N D K MacEwen

Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation

Air Vice-Marshal Sir Norman MacEwen

Air Vice-Marshal Sir Norman MacEwen asa Wing Commander N D K MacEwen - 1916 Norman Duckworth Kerr

b: 8 Nov 1881 r: 5 Jul 1935 d: 29 Jan 1953

Kt - 1 Jan 1944, CB - 3 Jun 1935, CMG - 1 Jan 1919, DSO - 17 Sep 1917.

(Army): - 2 Lt: 8 Jan 1901, Lt: 13 Dec 1904, (T) Capt: 6 Aug 1909, Capt: 1 Feb 1913, Maj: 8 Jan 1916, (T) Lt Col: 16 Aug 1916.

(RAF): - (T) Lt Col [Maj]: 1 Apr 1918, (T) Col: 20 Apr 1918, (T) Brig-Gen: 20 Aug 1918, Act Brig-Gen: 1 May 1919, Wg Cdr: 1 Aug 1919 [1 Apr 1918], Gp Capt: 1 Jan 1922, A/Cdre: 1 Jan 1929, AVM: 1 Jan 1932.

Photograph (Left) © Crown Copyright

xx xxx xxxx: Attended RMC Sandhurst

8 Jan 1901: Appointed to a Commission on the Unattached List

9 Mar 1901: Officer, Princess Louise's (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders)

xx xxx xxxx:: Station Staff Officer, Transvaal & Cape Colony.

6 Aug 1909: Adjutant, 6th (Renfrewshire) Battalion, Princess Louise's (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders)

31 Aug 1915: ADC, GOC Southern Command

16 Feb 1916: Seconded to RFC

17 Feb 1916: Adjutant, 2nd Wing RFC.

11 Mar 1916: Returned to Home Establishment

1 Apr 1916: Adjutant, Central Flying School.

16 Jun 1916: Flying Officer, RFC.

16 Aug 1916: Deputy Assistant Director of Aeronautics (Indian Army).

xx Feb 1917: Staff Officer, HQ Middle East Brigade

4 Apr 1917: Chief of Staff, RFC Middle East - Staff Officer 1st Class (graded Assistant Adjutant-General)

28 Jan 1918: Staff Officer 1st Class.

8 Apr 1918: Sailed for UK on AT 'Kass in hind' [sic]

20 Apr 1918: Colonel (Administration), HQ South-Eastern Area.

20 Aug 1918: Brigadier-General (Administration), HQ South-Eastern Area.

7 Dec 1918: ?

1 May 1919 GOC, RAF in Afghanistan?

1 Aug 1919: Awarded Permanent Commission as a Lieutenant Colonel

1919 OC, RAF India.

3 May 1920: Commandant, Flying Instructors School

26 Apr 1920: Commandant, Central Flying School.

14 Apr 1923: Officer Commanding, RAF Trans-Jordania.

xx Nov 1925: Officer Commanding, RAF Transjordan.

1 May 1926: Deputy Director of Training.

9 Apr 1929: AOC, No 22 Group

23 Nov - 3 Dec 1930: Attended Senior Army Officers' Course, Old Sarum

23 Sep 1931: Supernumerary, HQ RAF Halton

1 Oct 1931: AOC, HQ RAF Halton/Commandant, No 1 SoTT (Apprentices).

1 Jan 1935: Placed on half pay list, scale A

xx xxx 1935: Commandant, Central Flying School.?

26 Aug 1939: Recalled to service.

26 Aug 1939: AOC, No 22 Group

1 Jun 1940: Reverted to Retired List

xx xxx 1941 - xx xxx 1943: Regional Air Liaison Officer (Ret'd).

Born in Victoria, Hong Kong, he was educated at Charterhouse before entering the RMC, Sandhurst. He was awarded RAeC Certificate No 2896 on 10 May 1916. Spending most of WW1 in staff posts, he was posted out to Afghanistan in 1918 travelling as far as Cairo as a passenger aboard the first through flight from Britain to Egypt. This flight was aboard a Handley Page V/1500 flown by Maj. A C S MacLaren and Lt. R Halley departing Britain on 13 December 1918 and arriving in Cairo on 1 January 1919. Retiring in 1935 at his own request, he became Chairman of SSAFA in 1936 retaining the office until 1949, receiving his knighthood for his services to the organisation in 1944.

N D MacEwen [Top of Page] E H Macey