Marshal of the Air Force

All you want to know about Marshal of the Air Force

This article is about air force officers who rank as Marshals. For the similarly named but lesser air force rank, see Air Marshal.
Common military ranks
Officers
Navies1 Armies and
Air Forces		 Commonwealth
Air Forces
Admiral of
the Fleet		 Field Marshal Marshal of
the Air Force
Admiral General Air Marshal
Commodore Brigadier Air Commodore
Captain Colonel Group Captain
Commander Lt. Colonel Wing Commander
Lt. Commander Major Squadron Leader
Lieutenant Captain Flight Lieutenant
Sub-Lieutenant Lieutenant Flying Officer
Seamen, soldiers and airmen
Warrant Officer Sergeant Major Warrant Officer
Petty Officer Sergeant Sergeant
Leading Rate Corporal Corporal
Seaman Private Aircraftman
1 in the English-speaking world          

Marshal of the Air Force may be used as a generic term for a rank in some air forces which use a similar title, with their air force's name inserted, as their most senior rank. The first such rank was Marshal of the Royal Air Force. No air force actually uses the title "Marshal of the Air Force". Brazil and Italy have used rank titles which literally translate as Marshal of the Air, whereas the Soviet Union used "Chief Marshal of Air Forces".

Marshals of the air force can be properly considered marshals and such ranks are equivalent to the army rank of Field Marshal and the navy rank of Admiral of the Fleet. Marshal of the Air Force is a 5 star rank.

Contents

Rank insignia

There are a variety of rank insignia in use by the different air forces which maintain a rank of Marshal of the Air Force. Some, such the Royal Air Force, derive the pattern from the sleeve lace for an Admiral of the Fleet. Others, use a pattern of five stars, indicating the seniority of the rank.

Marshal of the RAF sleeve/shoulder insignia

Marshal of the RAAF sleeve/shoulder insignia

Marshal of the RTAF (จอมพล อากาศี)

Marshal of the Air (Brazilian Air Force)

Marechal (Portuguese Air Force)

