William Dickson | 1898 | 1987 | Chief of the Air Staff 1953–1955 Chief of the Defence Staff 1959 | |
1 January 1958[27] | Sir Dermot Boyle | 1904 | 1993 | Chief of the Air Staff 1956–1959 | |
12 June 1958[28] | The Duke of Gloucester | 1900 | 1974 | Honorary appointment. | |
6 April 1962[29] | Sir Thomas Pike | 1906 | 1983 | Chief of the Air Staff 1960–1963 | |
1 April 1967[30] | Sir Charles Elworthy (later The Lord Elworthy) |
1911 | 1993 | Chief of the Air Staff 1963–1967 Chief of the Defence Staff 1967–1971 | |
1 April 1971[31] | Sir John Grandy | 1913 | 2004 | Chief of the Air Staff 1967–1971 Promoted and retired on the same day. | |
31 March 1974[32] | Sir Denis Spotswood | 1916 | 2001 | Chief of the Air Staff 1971–1974 Promoted and retired on the same day. | |
6 August 1976[33] | Sir Andrew Humphrey | 1921 | 1977 | Chief of the Air Staff 1974–1976 Chief of the Defence Staff 1976–1977 | |
31 July 1977[34][35] | Sir Neil Cameron (later The Lord Cameron of Balhousie) |
1920 | 1985 | Chief of the Air Staff 1976-1977 Chief of the Defence Staff 1977–1979 | |
14 October 1982[36] | Sir Michael Beetham | 1923 | 2015 | Chief of the Air Staff 1977–1982 Promoted and retired on the same day. | |
15 October 1985[37] | Sir Keith Williamson | 1928 | 2018 | Chief of the Air Staff 1982-1985 Promoted and retired on the same day. | |
14 November 1988[38] | Sir David Craig (later The Lord Craig of Radley) |
1929 | Living | Chief of the Air Staff 1985–1988 Chief of the Defence Staff 1988–1991 | |
6 November 1992[39] | Sir Peter Harding | 1933 | 2021 | Chief of the Air Staff 1988-1992 Chief of the Defence Staff 1992–1994 Resigned commission 14 June 1994.[40] | |
16 June 2012[41] | King Charles III | 1948 | Living | Honorary appointment and at that time The Prince of Wales
| |
13 June 2014[42] | The Lord Stirrup | 1949 | Living | Chief of the Air Staff 2003–2006 Chief of the Defence Staff 2006–2010 Honorary rank. |
Unlike other MRAFs who only relinquished their appointments, Sir Peter Harding resigned from the RAF in 1994.[43] Consequently, his name was removed from the Air Force List, but it was later reinstated.[44]
See also
- Air force officer rank insignia
- British and U.S. military ranks compared
- Comparative military ranks
- General of the air force
- List of Royal Air Force air chief marshals
- Marshal of the air force
- RAF officer ranks
References
- ^ "Ranks and Badges of the Royal Air Force". Royal Air Force. 2007. Archived from the original on 14 December 2007. Retrieved 1 December 2007.
- ^ "Telegraph style book: the Services". The Daily Telegraph. London. 12 April 2008. Archived from the original on 25 May 2008. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
- ^ "2014 Birthday Honours for service personnel and defence civilians". Ministry of Defence. 13 June 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
- ^ Barrass, Malcolm (8 September 2007). "Glossary". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Archived from the original on 13 April 2008. Retrieved 21 March 2008.
- ^ "Chapter 2 Part 4". The Queen's Regulations for the Army (PDF). Norwich: HMSO. 28 February 2000 [28 February 2000]. pp. 2–4/7. Retrieved 21 March 2008.
- ^ "From All Quarters". Flight. LXIII (2296): 86. 23 January 1953. Retrieved 1 May 2009.
- ^ "The King and the Sea". Time. 29 July 1935. Archived from the original on 10 June 2008. Retrieved 2 April 2008.
- ^ Barrass, Malcolm (11 June 2007). "Commissioned Ranks of the Royal Air Force 1919 – present". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Archived from the original on 27 November 2007. Retrieved 31 December 2007.
- ^ "New Royal Air Force Title", Flight, 17 (17): 249, 1923
- ^ Samuel Hoare, 1st Viscount Templewood, Secretary of State for Air (12 May 1925). "MARSHAL OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). United Kingdom: House of Commons. col. 1689W.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Laffin, John (1964). Swifter than Eagles. A biography of Marshal of the RAF Sir John Salmond. William Blackwood & Sons Ltd. p. 149.
- ^ Raf 1
- ^ "No. 33235". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1926. p. 9.
- ^ Barrass, Malcolm (9 October 2007). "Marshal of the RAF The Viscount Trenchard of Wolfeton". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 25 May 2009.
- ^ "No. 33898". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1932. p. 15.
- ^ "No. 34251". The London Gazette. 31 January 1936. p. 665.
- ^ "No. 34351". The London Gazette. 18 December 1936. p. 8187.
- ^ "No. 34356". The London Gazette. 1 January 1937. p. 17.
- ^ Baron Newall
- ^ "No. 36309". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1943. p. 43.
- ^ "No. 37261". The London Gazette. 11 September 1945. p. 4532.
- ^ a b "No. 37414". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 1945. p. 187.
- ^ Barrass, Malcolm (29 September 2007). "Marshal of the RAF Sir Arthur Harris". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 31 March 2008.
- ^ "No. 38941". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 June 1950. p. 3045.
- ^ "No. 39753". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 January 1953. p. 349.
- ^ "No. 40186". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 May 1954. p. 3195.
- ^ "No. 41266". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 December 1957. p. 7593.
- ^ "No. 41409". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 June 1958. p. 3561.
- ^ "No. 42644". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 April 1962. p. 2929.
- ^ Barrass, Malcolm (16 June 2007). "Marshal of the RAF The Lord Elworthy of Timaru". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 18 April 2008.
- ^ Barrass, Malcolm (16 June 2007). "Marshal of the RAF Sir John Grandy". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 1 April 2008.
- ^ Barrass, Malcolm (7 October 2007). "Marshal of the RAF Sir Denis Spotswood". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 2 April 2008.
- ISBN 0-11-772635-4.
- ISBN 0-11-772635-4.
- ^ "No. 47289". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 August 1977. p. 9978.
- ISBN 0-11-772635-4.
- ISBN 0-11-772635-4.
- ISBN 0-11-772635-4.
- ^ "No. 53103". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 November 1992. p. 18862.
- ^ "No. 53814". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 October 1994. p. 14206.
- ^ "Prince Charles awarded highest rank in all three armed forces". The Daily Telegraph. 16 June 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
- ^ "2014 Birthday Honours for service personnel and defence civilians". Ministry of Defence. 13 June 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
- ISBN 0-7146-4243-6.
- ^ Obituaries, Telegraph (22 August 2021). "Marshal of the RAF Sir Peter Harding, charismatic and imposing Chief of Defence Staff brought down after a tabloid exposé – obituary". The Telegraph. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
External links
- Media related to Marshals of the Royal Air Force at Wikimedia Commons