Photo (far left) - from his RAeC Certificate
Photo (right) - Sir Frederick William Bowhill
by Bassano Ltd
half-plate glass negative, 5 June 1939
NPG x27106
Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
Frederick
William b: 1 Sep 1880
r: 1 Jul 1942
d: 12 Mar 1960
GBE
-
1 Jul 1941, KCB -
1 Jan 1936 (CB - 3 Jun 1935), CMG - 22 Dec 1919, DSO - 22 Feb 1918,
Bar - 3 Jun 1919, FRGS, MiD - 19 Feb 1915, MiD - 5 Apr 1918, MiD - 17 May
1918, MiD - 6 Aug 1918, MiD - 3 Jun 1919, MiD - 22 Dec 1919,
MiD
- 31 Mar 1920, SV4SB
- xx xxx 191?, R, C - 1 Apr 1920, ON (GC) - 24 Sep 1943, LoM (Cdr) - 27 Mar 1945,
SO (GC) - 12 Jun
1945,
PR1 - 12 Jun 1945.
(RNR):
- Mid’n: 16 Nov 1898 [3 Nov
1898], Sub-Lt: 19 Dec
1904, Lt: 24 Oct 1911,
(RN/RNAS):
- Lt: 1 Apr
1913, Flt Lt: 1 Jul 1914,
Act Flt
Cdr: 11 Aug 1914,
Flt
Cdr: 26 Sep 1914, Sqn Cdr: 1 Jan
1916, Wg Cdr: 30 Jun 1917.
(RAF): - (T) Lt Col
[Maj]: 1 Apr 1918, Wg
Cdr: 1 Aug 1919, Gp Capt: 1 Jan
1921, A/Cdre: 1 Jul 1928, AVM:
1 Jul 1931, AM: 1 Jan 1936, (T) ACM:
1 Nov 1939, AVM: 1 Jul 1942,
AM:
11 Apr 1943, Act (U) ACM: 1 Jul 1942, ACM:
Retained,
Photo (far left) - from his RAeC Certificate
Photo (right) - Sir Frederick William Bowhill
by Bassano Ltd
half-plate glass negative, 5 June 1939
NPG x27106
xx
xxx 1898: Midshipman, Merchant Marine.
11 - 28 Jun 1910: Training - HMS Excellent
28 Jul - 16 Sep 1910: Gunnery Training - HMS Furious
17 Sep - 11 Nov 1910: Torpedo Training - HMS Vernon
22 Nov 1910: Training - HMS Swiftsure
17 Jan 1913: Attended Central Flying School.
1 Apr 1913: Appointed as a Lieutenant on the Supplementary List
17
Apr 1913:
11
Aug 1914:
Officer Commanding, HMS Empress.
7 Apr 1916: Officer Commanding, HMS Alert
8 Aug 1916: Officer Commanding, No 8 Sqn RNAS (East Africa)
28 Feb 1917: Appointed Head of the Zanzibar Defence Committee.
Jan - Mar 1918: In transit to the UK
25 Mar 1918:
Attended 'Large America' training course, RNAS Felixstowe.
xx
xxx 1918:
Officer Commanding, RNAS/RAF Killingholme.
xx
xxx 1918:
Officer Commanding, No 62 Wing, Aegean Group RAF
xx xxx 1918 Member, RAF Detachment, South Russia
xx xxx xxxx: Officer Commanding, Repair Base, Mudros
1 Aug 1919: Awarded Permanent Commission as a Lieutenant Colonel
30 Oct 1919: Chief Staff Officer, Z-Force - Somaliland
22 Jan 1920: Removed from the Navy List (effective 1 Aug 1919)
15 Apr 1920: Embarked at Berbera
20 Apr 1920: Disembarked at Suez
20 Apr 1920: Attached, Palestine Brigade (No 5 Sqn) awaiting disposal
26 Apr 1920: Attached, HQ Egypt Group
14 May 1920: Embarked at Alexandria for UK
4
Jul 1920:
Technical Staff Officer, HQ No 29 Group.
1
Mar 1921: Chief Staff Officer, HQ Coastal Area.
15
Aug 1924: Supernumerary Gp Capt:/Chief Staff Officer, HQ RAF Middle East.
19
Feb 1925: Officer Commanding, RAF Depot Egypt.
11
Oct 1926: SESO, HQ Iraq Command.
9
Mar 1928: SASO, HQ Iraq Command.
19
May 1929: Director of
Organisation and Staff Duties.
4
May 1931: AOC, Fighting Area - ADGB
31
Jul 1933:
Air Member for Personnel
16
Aug 1937: AOC in C, Coastal Command
13
Jun 1941: Commander, Ferry
Organisation
18 Jul 1941: AOC, Ferry Command
1 Jul 1942: Retired but re-employed as AVM (Acting ACM (unpaid))
25 Mar 1943: AOC in C, Transport Command
29 Mar 1945: Reverted to Retired List as ACM.
xx
xxx 1946 – xx xxx 1947:
Director of Public Relations.
He gained his Master's Certificate under sail and in 1904 and his RAeC Certificate (No 397) on 21 January 1913. On 28 July 1913 he flew Caudron Amphibian, '55' from a trackway aboard HMS Hermes underway at 10 knots. Two weeks earlier, he had been flying its sister '56' when the aircraft fell into the sea a mile off shore, forcing him to cling to the wreckage before being rescued by a motor launch.
Whilst commanding the Seaplane carrier, HMS
Empress he took part in the Cuxhaven raid on Christmas Day 1914 (See
Archives) and later
the Gallipoli landings. 'Z'
Force carried out the first air policing operation, the target being an old
'thorn in the British side', "The Mad Mullah" and resulted in his
exile in a matter of weeks compared with the years of ground fighting which had
already ensued with no firm result. The
success of the campaign was amongst Trenchard's ammunition when he proposed the
use of these methods in policing Iraq and other territories.
As
AMP he proposed the formation of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF).
Citation for the award of the DSO: -
"Wing Cdr. Frederick William Bowhill, R.N.
In recognition of his invaluable services as Comdg. Officer of the R.N.A.S., employed in connection with military operations in East Africa. It is due to his experience and unceasing labour that his small unit of the R.N.A.S. has been of such assistance to the military operations. He has instilled a high sense of discipline into those under his orders."
(London Gazette - 22 Feb 1918)
Recommendation for the award of a Mention in Despatches: -
Recommendation prepared by Group Captain Robert Gordon commanding “Z” Force, 4 March 1920.
BOWHILL, Frederick William, W/C, CMG, DSO - Mention in Despatches - awarded as per London Gazette dated 12 July 1920; for services in Somaliland, as of 31 March 1920.
"For his good staff work in the preparation part of the Somaliland operations, and his devotion to duty during the operations. He brought the main body from England and while in Egypt and on the voyage, by his knowledge and experience he brought them to a high standard of efficiency before they landed.
During the operations, in addition to his work as SO 1, he practically undertook the duties of Stores Officer, owing to the inexperience of the Stores Officers attached to the expedition, and in spite of severe attacks of fever he supervised all the practical details of technical supply, and greatly contributed to the successful running of the flight."
(Source - Air 2/204/211473/20)
This page was last updated on 29/10/22
L W C Bower