List of Royal Flying Corps generals

The following is a list of senior Royal Flying Corps generals. While officially general officers are not considered to belong to any regiment or corps (simply being "late" of their erstwhile regiment), in practice almost all the general officers ever to hold a Royal Flying Corps-related appointment gained their promotion to the general officer ranks in a Royal Flying Corps-related appointment and remained in such appointments until the creation of the Royal Air Force on 1 April 1918. Royal Flying corps generals them became Royal Air Force generals. Two officers took up Royal Flying Corps related appointments while holding general officer rank. They were David Henderson who was already a brigadier-general when the Royal Flying Corps was established and Edward Ellington was promoted to brigadier-general while serving on the General Staff of the British VIII Corps in France, prior to taking up appointment as Deputy Director-General of Military Aeronautics. Conversely Duncan MacInnes gained his promotion to brigadier-general while serving at the Military Aeronautics Directorate but subsequently served with the Royal Engineers. Ranks indicated are the highest rank the officer obtained while in the RFC.

Portrait	General	Highest rank	Promoted Brig-Gen	Promoted Maj-Gen	Promoted Lt-Gen	Notes
	Sir David Henderson	Lieutenant-General	4 April 1908	26 October 1914	24 March 1916	Note promoted to Brig-Gen before creation of Royal Flying Corps. Temporary promotion to Lt-Gen 24 March 1916, substantive promotion 1 January 1917[1]
	Sir Hugh Trenchard	Major-General	25 August 1915	24 March 1916	N/A	Temporary promotion to Maj-Gen 24 March 1916, substantive promotion 1 January 1917[2]
	W S Brancker	Major-General	18 December 1915	22 June 1917	N/A	Temporary promotion to Maj-Gen 22 June 1917, rank made substantive in the RAF on 3 January 1918.[3]
	J M Salmond	Major-General	1 February 1916	22 June 1917	N/A	Temporary promotion to Maj-Gen 22 June 1917, rank made substantive in the RAF on 1 April 1918.[4]
	E B Ashmore	Major-General	30 January 1916	30 July 1917	N/A	Temporary promotion to Maj-Gen 30 July 1917, later regraded to air vice marshal in the RAF before being substantively promoted to major-general in the British Army on 1 January 1924.[5]
	C A H Longcroft	Major-General	28 August 1916	18 October 1917	N/A	Temporary promotion to major-general on 18 October 1917, reverted to temporary brigadier-general on 29 April 1918, substantively promoted to air-vice marshal 1 July 1925.[6]
	W G H Salmond	Major-General	1 July 1916	3 January 1918	N/A	Temporary promotion to maj-gen 3 January 1918[7][8]
	T I Webb-Bowen	Brigadier-General	1 February 1916	N/A	N/A	Temporary promotion to brig-gen. Promotion to acting maj-gen in the RAF on 1 February 1919, substantively promoted to air vice-marshal 1 July 1925.[9]
	H R M Brooke-Popham	Brigadier-General	12 March 1916	N/A	N/A	Temporary promotion to brig-gen. Later promoted to air chief marshal.[10]
	D S MacInnes	Brigadier-General	27 March 1916	N/A	N/A	Temporary promotion to brig-gen on 27 March 1916.[11] Departed Royal Flying Corps duties in early 1917. Killed on the Western Front while holding the rank of brig-gen on 23 May 1918.
	D le G Pitcher	Brigadier-General	1 April 1916	N/A	N/A	Temporary promotion to brig-gen. Permanent promotion to air commodore on 5 August 1919.[12]
	J F A Higgins	Brigadier-General	25 August 1916	N/A	N/A	Temporary promotion to brig-gen followed by temporary promotion to Maj-Gen on 29 April 1918 in the RAF. Permanent promotion to air vice-marshal on 1 August 1919.[13]
	P W Game	Brigadier-General	16 October 1916	N/A	N/A	Temporary promotion to brig-gen followed by temporary promotion to Maj-Gen on 14 October 1918 in the RAF. Permanent promotion to air vice-marshal on 1 January 1922.[14]
	J H W Becke	Brigadier-General	20 December 1916	N/A	N/A	Temporary promotion to brig-gen. Retired on 29 February 1920 with the honorary rank of Brigadier-General in the RAF.[15]
	E L Ellington	Brigadier-General	14 January 1917	N/A	N/A	Temporary promotion to brig-gen on 14 January 1917 but not appointed to Royal Flying Corps duties until 20 November 1917. Temporary promotion to Maj-Gen in the RAF on 10 April 1918. Permanent promotion to air-vice marshal the following year.[16]
	G S Shephard	Brigadier-General	8 February 1917	N/A	N/A	Temporary promotion to brig-gen on 8 February 1917. Killed in a flying accident 19 January 1918.[17]
	L E O Charlton	Brigadier-General	28 February 1917	N/A	N/A	Temporary promotion to brig-gen on 28 February 1917. Permanent promotion to air commodore on 5 August 1919.[18]
	W B Caddell	Brigadier-General	4 April 1917	N/A	N/A	Temporary promotion to brig-gen on 4 April 1917. Retired from the RAF on 28 May 1919 with the honorary rank of brig-gen.[19]
	H C T Dowding	Brigadier-General	23 June 1917	N/A	N/A	Temporary promotion to brig-gen on 23 June 1917. Later promoted to air chief marshal.[20]
	P L W Herbert	Brigadier-General	5 August 1917	N/A	N/A	Temporary promotion to brig-gen on 5 August 1917. Retired from the RAF on 3 December 1929 as an honorary air commodore.[21]
	R E T Hogg	Brigadier-General	5 August 1917	N/A	N/A	Temporary promotion to brig-gen on 5 August 1917. Retired from the RAF on 1 September 1919 as an honorary brigadier-general.[22]
	G Livingston	Brigadier-General	9 August 1917	N/A	N/A	Temporary promotion to brig-gen on 9 August 1917. Retired from the RAF on 14 February 1919 as an honorary brigadier-general.[23]
	T C R Higgins	Brigadier-General	1 September 1917	N/A	N/A	Temporary promotion to brig-gen on 1 September 1917. Substantive promotion to air commodore on 30 June 1922 and retired from the RAF on 1 November 1929 in that rank.[24]
	E R Ludlow-Hewitt	Brigadier-General	17 October 1917	N/A	N/A	Temporary promotion to brig-gen on 17 October 1917. Substantive promotion to air commodore on 30 June 1923. Later promoted to air chief marshal.[25]
	J G Hearson	Brigadier-General	28 October 1917	N/A	N/A	Temporary promotion to brig-gen on 28 October 1917. Substantive promotion to air commodore on 30 June 1923.[26]
	A E Borton	Brigadier-General	14 December 1917	N/A	N/A	Temporary promotion to brig-gen on 14 December 1917. Substantive promotion to air commodore on 1 October 1922. Later promoted to air vice-marshal.[27]
	A Huggins	Brigadier-General	22 December 1917	N/A	N/A	Temporary promotion to brig-gen on 22 December 1917. Retired from the RAF, retaining the rank, on 20 March 1919.[28]
	C L N Newall	Brigadier-General	28 December 1917	N/A	N/A	Temporary promotion to brig-gen on 28 December 1917. Substantive promotion to air commodore on 1 January 1925. Later promoted to marshal of the RAF.[29]
	A C Critchley	Brigadier-General	4 March 1918	N/A	N/A	Temporary promotion to brig-gen on 4 March 1918. Retired from the RAF after the war. Rejoined during World War II and was promoted to air commodore on 1 June 1943.[30]
	C F De S Murphy	Brigadier-General	6 March 1918	N/A	N/A	Temporary promotion to brig-gen on 6 March 1918. Retired from the RAF after the war.[31]