List of Marshals of the Air Force

Country Year of promotion Officer Rank Year of birth Year of death Notes
Australia 1939 HM King George VI Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force 1895 1952 Honorary rank.
Australia 1954 HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force 1921 - Honorary rank.[1]
Brazil 1959 Armando Figueira Trompowsky de Almeida Marechal-do-Ar 1889 1964 Promoted 30 January 1959[2]
Brazil 1960 Eduardo Gomes Marechal-do-ar 1896 1981 Patron of the Brazilian Air Force. Promoted 22 September 1960.[3]
Brazil Casimiro Montenegro Filho Marechal-do-ar 1904 2000
Egypt HM King Farouk Marshal of the Royal Egyptian Air Force 1920 1965 Honorary rank.[4]
Egypt 1952 HM King Fuad II Marshal of the Royal Egyptian Air Force 1952 - Honorary rank.
Appointed to the rank on 26 July 1952 at the age of six months.[4]
Ethiopia HIM Amha Selassie Marshal of the Imperial Ethiopian Air Force 1916 1997 Honorary rank.[5]
Germany 1938 Hermann Göring Reichsmarschall 1893 1945 Promoted to Generalfeldmarschall 4 February 1938, promoted to Reichsmarschall 19 June 1940
Germany 1940 Albert Kesselring Generalfeldmarschall 1885 1960 Promoted 19 July 1940
Germany 1940 Erhard Milch Generalfeldmarschall 1892 1972 Promoted 19 July 1940
Germany 1940 Hugo Sperrle Generalfeldmarschall 1885 1953 Promoted 19 July 1940
Germany 1943 Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen Generalfeldmarschall 1895 1945 Promoted 16 February 1943
Germany 1945 Robert Ritter von Greim Generalfeldmarschall 1892 1945 Promoted 25 April 1945
India 2002 Arjan Singh Marshal of the Indian Air Force 1919 - Honorary rank.
Promoted 26 January 2002[6]
Iraq 1933 HM King Ghazi Marshal of the Royal Iraqi Air Force 1912 1939 Honorary rank.
Promoted 8 September 1933
Iraq 1939 HRH Prince Abdul Illah Marshal of the Royal Iraqi Air Force 1913 1958 Honorary rank.
Promoted 6 April 1939
Iraq 1953 HM King Faisal II Marshal of the Royal Iraqi Air Force 1935 1958 Honorary rank.
Promoted 2 May 1953
Italy 1933 Italo Balbo Maresciallo dell'Aria 1896 1940 Promoted August 1933
Jordan HM King Hussein of Jordan Marshal of the Royal Jordanian Air Force 1935 1999 Honorary rank. [7]
Jordan 1999 HM King Abdullah II Marshal of the Royal Jordanian Air Force 1962 - Honorary rank.
Promoted 7 February 1999[7]
Malaysia 1970 Sultan Abdul Halim Marshal of the Royal Malaysian Air Force 1927 - Honorary rank.
Promoted 21 September 1970[8][9]
Malaysia 1975 Sultan Yahya Petra Marshal of the Royal Malaysian Air Force 1917 1979 Honorary rank.
Promoted 21 September 1975[9]
Malaysia 1979 Sultan Ahmad Shah Marshal of the Royal Malaysian Air Force 1930 - Honorary rank.
Promoted 30 March 1979[9]
Malaysia 1984 Sultan Iskandar Marshal of the Royal Malaysian Air Force 1932 - Honorary rank.
Promoted 26 April 1984[9]
Malaysia 1989 Sultan Azlan Shah Marshal of the Royal Malaysian Air Force 1928 - Honorary rank.
Promoted 26 April 1989[9]
Malaysia 1994 Tuanku Jaafar Marshal of the Royal Malaysian Air Force 1922 - Honorary rank.
Promoted 26 April 1994[9]
Malaysia 1999 Salahuddin Marshal of the Royal Malaysian Air Force 1926 2001 Honorary rank.
Promoted 26 April 1999[9]
Malaysia 2001 Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Marshal of the Royal Malaysian Air Force 1943 - Honorary rank.
Promoted 12 December 2001[9]
Malaysia 2007 Mizan Zainal Abidin Marshal of the Royal Malaysian Air Force 1962 - Honorary rank.
Promoted 16 February 2007[9]
New Zealand 1977 HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Marshal of the Royal New Zealand Air Force 1921 - Honorary rank.
Oman 1974 Sultan Qaboos Marshal of the Royal Air Force of Oman 1940 - Honorary rank.[10]
Portugal Francisco Craveiro Lopes Marechal da Força Aérea 1894 1964
Portugal 1990 Humberto Delgado Marechal da Força Aérea 1906 1965 Posthumous promotion.[11]
Soviet Union 1944 Alexander Alexandrovich Novikov Chief Marshal of Air Forces 1900 1976 Promoted 21 February 1944.
Soviet Union 1944 Alexander Evgenievich Golovanov Chief Marshal of Air Forces 1904 1975 Promoted 19 August 1944.
Soviet Union 1955 Pavel Fedorovich Zhigarev Chief Marshal of Air Forces 1900 1963 Promoted 11 March 1955.
Soviet Union 1959 Konstantin Andreevich Vershinin Chief Marshal of Air Forces 1900 1973 Promoted 8 May 1959.
Soviet Union 1972 Pavel Stepanovich Kutakhov Chief Marshal of Air Forces 1914 1984 Promoted March 1972.
Soviet Union 1977 Boris Pavlovich Bugaev Chief Marshal of Air Forces 1923 2007
Soviet Union 1984 Alexander Ivanovich Koldunov Chief Marshal of Air Forces 1923 1992
Soviet Union 1991 Evgeni Ivanovich Shaposhnikov Chief Marshal of Air Forces 1942 - Promoted 1991.
Thailand HM Queen Sirikit Marshal of the Royal Thai Air Force 1932 - Honorary rank. Possibly the only woman to have held such rank.
Thailand c. 1964 Thanom Kittikachorn Marshal of the Royal Thai Air Force 1912 2004 Promoted himself.
United Kingdom 1927 Hugh Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1873 1956 Promoted 1 January 1927.
United Kingdom 1933 Sir John Salmond Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1881 1968 Promoted 1 January 1933.
United Kingdom 1935 HM King George V Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1865 1936 Honorary rank. Uniform first worn in 1935, year of promotion may be earlier.[12]
United Kingdom 1936 HM King Edward VIII Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1894 1972 Honorary rank.
Promoted 21 January 1936.
United Kingdom 1936 HM King George VI Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1895 1952 Honorary rank.
Promoted 11 December 1936.
United Kingdom 1937 Sir Edward Ellington Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1877 1967 Promoted 1 January 1937.
United Kingdom 1940 Cyril Newall, 1st Baron Newall Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1886 1963 Promoted 4 October 1940. Retired only 20 days later.[13]
United Kingdom 1944 Charles Portal, 1st Viscount Portal of Hungerford Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1893 1971 Promoted 1 June 1944.
United Kingdom 1945 Arthur Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1890 1967 Promoted 12 September 1945.
United Kingdom 1946 Sholto Douglas, 1st Baron Douglas of Kirtleside Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1893 1969 Promoted 1 January 1946.
United Kingdom 1946 Sir Arthur Harris Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1892 1984 Promoted 1 January 1946, several months after retirement.[14]
United Kingdom 1950 Sir John Slessor Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1897 1979 Promoted 8 June 1950.
United Kingdom 1953 HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1921 - Honorary rank.
Promoted 15 January 1953.
United Kingdom 1954 Sir William Dickson Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1898 1987 Promoted 1 June 1954.
United Kingdom 1958 Sir Dermot Boyle Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1904 1993 Promoted 1 January 1958.
United Kingdom 1958 HRH Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1900 1974 Honorary rank.
Promoted 12 June 1958.
United Kingdom 1962 Sir Thomas Pike Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1906 1983 Promoted 6 April 1962.[15]
United Kingdom 1967 Charles Elworthy, Baron Elworthy Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1911 1993 Promoted 1 April 1967.[16]
United Kingdom 1971 Sir John Grandy Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1913 2004 Promoted and retired on the same day (1 April 1971).[17]
United Kingdom 1974 Sir Denis Spotswood Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1916 2001 Promoted and retired on the same day (31 March 1974).[18]
United Kingdom 1976 Sir Andrew Humphrey Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1921 1977 Promoted 6 August 1976.[19]
United Kingdom 1977 Neil Cameron, Baron Cameron of Balhousie Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1920 1985 Promoted 31 July 1977.[20]
United Kingdom 1982 Sir Michael Beetham Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1923 - Promoted and retired on the same day (14 October 1982).[21]
United Kingdom 1985 Sir Keith Williamson Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1928 - Promoted and retired on the same day (15 October 1985).[22]
United Kingdom 1988 David Craig, Baron Craig of Radley Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1929 - Promoted 14 November 1988.[23]
United Kingdom 1992 Sir Peter Harding Marshal of the Royal Air Force 1933 - Promoted 6 November 1992. Resigned commission 1994.

