Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation


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Air Marshal Sir John Baldwin


Sir John Eustace Arthur BaldwinJohn Eustace Arthur

b: 13 Apr 1892          r: 15 Aug 1939           d: 28 Jul 1975

KBE - 1 Jan 1943 (CBE - 1942, OBE - 3 Jun 1919), CB - 1 Jan 1938, DSO - 3 Jun 1918, KStJ - 3 Jul 1962 (CStJ - 5 Jul 1955, OStJ - 27 Jun 1952), AFRAeS, MiD - 1 Jan 1916, MiD - 11 Dec 1917, MiD - 20 May 1918, MiD - 1 Jan 1941, Cwn, O - 24 Sep 1917, CdeG (B) - 11 Mar 1918, WL - 12 Jan 1943, AM (US)  - 8 Sep 1944, CWC - xx xxx 194?, DL (Lincs) - 6 Nov 1945, JP (Rutland) - xx xxx 1948, Hgh Shf (Rutland) - xx xxx 1955.  

For a list of foreign decoration abbreviations, click here

(Army): 2 Lt: 9 Sep 1911, (T) Lt: 15 Nov 1914, (T) Capt:  7 Dec 1915, Lt: 2 Feb 1916, Lt: 5 Feb 1916, (T) Maj: 12 Jun 1916, (T) Lt Col:  28 Dec 1917,

(RAF): (T) Lt Col [Maj]: 1 Apr 1918, Sqn Ldr: 1 Aug 1919, Wg Cdr: 30 Jun 1921, Gp Capt: 1 Jul 1929, A/Cdre: 1 Jan 1933, AVM: 1 Jan 1936, Act AM: 10 Oct 1942, AM: Retained.

Sir John Eustace Arthur Baldwin

by Walter Stoneman
bromide print, 1955
NPG x163843

© National Portrait Gallery, London

 xx xxx xxxx:            Attended RMC Sandhurst

9 Sep 1911:               Officer, 8th (King's Royal Irish) Hussars

xx xxx 1914:               U/T Pilot,

19 Feb 1915:              Flying Officer, RFC.

 7 Dec 1915:               Flight Commander, No ? Sqn RFC

12 Jun 1916:               Squadron Commander, RFC

31 Oct 1916:               Officer Commanding, No 55 Sqn RFC.

28 Dec 1917:              Officer Commanding, 41st Wing RFC/RAF.

22 Sep 1918:  

 1 Aug 1919:               Awarded Permanent Commission in the RAF as a Major

 1 Aug 1919:               Resigned his Commission in the Army

 1 Dec 1919:               Staff, RAF Depot

22 Aug 1921:              Staff Officer, HQ No 7 Group.

 3 Apr 1922:               Attended RAF Staff College. (1st Course)

 4 Apr 1923:               Supernumerary, RAF Depot.

 1 Jun 1923:                Personnel Staff, HQ RAF Middle East.

22 Sep 1925?:              Air Staff - Training, HQ RAF Middle East.

16 Jan 1928:               Attended Imperial Defence College.

 8 Dec 1927 - 16 Jan 1928:      Placed on Half pay list

17 Dec 1928:              Commandant, Central Flying School.

 1 Aug 1931 - 1 Jan 1933:                Appointed Air ADC to The King

 1 Jan 1932:                SASO, HQ Fighting Area.

 6 Feb 1933:               AOC, Fighting Area (Temporary)  

xx Feb 1934:               AOC, No 1 (Air Defence) Group.

22 Aug 1935:               Director of Personal Services

21 Dec 1936:              Commandant, RAF College - Cranwell.

 1 Dec 1938 :              AOC, No 21 (Training) Group.

29 Aug 1939:               Recalled to Service

29 Aug 1939:               AOC, No 3 Group.

 9 Jan 1942 - 21 Feb 1942:                Act AOC in C, Bomber Command.

 9 Oct 1942:                Deputy AOC in C, India.

xx Apr 1943:               ?

16 Nov 1943:              Supernumerary, HQ Air Command South-East Asia?

19 Dec 1943:              AOC, Tactical Air Force (Burma) ACSEA

28 Dec 1943:              AOC, 3rd Tactical Air Force – ACSEA

Group Photo of No 6 Sqn RIAF with AM Sir John Baldwin and A/Cdre H G Crowe

Members of No.6 Squadron RIAF during the visit of Air Marshal Baldwin accompanied by Air Commodore Henry Crowe visit No 6 Squadron at Cox's Bazaar in 1944

L - R:  

FO 'Massy' MASSILAMANi,  Unidentified Indian Officer,  FO Mehar SINGH,   FO 'Titch' HAWKINS, Air Marshal J. BALDWIN,  P/O H.K. PATEL,  A/Cdre H. CROWE,  F/O Murkot RAMUNNY (Kneeling),  F/O  'Creamy' BLUNT,  Unidentified USAF Officer,  F/L M.S. PUNJI,  Unidentified RAF Officer,  F/O J.C. 'Bandy' VARMA.

© Wg Cdr H.K. PATEL via Norman Hood

15 Dec 1944:              Reverted to Retired List

 1 Jan 1938:               Colonel, 8th Hussars

13 Jan 1951 - 12 Jan 1961:    (Hon) A/Cdre, No. 3506 (County of Northampton) Fighter Control Unit, RAuxAF: 

After attending Rugby School, he entered the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst.  He gained RAeC Certificate No 971 on 17 November 1914.  At Farnborough, one of the tasks he was given was to test the RE5.  Both he and a fellow pilot put a derogatory report into Trenchard about the aircraft, which went against Trenchard's own views, resulting in Baldwin, being sent to CFS "to learn manners".   On 28 January 1936 he was a mourner at the funeral of HM King George V.

From 1948 until 1958 he was Colonel of his old regiment, 8th King's Own Irish Hussars and from 1959 to 1960, Deputy Colonel of the Queen's Royal Irish Hussars.

This page was last updated on 15/10/22

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