Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation

Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Medhurst

Charles Edward Hastings      b: 12 Dec 1896                     r: 19 Apr 1950                     d: 18 Oct 1954

KCB - 14 Jun 1945 (CB - 1 Jan 1942), OBE - 1 Jan 1919, MC - 18 Jan 1918, MiD - 15 Jun 1916, MiD - 14 Jun 1918, PR2 - 12 Jun 1945, LoM (Cdr) - 15 Mar 1946, WL2 - 6 Sep 1946, GI-GO - 6 Sep 1946, Leo, Cdr - 27 Oct 1948.

For a list of foreign decoration abbreviations, click here

(Army): - 2 Lt: 16 Jun 1915, Lt: 17 Mar 1916, (T) Capt: 15 Apr 1916, (T) Maj: 15 Sep 1917.

(RAF): - (T) Maj [Capt]: 1 Apr 1918, Flt Lt: 1 Aug 1919, Sqn Ldr: 1 Jul 1924 [1 Apr 1918], Wg Cdr: 1 Jan 1932, Act  Gp Capt: 1 Feb 1937, Gp Capt: 1 Jul 1937, (T) A/Cdre: 1 Feb 1940, (T) AVM: 1 Jun 1941, AVM: 14 Apr 1942 [1 Jun 1941], Act AM: 8 Feb 1945, AM: 1 Jan 1946, ACM: 1 May 1948.

xx xxx xxxx:          Attended RMC Sandhurst.

16 Jun 1915:           Officer, The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

20 Aug 1915:           U/T Pilot, RFC.

15 Oct 1915:           Pilot, No 13 Sqn RFC. (Nieuport Scout – Western Front)

15 Apr 1916:           Flight Commander, No 60? Sqn RFC. (Morane Bullet, Morane Biplane, Nieuport 13/17 – Western Front)

21 Feb 1917:           Embarked for Le Havre from Southampton

22 Feb 1917:           Arrived in Le Havre

 2 Mar 1917:            Embarked for Alexandria from Marseilles

18 Mar 1917:           Arrived in Alexandria

18 Mar 1917:           Attached, Egyptian Base

 7 Apr 1917:            Attached, HQ Middle East

 9 Apr 1917:            Instructor, No 23  Reserve Sqn RFC.

 2 Jun 1917:            Proceeded to HQ 5th Wing for special duty

 4-21 Jun 1917:       Special duty with No 67 (Australian) Sqn RFC

21 Jun 1917:             Proceeded to HQ 20th Wing on completion of special duty

24 Jun 1917:            Returned to No 23 Reserve Sqn RFC

 1 Aug 1917:            Flight Commander, No 14 Sqn RFC.

15 Sep 1917:           Appointed Squadron Commander, RFC.

 4 Oct 1917:            Officer Commanding, No 14 Sqn RFC. (BE12a, RE8 – Palestine)

15-28 Dec 1917:     Admitted to No 24 Stationary Hospital/No 19 General Hospital

29 Oct 1918:            Embarked at Kantara for Salonika

 5 Nov 1918:            Arrived at Salonika

25 Nov 1918:           Embarked at Salonika for Alexandria

29 Nov 1918:           Arrived in Alexandria from Salonika

13 Dec 1918:           Embarked for Marseilles

xx xxx 1918:            On Home Establishment

12 Feb 1919:           Posted from Home Establishment to Middle East

 8 Mar 1919:           Officer Commanding, No 111 Sqn. (Bristol F2B – Palestine)

 3-4 Oct 1919:        Temporary duty in Cairo

 1 Aug 1919:           Awarded Permanent Commission as a Captain  

 1 Feb 1920:           Officer Commanding, No 14 Sqn

10 Apr 1920:           Relinguished command of No 14 Sqn

11 Apr 1920:           Posted to No 208 Sqn.

29 Jun 1920:            Proceeded to UK on leave (91 days)

30 Sep 1920:           Attended Course of Instruction (in UK) on Rolls Royce engines

 6 May 1921:           Attended School of Military Administration.  

13 Aug 1921:          Staff, Inland Area Aircraft Depot, RAF Henlow.

15 Oct 1923:           O.1,  Deputy Directorate of Organisation.

 4 May 1925:          Attended RAF Staff College.

25 May 1926:         Attended Senior Officer's (Army) School.

21 Sep 1926:          Air Staff - Operations, HQ Iraq Command.

23 Nov 1928:         Supernumerary, RAF Depot.

14 Jan 1929:           Attended Imperial Defence College.

12 Dec 1929:          Successfully completed Course at IDC

 1 Jan 1930:            Officer Commanding, No 4 Sqn. (Atlas I – Farnborough)

 3 Jan 1931:            Directing Staff, RAF Staff College.

 1 Feb 1934:           Staff, Directorate of Operations and Intelligence

 8 Oct 1935:           Deputy Director of Intelligence.

11 Aug 1937:          Air Attaché, Rome.

xx xxx 1940:            RAF Secretary of the Supreme War Council.

 4 Jul 1940:              Director of Allied Air Co-Operation.

21 Oct 1940:           Director of Plans.

 1 Mar 1941:            Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Intelligence)

19 Oct 1942 - 21 Mar 1943:            Temp Vice Chief of the Air Staff

xx Feb 1943:            Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Policy)

xx Mar 1943:            Commandant, RAF Staff College.

 8 Feb 1945:            AOC in C, RAF Middle East Command

16 Oct 1945:           Air C in C, Mediterranean and Middle East Command

23 May 1948:          Head of British Joint Services Mission - Washington

Educated at Rossall, St Peter's, York before entering the RMC at Sandhurst and was awarded RAeC No 1437 on 13 July 1913 and was in No 60 at the same time as Lt Albert Ball and Roderic Hill, the later also destined to become an Air Chief Marshal.   He married Christabell Elizabeth Guy at St Oswald's, Fulford, York on 1 February 1919.

Following disbandment of No 111 Squadron, he was attached to No 208 pending his return to the UK, where he attended the Aircraft Engineering course at RAF Henlow.  As ACAS he led the British Military Mission to Portugal between June and August 1943, which eventually led to the Allies being allowed to use facilities in the Azores to close the 'Atlantic Gap'.   Retired at his own request.