Other Countries

The rank also exists or has existed (on paper) in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brunei, Indonesia, Iran, South Korea, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkey and South Vietnam, but not all of these countries have ever actually used it. The United States does not use the rank, using General of the Air Force instead.

References

  1. ^ Duke of Edinburgh
  2. ^ http://www.incaer.aer.mil.br/MarTrompowsky.htm
  3. ^ http://www.rudnei.cunha.nom.br/FAB/en/patrono.html
  4. ^ a b Egypt
  5. ^ Buyers, Christopher (May 2001 - July 2007). "The Solomonic Dynasty". The Royal Ark. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
  6. ^ India
  7. ^ a b Jordan
  8. ^ Sultan Abdul Halim
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i Maylasia
  10. ^ Oman
  11. ^ Portugal
  12. ^ "The King and the Sea". Time magazine. time.com (1935-07-29). Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  13. ^ Baron Newall
  14. ^ Barrass, Malcolm (2007-09-29). "Marshal of the RAF Sir Arthur Harris". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved on 2008-03-31.
  15. ^ Barrass, Malcolm (2007-09-01). "Marshal of the RAF Sir Thomas Pike". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved on 2008-04-20.
  16. ^ Barrass, Malcolm (2007-06-16). "Marshal of the RAF The Lord Elworthy of Timaru". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved on 2008-04-18.
  17. ^ Barrass, Malcolm (2007-06-16). "Marshal of the RAF Sir John Grandy". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved on 2008-04-01.
  18. ^ Barrass, Malcolm (2007-10-07). "Marshal of the RAF Sir Denis Spotswood". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  19. ^ Probert, Henry [1991]. High Commanders of the Royal Air Force. London: HMSO, 133. ISBN 0117726354. 
  20. ^ Probert, Henry [1991]. High Commanders of the Royal Air Force. London: HMSO, 135. ISBN 0117726354. 
  21. ^ Probert, Henry [1991]. High Commanders of the Royal Air Force. London: HMSO, 137. ISBN 0117726354. 
  22. ^ Probert, Henry [1991]. High Commanders of the Royal Air Force. London: HMSO, 139. ISBN 0117726354. 
  23. ^ Probert, Henry [1991]. High Commanders of the Royal Air Force. London: HMSO, 141. ISBN 0117726354. 

See also

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshal_of_the_Air_Force"

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