Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation

Links Page

Text links are shown below

- Home Page -

- About this site -

- Quick Menu -

- Main Menu -

- Members' Area -

- What's New -

- Help Needed -

- Online Store -

- Reunions -

- Contact Me -

- Sign Guest Book -

- View Guest Book -

- Glossary -

- Bibliography -

Air Commodore E A D Masterman

 Edward Alexander Dimsdale        

b: 15 Apr 1880        r: 1 Mar 1929             d: 26 Aug 1957

CB - xx xxx 1928, CMG - 3 Jun 1919, CBE - 7 Jan 1918, AFC - 1 Jan 1919.

(RN): - Mid’n: xx xxx 1894, Act Sub Lt:  xx xxx 1896?, Sub Lt: 15 Jul 1899, Lt: 15 Jan 1900, Cdr: 31 Dec 1910, Wg Cdr: xx xxx xxxx, Wg Capt: 30 Jun 1916,

(RAF): - (T) Col [Lt Col]: 1 Apr 1918, (T) Brig-Gen: 3 Jul 1918, Act Brig-Gen: 1 May 1919, (T) Brig-Gen: 2 Jul 1918, Gp Capt: 1 Aug 1919, A/Cdre: 8 Aug 1919.

Photograph © Crown Copyright

xx xxx xxxx:         Attended Britannia Naval College.

xx xxx 1894:         Midshipman, ?

xx xxx 1896:         Midshipman, HMS Revenge.

xx xxx 1904:         Attended Torpedo Specialist Course.

xx xxx 1907:         Staff Officer (Russia Interpreter), HMS Vernon.

20 Aug 1912:        Officer Commanding, Naval Airship Section.

25 Sep 1912:         Attached, Airship Sqn, Military Wing RFC

 1 Jul 1914:            Officer Commanding, Farnborough Airship Station.

xx xxx 1915:           Inspecting Commander of Airships (Temporary)

 1 Aug 1915:           Assistant Superintendent of Aircraft Construction (Lighter-than-Air)

xx Mar 1916:          Officer Commanding, Rigid Airship Trial Flight, Barrow in Furness.

 3 Jul 1918:             GOC/AOC, No 22 (Operational) Group.

 1 May 1919:          Specially Employed

 1 Aug 1919:           Awarded Permanent Commission as a Colonel

10 Aug 1919:          President, Aeronautical Committee of Guarantee (Germany).

22 Jan 1920:           Removed from the Navy Lists on being awarded Permanent Commission in RAF

 8 May 1922:          Supernumerary, HQ Coastal Area attached to Directorate of Intelligence.

10 Jun - 2 Oct 1922:    Placed on half pay list, scale ?

 2 Oct 1922:           Supernumerary, Central Flying School

 9 Oct 1922:           Commandant, Central Flying School.

 1 Jan 1923:            AOC, No 7 Group.

 1 Dec 1924:           AOC, No 10 Group.

 1 Jun 1928:            Placed on half pay list, scale A.

 1 Mar 1929:          Commandant, Observer Corps. (Ret'd)

xx xxx 1937 - xx xxx 1942:            Area Commandant, Western Area, Observer Corps. (Ret'd)

By 1911 he had become involved in the Navy's early experimental work on airships which resulted in the unsuccessful Rigid Airship No 1, 'Mayfly'.  Prior to his move to Barrow, he was tasked by Admiral Fisher (28 February 1915)  to design some small fast airships for anti-submarine duties.  Within three weeks, together with Commander N F Usborne, he devised the SS airships, which used existing components becoming one of the main types used by the RNAS during WW1.  He was awarded RAeC Certificate No 1210Fr on 31 January 1913.  Sent to Germany as President of the Inter Allied Aeronautical Committee of Control, his task was to oversee the implementation of the articles of the Treaty of Versailles that referred to the disposal of all military aircraft.  In 1929 he became the first Commandant appointed by the Air Ministry Observer Corps, control of which had just been transferred from the Army.   Retired at his own request.

This page was last updated on 27/12/09 using FrontPage XP^©

H M Massey                                             [Top of Page]                                  C G Maughan