Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation

Brigadier-General C G Hoare

Cuthbert Gurney                     b: 21 Jan 1883                       r: 21 Jan 1923                   d: 31 Jan 1969 

CMG - 3 Jun 1918, CBE - 13 Jun  1919, MiD - 13 Nov 1916, MiD - 3 Jun 1918.

(Army): - 2 Lt:  8 May 1901, Lt: 8 Aug 1903, Capt:  8 May 1910, (T) Maj: 24 Mar 1915, (T) Lt Col: 15 Nov 1915, Maj: 8 May 1916, (H) Brig-Gen: 1 Aug 1917.  

(RAF): - Act Brig-Gen [ Lt Col]: 1 Apr 1918.

xx xxx 1900:          Gentleman Cadet, RMC Sandhurst

 8 May 1901:          Officer, The Worcester Regiment.

 4 Jan 1902:            Seconded for service with the Indian Staff Corps.

13 Feb 1903:          Officer, 39th Prince of Wales Own Central India Horse.

xx xxx 1910:          Officer, 39th King George's Own Central India Horse.

14 Apr 1914:           Instructor, Indian Central Flying School 

12 Sep 1914:           Flight Commander, No ? Sqn RFC

24 Mar 1915:          Officer Commanding, No 7 Sqn.

15 Nov 1915:          Assistant Commandant, Central Flying School

13 Apr 1916:           Officer Commanding, No 14th (Army) Wing, RFC

 9 Jan 1917:             Officer Commanding, No 4 Cadet Wing, Toronto, Canada

 1 Aug 1917:            Brigadier-General Commanding, Training Brigade, Canada

17  Mar 1918:          Temporary Duty at Advanced HQ, Fort Worth, Texas

 1 Apr 1918:            GOC, RAF Training Units in Canada and the USA.

21 Jul 1918:             Returned from Temporary duty.

24 May 1919:          Relinquished his commission on ceasing to be employed

21 Jan 1923:           Retired from Indian Army.

The son of Charles Richard Gurney Hoare, he attended Harrow School (1897 - 1900) and Trinity College, Cambridge.  He obtained his RAeC Certificate (No 126) on 29 August 1911 and in 1914 was sent back to Britain to become an instructor for the soon to be opened Indian Flying School. However, when war broke out in August, those in Britain for this purpose were absorbed into the RFC.  A period as a squadron commander was followed by a return to the CFS as Assistant Commandant and later command of a training wing in Britain. 

His experience was put to good use in when at the end of 1916 he was chosen to head a new training organisation in Canada.  He set up his HQ in Toronto and then selected three suitable airfields and commenced flying training in February 1917.  He also later gained agreement with the US authorities for the establishment of RFC training facilities in Texas in exchange for the training of US Pilots.

He appears to have been in business in partnership with others from before World War One as a Stock and Share Dealer.

This page was last updated on 12/10/22

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