Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation


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Air Commodore Sir John Chamier


J A Chamier - 1912Sir John Adrian ChamierJohn Adrian                    b: 26 Dec 1883               r: 7 Dec 1928                        d: 3 May 1974

 Kt - 8 Jun 1944, CB - 3 Jun 1925, CMG - 3 Jun 1919, DSO -1 Jan 1917, OBE - 7 Jun 1918, MiD - 31 Dec 1918, MiD - 11 Jul 1919.

(Army): - 2 Lt: 27 Aug 1902, Lt: 27 Nov 1904, Capt: 27 Aug 1911, (T) Maj: 27 Mar 1916, (T) Lt Col: 29 Apr 1917, Maj: 27 Aug 1917,

(RAF): - (T) Lt Col [Maj]: 1 Apr 1918, Wg Cdr: 1 Aug 1919 [1 Apr 1918], Gp Capt: 1 Jan 1921 [1 Aug 1919], A/Cdre: 1 Jan 1928.

Photos -

left - taken from his RAeC Certificate

right - Sir John Adrian Chamier

by Walter Stoneman
bromide print, 1931
NPG x166454

© National Portrait Gallery, London

xx xxx xxxx:               Attended RMC Sandhurst.

27 Aug 1902:              Granted a Commission as a 2nd Lieutenant with a view to his appointment to the Indian Staff Corps.

11 Jan 1904:               Removed from the Unattached List

11 Jan 1904:              Officer, 33rd Punjabi Regiment, Indian Army.

24 Dec 1914:              Staff Captain,

26 Aug 1915:               Appointed Flying Officer, RFC.

26 Sep 1915:               Pilot, No 4 Sqn RFC

18 Nov 1915:              Pilot, No 7 Sqn RFC

28 Nov 1915:              Returned to Home Establishment

29 Dec 1915:               Appointed Flight Commander RFC

12 Jan 1916:               Acting Officer Commanding, No 34 Sqn RFC.

27 Mar 1916:               Officer Commanding, No 34 Sqn RFC. (BE2c/BE2e/RE8)

29 Apr 1917:               Commandant, Wireless & Observation School.  

xx Oct 1917:                Officer Commanding, Artillery and Infantry Co-operation School

xx May 1918:               Officer Commanding, 15th (Corps) Wing

 1 Aug 1919:                Awarded Permanent Commission as a Lieutenant Colonel

 1 Aug 1919:                Staff Officer 1st Class, Directorate of Operations and Intelligence.  

 1 Jan 1921:                 Deputy Director of Operations and Intelligence

23 Feb 1923:               Chief Staff Officer, HQ RAF India.

xx Apr 1927:                Supernumerary, ?

 6 May 1927:                Deputy Director of Technical Development.

12 Dec 1927:                Director of Technical Development.

xx xxx 1938:                Commandant, Air Defence Cadet Corps

16 Sep 1939:                AOA, HQ Balloon Command.

 8 Nov - 1 Dec 1940:                Acting AOC, Balloon Command

5 Feb 1941:                 Commandant, Air Training Corps.

xx xxx 1943:               Inspector of the ATC.

xx xxx xxxx:               Executive-Controller of the Air League of the British Empire

The son of Major General F E A Chamier, he was educated at St Paul's School and saw service in Somaliland in 1904.  He gained RAeC Certificate No 340 on 22 October 1912. 

Retiring from the RAF at his own request, he joined Vickers Supermarine as Technical Director until 1932.  He was also a member the Air League of the British Empire and became the Commandant of The Air Defence Cadet Corps, formed by the League in 1938.  As the need for trained aircrew escalated, the Government began to see the wisdom of an official organisation on the lines of the Air Defence Cadet Corps and took the decision to establish the Air Training Corps on 5 February 1941.  The obvious choice as Commandant for this new organisation was John Chamier.  He quickly established the structure of the ATC on the firm foundations of the ADCC, gaining the sobriquet 'Father of the ATC', for which he was awarded his Knighthood.

This page was last updated on 16/10/22

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