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Air
Chief Marshal Sir Geoffrey Salmond
(William)
Geoffrey Hanson
b: 19 Aug 1878
d: 27 Apr 1933
KCB
- 3 Jul 1926 (CB - 1 Jan 1919),
KCMG - 3
Jun 1919, DSO - 3 Mar 1917,
MiD - 17 Feb 1915,
MiD - 1 Jan 1916, MiD - 25 Sep 1916, MiD - 6 Jul 1917, MiD -
7 Nov 1917, MiD - 22 Jan 1919, MiD - 5 Jun 1919, SS3S - 15
Feb 1917, N2 - 9 Nov 1918, R-GC - 5 Apr 1919, EN2 - 1
Apr 1920.
(Army):
- 2 Lt: 23
Jun 1898, Lt: xx xxx xxxx, Capt: 2 Dec 1905, Maj:
30 Oct 1914, (T) Lt
Col: 18 Aug 1915, Bt
Lt Col: 3 Jun
1916, (T) Brig-Gen: 1 Jul 1916, Maj-Gen:
xx xxx xxxx.
(RAF):
- (T) Maj-Gen [Lt Col]:
1 Apr 1918, Maj-Gen: 1 Apr 1918, AVM:
1 Aug 1919 [1 Apr 1918], AM: 1 Jul
1929, ACM: 1 Jan 1933.
xx
xxx xxxx:
Attended RMA
Woolwich.
23 Jun 1898: Officer, Royal Artillery. (South Africa - 1899-1902)
10 Nov 1900:
Seconded for service in China (Boxer
Rebellion)
2 May 1905: Seconded to study Japanese
2 Dec 1905: Placed on Seconded List
22 Jul 1907: Supernumerary Captain to be Captain, Royal Field Artillery
4 Feb 1908: Adjutant, Royal Field Artillery
23 Jan 1911:
Attended Army Staff
College, Camberley.
17
Apr 1913 - xx Aug 1914: RFC
Reserve.
31 Jul 1913: GSO III, War Office
31
Aug 1913: GSO III, Directorate
of Military Aeronautics.
xx
Jul 1914:
GSO III, Directorate
of Military Aeronautics.
5
Aug 1914: GSO II, HQ RFC
- France.
26
Jan 1915:
Officer
Commanding, No 1 Sqn RFC. (Various types – Western Front) (Battle of Neuve
Chapelle, Hill 60, Battle of Aubers Ridge)
18
Aug 1915: Appointed
Wing Commander (returned to England prior to moving to Middle East)
xx
Nov 1915: Officer Commanding,
5th Wing RFC.
1 Jul 1916: Brigadier-General Commanding, Middle East Brigade, RFC.
5 Oct 1917: GOC, HQ RFC Middle East/Palestine Brigade
5 Nov 1917: Recalled to England
3
Jan 1918:
GOC, RFC Middle East
1
Apr 1918: GOC/AOC,
Middle East Area.
1 Aug 1919: Awarded Permanent Commission as a Major-General
23
Feb 1922: Director-General
of Supply and Research.
xx
xxx 1923: Air Member for Supply
and Research.
27
Dec 1926: AOC, RAF India.
28
Feb 1931: Supernumerary, HQ RAF
India.
25
Sep 1931: AOC in C, Air Defence
of Great Britain.
1
Apr 1933: Chief of the
Air Staff.
Geoffrey Salmond and his younger brother, John, were
destined to become the only two brothers to both hold the top post in the RAF.
Although older than his brother, he was always slightly behind him in the
promotion stakes in the RFC/RAF. During
the South African War, he served at the Relief of Ladysmith, in the Transvaal,
Orange River Colony and Cape Colony. He
gained his RAeC Certificate (No 421 on 18 February 1913) six months after his brother.
Whilst attached to RFC HQ, Brig-Gen Henderson,
sent him to study how the French utilised aerial photography and to
disseminate the information gained. Having
submitted his report he was tasked with implementing his recommendations and the
setting up of photographic sections at each Wing HQ.
Given command of No 5 Wing in the Middle East, he was to remain in the
region for almost seven years, except for one short break, as his command
gradually increasing to Brigade and later Area strength.
As a result of trouble in Afghanistan between the Afghan government and
local rebels, he instigated the first major airlift in history, when he ordered
the RAF to evacuate British citizens and friendly Afghans from within the Kabul
Legation. Selected to replace his
brother as CAS, his tenure was to be short, as within a month of taking over he
was taken ill and died. Ironically,
his post was filled temporarily by his brother Sir John, who returned to hold
the reins until the appointment of Sir Edward Ellington.
This page was last updated on 22/04/11 using FrontPage XP©
J M Salmond
