Robert Marsland Groves

Robert Marsland Groves CB DSO AFC (* 3. January 1880 in Stretford , Lancashire ; † 27. May 1920 ) was a British officer in the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force , who as Deputy Chief of Air Staff ( Deputy Chief of the Air Staff ) 1918 and 1919 played a key role in building the Royal Air Force, which was founded on April 1, 1918.

Life

Training as a naval officer

Groves, son of the brewery owner and later Conservative Member of the House of Commons James Grimble Groves , completed his school education at the Rossall School, founded in 1844 . He resigned after the school as a naval cadet ( midshipman ) in the Royal Navy and was on completion of officer training on August 15, 1899. Lieutenant ( sub-lieutenant ) transported. After his promotion to lieutenant captain ( Lieutenant ) he found various uses such as an officer at the torpedo school on board the training ship HMS Vernon . On July 28, 1908, he became a staff officer in the 2nd cruiser squadron and on board the unit line ship HMS King Edward VII .

On June 22, 1911 he was promoted to frigate captain ( Commander ) and on November 26, 1912 his appointment as flag commander of the Supreme Commander of the Mediterranean Fleet , Admiral Archibald Berkeley Milne , on board the battle cruiser HMS Inflexible .

Pilot training and uses in the RNAS

During this time, switched to the Groves was founded on July 1, 1914 Naval Air Service in the Royal Navy RNAS ( Royal Naval Air Service ) and became the on 29 October 1914 Lieutenant Colonel ( Wing Commander appointed). At the same time he also completed his pilot training, which he completed on November 15, 1914 with Certificate No. 969 from the Royal Aero Club (RAeC). Already at this time he dealt with the military use of aircraft and considered the use of aircraft carriers more important than the use of seaplanes . To this end, he conducted test flights at the Rosyth naval base and on board the light cruiser HMS Yarmouth . In 1915 he became deputy head of the aviation department in the Admiralty and shortly afterwards on August 1, 1915, deputy superintendent for aircraft construction.

In January 1916 Groves took over within the RNAS his first command post, as a Commander ( Commanding Officer ) of with biplane - fighter aircraft type Nieuport 17 equipped No. 1 Squadron RNAS . In April 1916 he became vice-secretary of the 1st Air Board, chaired by George Curzon, Earl Curzon of Kedleston . On June 22, 1916, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his services . On December 31, 1916 he was promoted to Wing Captain and shortly thereafter took over in January 1917 in the second aviation committee, which was now chaired by Weetman Pearson, 1st Viscount Cowdray , the function of assistant to the head of the technical department. On August 11, 1917, he was awarded the Officer's Cross of the French Legion of Honor . On December 30, 1917 he was promoted to captain at sea ( Captain ).

Groves, who was a specialist in radio technology , was one of the first officers to campaign for the establishment of an Air Ministry alongside the Admiralty for the Navy and the War Office for the army. After the aviation ministry was founded on January 2, 1918, he became deputy controller of the technical department and during this time he played a key role in merging the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) to form an independent Royal Air Force (RAF) ) a.

Deputy Chief of the Air Force Staff

Groves played a key role in helping Major General Hugh Trenchard found the RAF on April 1, 1918

After the establishment of the Royal Air Force on April 1, 1918 Groves was promoted to Brigadier General ( Temporary Rank ) and Deputy Chief of the Air Staff ( Deputy Chief of the Air Staff ). He was the successor to Rear Adm. Mark Kerr , who had held this position since the establishment of the Aviation Department on January 3, 1918. He was thus also one of the main supporters of Major General Hugh Trenchard , the first Chief of the Air Staff , in the planning and preparatory work for the establishment of the RAF. For his services in aviation he was awarded the Air Force Cross (AFC) on June 3, 1918 .

On August 12, 1918, Groves became head of the Air Force Department in the Naval Staff, while Brigadier General Oliver Swann was his successor as Deputy Chief of Air Force Staff. On August 16, 1918, he became Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB). In February 1919, however, he replaced Swann as Deputy Chief of the Air Force Staff and remained in this position until August 1, 1919. At the same time, he acted as head of the Department of Operations and Intelligence in the Air Force Staff during this time. His successor in these functions was Air Commodore John Miles Steel on September 8, 1919 .

Groves was promoted to Colonel ( Group Captain ) on August 1, 1919 as a professional soldier ( Permanent Commission ) , this promotion being dated back to January 1, 1919. As early as September 8, 1919, he was promoted to Air Commodore and then took over the post of Acting Commander ( Air Officer Commanding ) of the Air Forces in the Middle East ( RAF Middle East Area ), which came from the training brigade (Training Brigade (Middle East) ). On December 16, 1919, he was awarded the US Army Distinguished Service Medal . On January 22, 1920 he was transferred from service in the Royal Navy with permanent effect in the service of the RAF. Most recently he was on March 16, 1920 Commander of the Air Force in Egypt ( RAF Egyptian Group ).

On May 27, 1920, Groves and First Lieutenant ( Flying Officer ) Clarence Bird were killed on duty in a plane crash in Egypt. From his estate, his family donated a number of prizes for members of the RAF, such as a six-monthly pilot award for the best pilot at the Air Force College Cranwell , an award for officers for the best qualification as a navigator at the RAF Calshot military airfield and a research award for the best work in a technical or scientific field and four essay prizes.

Web links

Biography on Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organization

Individual evidence

^ London Gazette (Supplement). No. 28505, HMSO, London, June 19, 1911, p. 4596 ( PDF , accessed March 6, 2016, English).
^ London Gazette (Supplement). No. 29635, HMSO, London, June 22, 1916, p. 6211 ( PDF , accessed March 6, 2016, English).
↑ London Gazette . No. 29913, HMSO, London, January 23, 1917, p. 843 ( PDF , accessed March 6, 2016, English).
^ London Gazette (Supplement). No. 30722, HMSO, London, June 3, 1918, p. 6520 ( PDF , accessed March 6, 2016, English).
^ London Gazette (Supplement). No. 31691, HMSO, London, December 12, 1919, p. 15614 ( PDF , accessed March 6, 2016, English).

personal data
SURNAME	Groves, Robert Marsland
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	British Air Force and Navy officer of the United Kingdom
DATE OF BIRTH	January 3, 1880
PLACE OF BIRTH	Stretford , Lancashire
DATE OF DEATH	May 27, 1920

[1] London Gazette (Supplement). No. 28505, HMSO, London, June 19, 1911, p. 4596 ( PDF , accessed March 6, 2016, English).

[2] London Gazette (Supplement). No. 29635, HMSO, London, June 22, 1916, p. 6211 ( PDF , accessed March 6, 2016, English).

[3] London Gazette . No. 29913, HMSO, London, January 23, 1917, p. 843 ( PDF , accessed March 6, 2016, English).

[4] London Gazette (Supplement). No. 30722, HMSO, London, June 3, 1918, p. 6520 ( PDF , accessed March 6, 2016, English).

[5] London Gazette (Supplement). No. 31691, HMSO, London, December 12, 1919, p. 15614 ( PDF , accessed March 6, 2016, English).