Sir (Ernest) Leslie Gossage
by Walter Stoneman
bromide print, June 1937
NPG x162959
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Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
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Air Marshal Sir Leslie Gossage
(Ernest)
Leslie
b: 3
Feb 1891
r: 1 Feb 1944
d: 8 Jul 1949
KCB - 1 Jan 1941 (CB - 11 May 1937), CVO - 23 Jul 1937, DSO - 3 Jun 1919, MC - 30 Mar 1916, MiD - 1 Jan 1916, MiD - 11 Dec 1917, MiD - 31 Dec 1918, MiD - 11 Jul 1919, MiD - 11 Jul 1940, LoH, O - xx xxx 194?.
(Army):
- 2 Lt:
19 Jul 1912, Lt: 9 Jun 1915, (T) Capt: 28 Sep 1915, (T) Maj: 1
Jun 1916, Capt: 8 Aug 1916, (T) Lt Col: 5 Dec 1917.
(RAF): - (T) Lt Col [Maj]: 1 Apr 1918, Sqn Ldr: 1 Aug 1919, Act Wg Cdr: 1 Aug 1919-Sep 1919, Wg Cdr: 1 Jan 1921, Gp Capt: 1 Jul 1928, A/Cdre: 1 Jul 1932, AVM: 1 Jan 1936, Act AM (pd): 9 Feb 1940, (T) AM: 1 Jul 1940, AM: 1 Jan 1943, Act AM (unpd): 1 Feb 1944.
Sir (Ernest) Leslie Gossage
by Walter Stoneman
bromide print, June 1937
NPG x162959
xx xxx 1909: Attended Trinity College, Cambridge.
xx xxx xxx: Royal Field Artillery Special Reserve (whilst at University?)
19 Jul 1912:
Officer, Royal Field Artillery.
12 May 1915: Flying Officer, RFC
14 May 1915: Pilot, No 8 Sqn RFC
15
Sep 1915: Pilot, No 6 Sqn RFC.
28
Sep 1915: Flight Commander, No 6 Sqn RFC.
26 Feb 1916: Attached to HQ, RFC
2 Mar 1916:
Flight Commander, No 6 Sqn RFC.
8
Jun 1916: Officer Commanding, No 56 Sqn RFC. (SE5 – London Colney/Western Front)
24
Aug 1916: Officer Commanding, No 8 Sqn RFC. (FK8 – Western Front)
5
Dec 1917:
Officer Commanding, 1st (Corps) Wing RFC.
1
May 1919:
Staff Officer 2nd
Class, Directorate of Operations and Intelligence.
1 Aug 1919: Awarded Permanent Commission as a Major
23 Jun 1920: Attached, HQ Middle East Area for temporary duty
5 Jul 1920: Embarked for return to UK
24
Jan 1921:
Officer Commanding, School of Army Co-operation.
21
Jan 1923:
Attended Army
Staff College, Camberley.
22
Jan 1925: Directing Staff, Army Staff College, Camberley.
1
Jan 1928:
Deputy Director of Staff Duties.
15
Jan 1930: Air Attaché, Berlin.
29
Aug 1931:
SASO, HQ ADGB.
1
Sep 1934:
SASO, HQ Iraq Command.
2
Dec 1935: AOC, British Forces - Aden.
7
Sep 1936:
AOC, No 11 Group.
15 Jan 1940:
Inspector-General of the RAF.
3
Apr 1940:
Air Member for Personnel.
1
Dec 1940:
AOC in C, Balloon Command.
1 Feb 1944: Re-employed in the rank of AVM and to be Acting AM (unpaid)
1 Feb 1944 - xx Apr 1946: Chief Commandant and Director-General of the Air Training Corps.
25 Apr 1946: Reverted to the Retired List, resuming the rank of Air Marshal
After attending Rugby School, he entered Trinity College, Cambridge. He
gained his RAeC Certificate,
No 1120, on
10 March 1915, was seconded to the RFC and by December 1917 had became a Wing
Commander, at the age of 26. In
1939 he suggested that the operations rooms of Sector stations should be
duplicated to provide continuity in the event of enemy attacks.
The proposal was accepted and proved of great benefit when attacks on RAF
fighter airfields began during the Battle of Britain.
Citation for the award of the Military Cross
"Lieutenant (temporary Captain) Ernest Leslie Gossage, Royal Field Artillery and Royal Flying Corps.
For consistent good and zealous work under bad weather conditions, both on patrol and when co-operating with the artillery in operations resulting in the capture of the enemy's position."
(London Gazette - 30 March 1916)
This page was last updated on 17/10/22
