Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation

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Air Commodore I M Bonham-Carter

I M Bonham-Carter - 1914Air Commodore I M Bonham-CarterIan Malcolm                 b: 31 Jul 1882                  r: 1 Oct 1931                        d: 31 Dec 1953

CB - 1 Jan 1923, OBE - 1 Jan 1919, LoH, C - 3 Nov 1914, SS2S - xx xxx xxxx, MiD - xx xxx xxxx, MiD - 19 Oct 1914, MiD - 4 Dec 1914.  

For a list of foreign decoration abbreviations, click here

(Militia): - 2 Lt: 22 Oct 1900,

(Army): - 2 Lt: 4 Dec 1901, Lt: 21 Sep 1904, Capt: 16 Sep 1914, Maj: 8 May 1916, (T) Lt Col: 28 Sep 1916, (T) Col: 10 Sep 1917.

(RAF): - (T) Col [Lt Col]?: 1 Apr 1918, Act Col: xx Oct 1918?, Wg Cdr: 1 Aug 1919, Act Gp Capt: 1Aug 1919?, Gp Capt: 5 Aug 1919, A/Cdre: 1 Jul 1925.

22 Oct 1900:                Officer, 5th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers

 4 Dec 1901:                Officer, 1st Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers

 1 Oct 1909:                Adjutant, Northumberland Fusiliers

30 Sep 1912:               Officer, Northumberland Fusiliers

 3 May 1914:                Pilot, No 4 Sqn RFC. (Various types – Netheravon/Western Front)

xx May 1914:               Attended No 6 Course, Central Flying School.

30 Jun 1914:                 Appointed Flying Officer, RFC.

 2 Nov 1914:                Flight Commander, No ? Sqn RFC.

22 Apr 1916:                Staff Captain, RFC.

28 Sep 1916:                Commandant, No 1 School of Military Aeronautics (graded as Assistant Adjutant-General)

 6 Jul 1917:                   Commandant, No 1 School of Military Aeronautics (graded as Wing Commander)

10 Sep 1917:                Commandant, School of Technical Training (Men) (graded as a Depot Commander)

 1 Apr 1918:                 Staff Officer 1st Class, HQ No 1 Area.

 8 May 1918:                Staff Officer 1st Class, HQ South-Eastern Area.

 8 Jun 1919:                  Deputy Director of Organisation.

 1 Aug 1919:                 Awarded Permanent Commission as a Lieutenant Colonel.

 1 Aug 1919:                 Appointed Deputy Director, 2nd Class

 5 Aug 1919:                 Appointed Deputy Director, 1st Class

 1 Nov 1919:                 Reverted to Deputy Director , 2nd Class

 9 Feb 1920:                 Officer Commanding, No 11 (Irish) Group.

26 Apr 1920:                Officer Commanding, No 11 (Irish) Wing.

17 Feb 1922:                Officer Commanding, RAF Ireland.

 1 Aug 1922:                Commandant, RAF Depot.

 1 Oct 1925:                 AOC, No 3 Group.

12 Apr 1926:                AOC, No 23 Group

 1 Apr 1928:                AOC, RAF Halton/Commandant, No 1 SoTT (Apprentices).

7 Mar 1939:                Duty Air Commodore, Operations Room, HQ Fighter Command

The son of a Lieutenant Colonel in the Coldstream Guards, he was educated at Haileybury and was commissioned into the Northumberland Fusiliers in 1900.  He served in the South African War during 1899 to 1900 in Cape Colony and the Orange River Colony.  He gained RAeC Certificate No 794 on 25 May 1914.  Whilst serving with No 4 Squadron in France, he visited his old regiment in the front line and was severely wounded, losing his leg.  This gave him considerable pain throughout his career and eventually led to him being placed on the retired list on account of ill-health.  However, whilst AOC, No 23 Group, he had an Avro 504 specially fitted to allow him to continue flying.

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