Air Marshal Sir Roderick Carr

AM Sir Roderick Carr (Charles) Roderick

b: 31 Aug 1891 r: 1 Feb 1947 d: 15 Dec 1971

KBE - 5 Jul 1945 (CBE - 1 Jan 1941), CB - 2 Jun 1943, DFC - 18 Nov 1919, AFC - 2 Jan 1928, MiD - 8 Jun 1944, SA2SB - xx xxx 191?, SS2SB - xx xxx 191?, LoH, Cdr - xx xxx 194?, C de G (F) - xx xxx 194?.

For a list of foreign decoration abbreviations, click here

(RN): - (T)(P) Flt Sub-Lt: xx xxx xxxx, (T) Flt Sub-Lt: 16 Sep 1915 [9 Jul 1915], (T) Flt Lt: 1 Apr 1917, (T) Flt Cdr: 1 Feb 1918.

(RAF): - (T) Maj [Lt]: 1 Apr 1918, Act Maj: 1 May 1919, Fg Off: 19 Sep 1922 [1 Apr 1918], Flt Lt: 30 Jun 1923 [1 Apr 1918], Sqn Ldr: 1 Jul 1928, Wg Cdr: 1 Jul 1935, Gp Capt: 1 Nov 1938, Act A/Cdre: 1 Aug 1940, (T) A/Cdre: 1 Dec 1940, Act AVM: 24 May 1941, A/Cdre: 1 Jul 1942, (T) AVM: 1 Dec 1942, AVM: 27 Mar 1945, Act AM: 8 May 1945, AM: Retained.

Photograph © Crown Copyright

xx xxx 1914: Sailor, RNZN?

1915: Balloon Officer, No 6 Kite Balloon Section

xx xxx 1915: U/T Pilot, RNAS.

xx xxx 1919: Member, North Russian Expedition.

21 Oct 1919: Transferred to Unemployed List

xx xxx 1920: Chief of Air Staff, Lithuania.

xx xxx 1921: Member, Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition.

19 Sep 1922: Granted a Short Service Commission in the rank of Flying Officer.

19 Sep 1922: Supernumerary, RAF Depot.

12 Feb 1923: Air Staff, HQ Inland Area.

10 Jul 1926: Air Staff, HQ ADGB.

17 Dec 1928: Flight Commander, No 9 Sqn. (Virginia – Upavon)

27 Apr 1929: CFI, No 4 FTS.

8 Feb 1933: Adjutant, RAF Depot Middle East.

8 Aug 1934: Staff/Instructor?, RAF Gosport

18 Jan 1937: Officer Commanding, FAA Units - HMS Eagle

xx May 1939: Officer Commanding, RAF Brize Norton.

xx Aug 1939: Advanced Air Striking Force.

26 Jun 1940: Officer Commanding, No 61 Group

1 Aug 1940: AOC, HQ RAF in Northern Ireland.

26 Jul 1941: AOC, No 4 Group.

xx Jun 1945: Deputy Chief of Staff (Air), Supreme HQ Allied Expeditionary Force.

xx Aug 1945: Air Marshal Commanding, HQ Base Air Forces South East Asia.

1 Apr 1946: AOC in C, AHQ India.

7 Jan 1947 - 30 Jan 1950: Divisional Controller, London & South East Division - Ministry of Civil Aviation

He gained RAeC Certificate No 2553Ha on 14 March 1916. During the 1920's a number of route proving/record breaking flights were carried out by the RAF. Due to the original co-pilot/navigator being taken ill, Carr was selected to replace him. With Sqn Ldr Gayford as pilot they set a new non-stop distance record of 3400 miles flying the Fairey Long Range Monoplane from Cranwell to the Persian Gulf, between 20 and 23 May 1927.

He was appointed King of Arms to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire on 14 February 1947.

Citation for the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross

"On the l7th June,1919, this officer flew a scout machine over the enemy aerodrome at Puchega, at an average height of only 50 feet, for thirty minutes. During this time he succeeded in setting fire to a Nieuport enemy machine, to a hangar which contained three aeroplanes (all of which were destroyed), drove all the personnel off the aerodrome, and killed some of the mechanics."

(London Gazette 18 November 1919)

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