General officer appointments and incumbents

• Director-General of Military Aeronautics
  • Sir David Henderson (1913-17)
  • J M Salmond (1917-18)
  • E L Ellington (1918)
• Deputy Director-General of Military Aeronautics
  • W S Brancker (1917)
  • E L Ellington (1917-18)
• Director of Air Organization
  • W S Brancker (1916-17)
  • L E O Charlton (1917)
  • G Livingston (1917-18)
• Director of Aircraft Equipment
  • D S MacInnes (1916-17)
  • W B Caddell (1917)
  • A Huggins (1917-18)

• General Officer Commanding the Royal Flying Corps in the Field
  • Sir David Henderson (1914)
  • F H Sykes (1914) - did not hold general officer rank
  • Sir David Henderson (1914-15)
  • H M Trenchard (1915-18)
  • J M Salmond (1918) - continued to hold equivalent post in the RAF until 1919

In late 1915 brigades started to be established in the RFC and so brigadier-generals were created.

• Brigadier-General Commanding No. I Brigade
  • E B Ashmore (1916)
  • D le G Pitcher (1916-17)
  • G S Shephard (1917-18)
  • C T MacLean (1918) - Temporary appointment, not a general officer
  • D le G Pitcher (1918)

References

1. "Lieutenant General Sir David Henderson". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
2. "Marshal of the RAF The Viscount Trenchard of Wolfeton". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
3. "Air Vice-Marshal Sir Sefton Brancker". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
4. "Marshal of the RAF Sir John Salmond". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
5. "Major-General E. B. Ashmore". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
6. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30375. p. 11640. 9 November 1917.
7. Baker, Anne (2003). From Biplane to Spitfire: the life of Air Chief Marshal Sir Geoffrey Salmond KCB KCMG DSO. Barnsley: Leo Cooper. p. 120. ISBN 9780850529807.
8. "Air Chief Marshal Sir Geoffrey Salmond". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
9. "Air Vice-Marshal Sir Tom Webb-Bowen". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
10. "Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
11. The London Gazette: no. 29543. p. 3804. 11 April 1916.
12. "Air Commodore D. le G. Pitcher". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
13. "Air Marshal Sir John Higgins". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
14. "Air Vice-Marshal Sir Philip Game". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
15. "Brigadier-General J. H. W. Becke". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
16. "Marshal of the RAF Sir Edward Ellington". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
17. "Brigadier-General G. S. Shephard". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
18. "Air Commodore L. E. O. Charlton". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
19. "Brigadier-General W. B. Caddell". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
20. "Air Chief Marshal Lord Dowding of Bentley Priory". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
21. "Air Commodore P. L. W. Herbert". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
22. "Brigadier-General R. E. T. Hogg". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
23. "Brigadier-General G. Livingston". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
24. "Air Commodore T. C. R. Higgins". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
25. "Air Chief Marshal Sir Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
26. "Air Commodore J. G. Hearson". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
27. "Air Vice-Marshal A. E. Borton". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
28. "Brigadier-General A. Huggins". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
29. "Marshal of the RAF The Lord Newall of Clifton upon Dunsmoor". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
30. "Air Commodore A. C. Critchley". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
31. "Brigadier-General C. F. De S. Murphy". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.