Air Vice-MarshalAir Vice-Marshal is an air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries...
Sir Tom Ince Webb-Bowen KCBThe Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the medieval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
,
CMGThe Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent whilst he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III. It is named in honour of two military saints, St. Michael and St...
,
RAFThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
(17 January 1879 – 29 October 1956) was a senior commander in the
Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
during the first half of the 20th century.
Webb-Bowen was commissioned into the
Middlesex RegimentThe Middlesex Regiment was a regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms when the 57th and 77th Regiments of Foot were amalgamated with the county's militia and rifle volunteer units.On December 31, 1966 The Middlesex Regiment was amalgamated with three...
and later served with the Bedfordshire Regiment and the Madras Volunteer Corps. Finding himself unsuited to regimental life, Webb-Bowen learnt to fly in 1912. After several weeks as a
Royal Flying CorpsThe Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery cooperation and photographic reconnaissance...
flight commander, he was posted to the
Central Flying SchoolThe Central Flying School is the Royal Air Force's primary institution for the training of military flying instructors. It was established at Upavon Aerodrome, near Upavon, Wiltshire in 1912, and is the longest existing flying training school. The CFS's first commandant was Captain Godfrey Paine...
as an instructor where he later served as the Assistant Commandant.
In March 1915 Major Webb-Bowen took over command of II(AC) Sqn whilst the squadron was located at Merville, France.
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Air Vice-MarshalAir Vice-Marshal is an air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries...
Sir Tom Ince Webb-Bowen KCBThe Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the medieval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
,
CMGThe Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent whilst he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III. It is named in honour of two military saints, St. Michael and St...
,
RAFThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
(17 January 1879 – 29 October 1956) was a senior commander in the
Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
during the first half of the 20th century.
Webb-Bowen was commissioned into the
Middlesex RegimentThe Middlesex Regiment was a regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms when the 57th and 77th Regiments of Foot were amalgamated with the county's militia and rifle volunteer units.On December 31, 1966 The Middlesex Regiment was amalgamated with three...
and later served with the Bedfordshire Regiment and the Madras Volunteer Corps. Finding himself unsuited to regimental life, Webb-Bowen learnt to fly in 1912. After several weeks as a
Royal Flying CorpsThe Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery cooperation and photographic reconnaissance...
flight commander, he was posted to the
Central Flying SchoolThe Central Flying School is the Royal Air Force's primary institution for the training of military flying instructors. It was established at Upavon Aerodrome, near Upavon, Wiltshire in 1912, and is the longest existing flying training school. The CFS's first commandant was Captain Godfrey Paine...
as an instructor where he later served as the Assistant Commandant.
In March 1915 Major Webb-Bowen took over command of II(AC) Sqn whilst the squadron was located at Merville, France. During his short tenure there were two significant events. Firstly, because of the difficulty suffered by ground troops in communicating their advance to higher command, a technique was developed whereby troops on the ground could convey their position by laying strips of white cloth on the ground. Aircraft from II(AC) Sqn would then relay by WT the co-ordinates noted. The second and more historically significant event was the award of the first Victoria Cross awarded for bravery in the air, to Lt. Rhodes-Moorhouse (click here for a full account). Major Webb-Bowen handed over command to Major Becke in June 1915 following his posting to Home Establishment.