Sir Godfrey Marshall Paine
by Walter Stoneman
bromide print, 1917
NPG x169561
Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
Godfrey Marshall
b:
21 Nov 1871 r: 12 May 1920
d: 23 Mar 1932
KCB
- 12 Mar 1918 (CB - 1 Jan 1914) , MVO - 11
Mar 1906, Cwn Cdr
- 8 Nov 1918, RS2 - 8
Nov 1918, DSM (US) - 16 Dec 1919.
(RN):
- Mid’n:
15 Jun 1887, Sub-Lt: 14 Jun 1891, Lt:
28 Aug 1893, Cdr:
31 Dec 1903, Capt: 30 Jun 1907, Cdre
2nd Cl:
10 Dec 1915,
Cdre
1st Cl:
10 Jan 1917?,
R-Adm:
1 Jan 1919.
(RAF):
- Maj-Gen: 3 Jan
1918, A/Cdre: 1 Aug
1919, AVM: 1 Aug 1919 [23 Aug 1918].
Photo (left) - taken from his RAeC Certificate
Photo (right) -
Sir Godfrey Marshall Paine
by Walter Stoneman
bromide print, 1917
NPG x169561
xx Jan 1885: Attended training Establishments
15 Jun 1887:
Midshipman, Royal Yacht?.
28 Apr 1888: Midshipman, HMS Swiftsure
30 Sept 1893: Lieutenant,
8 Jun 1897:
Lieutenant, HMS Renown. (North American/Mediterranean Station)
19 Nov 1902:
First Lieutenant, HMS Hogue.
21 Feb 1905:
Executive
Officer, HMS Renown.
3 Jun 1909:
Officer Commanding, 3rd Destroyer
Flotilla (HMS Diamond).
xx
Aug 1911: Officer Commanding, HMS Actaeon.
xx Dec 1911: Officer Commanding, Naval Flying School, Eastchurch
15
May 1912: Commandant, Central Flying School.
10
Dec 1915:
Commodore, Central Depot and Training Establishment, Cranwell.
10
Jan 1917:
5th Sea Lord/Director of Air Services.
3 Jan 1918: Master-General of Personnel, Air Council.
22
Aug 1918:
Inspector-General of the RAF.
1 Aug 1919: Awarded Permanent Commission as a Major-General (gazetted 23 Aug 1918)
1 Apr 1920: Placed on the half pay list - Scale A
A young Godfrey Paine | Godfrey Paine, as a young Royal Naval Officer |
Lieutenant Godfrey Paine at his wedding | Commander Godfrey Paine (right) possibly whilst Executive officer, HMS Renown |
|
|
Captain Godfrey Paine | Major General Sir Godfrey Paine |
|
|
Major General |
Rear Admiral Sir Godfrey Paine |
All photos courtesy James Sanders (his great grandson) |
Selected
to command the Central Flying School on its formation in 1912, he had to learn
to fly before being able to take up the post, gaining RAeC
Certificate No 217 on 14 May 1912.
The school formally opened on 19 June 1912, although Captain Paine did
not arrive at Upavon until 25 July having remained at the War Office to oversee
it’s establishment. The first
course assembled on 17 August and consisted of 5 Naval/Marine, 10 Army and 4
Special Reserve officers. A further
1 Naval and 6 Army officers joined the course before graduation in April 1913
with all but one officer being successful.
After the separation of the Naval Wing into the RNAS, he requested to
remain at CFS and was permitted to do so. However,
in 1915 the Admiralty decided to form it's own equivalent of the CFS at Cranwell
and demanded his return to take command of the new school.
On retiring from the RAF he reverted to his Naval rank.
After retiring in 1920 he became Chairman of Totalisators Ltd. Following his death he was buried at sea off Nab Tower, Portsmouth.
This page was last updated on 26/08/19