Sir Edward Arthur Beckton Rice
by Walter Stoneman
bromide print, March 1945
NPG x159891
Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
Air Vice Marshal Sir Edward Rice
Edward Arthur Beckton b: 19 Dec 1893 r: 1 Mar 1946 d: 14 Apr 1948
KBE - 1 Jan 1946 (CBE - 1 Jan 1941), CB - 1 Jan 1944, MC - 18 Jul 1917, MiD - 10 Oct 1922, MiD - 17 Mar 1941, MiD - 8 Jun 1944, PR2 - 12 Jun 1945.
(Army):- 2 Lt (P): 8 Jun 1915, (T) Lt: 1 Nov 1916, (T) Capt: 1 Dec 1916, Maj: 1 Jan 1918
(RAF):- (T) Maj [Capt]: 1 Apr 1918, (T) Maj: xx Mar 1919, Sqn Ldr: 1 Aug 1919, Wg Cdr: 1 Jan 1928, Gp Capt: 1 Nov 1938, (T) A/Cdre: 1 Jun 1941, Act AVM: 24 Feb 1943, (T) AVM: 1 Dec 1943, AVM: Retained.
Sir Edward Arthur Beckton Rice
by Walter Stoneman
bromide print, March 1945
NPG x159891
xx xxx 1915: U/T pilot, RFC
xx xxx 1915: Pilot No 21 Sqn RFC
23 Jan 1916: Embarked for France (by air with No 21 Sqn)
6 Jul 1916: Admitted to No 1 BRX (Jaundice)
8 Jul 1916: To England on HS 'St David'
23 Aug 1916: Pilot, No 55 Sqn RFC.
11 Mar 1917: Re-embarked for France (by air with No 55 Sqn)
1 Dec 1916: Flight Commander, No 55 Sqn
12-20 Apr 1917: Admitted to Casualty Clearing Station (Measles)
16 Aug 1917: Wounded
xx Sep 1917: Flight Commander, No 114 Sqn RFC.?
14 Dec 1917: Officer Commanding No 98 Sqn
19 Dec 1917: ?
18 Jan 1918: Officer Commanding, No 98 Sqn RFC.
xx May 1918: Officer Commanding, No 106 Sqn.
22 Nov 1918: Officer Commanding, No 108 Sqn.
18 Mar 1919: Officer Commanding, No 11 Sqn. (Bristol F2B)
1 Aug 1919: Awarded Permanent Commission as a Major
xx xxx 1920: Officer i/c, Care and Maintenance Party, RAF Scopwick.
6 Apr 1920: Awaiting disposal, HQ Mesopotamian Wing.
28 May 1920: Officer Commanding, No 6 Sqn.
21 Apr 1922: Supernumerary, RAF Depot (non-effective).
16 Dec 1922: Officer Commanding, Air Pilotage School.
15 Jan 1923: Officer Commanding, No 11 Sqn.
26 Jan 1928: Officer Commanding, RAF Andover.
9 Nov 1929: Officer Commanding, No 216 Sqn.
26 Jun 1933: Supernumerary, RAF Depot.
5 Sep - 14 Oct 1933: Placed on half pay list, scale A.
15 Oct 1933: Attended RN Senior Officer's War Course.
23 Feb 1934: Navigation Officer, RAF Base, Calshot.
xx xxx xxxx - 11 Jun 1937: Acting Officer Commanding, RAF Calshot.
11 Jan 1939: Supernumerary, RAF Hemswell
19 Jan 1939: Officer Commanding, RAF Hemswell
21-31 Mar 1939: Attended Senior Officers' Course, HQ Bomber Command
12 Oct 1940: Officer Commanding, RAF St Athan/No 4 School of Technical Training (Men).
21 Sep 1941: AOC, AHQ West Africa.
11 Jan 1943: AOC, No 92 (Operational Training) Group
24 Feb 1943: AOC, No 1 (Bomber) Group.
23 Feb 1945: AOC, No 7 (Operational Training) Group.
Sir Edward Rice originally
served with the South African Forces before entering Sandhurst at the beginning
of WW1. On commissioning, in 1915, he joined the RFC Special Reserve,
Whilst he was AOC, No 1 Group, he developed an association with Rose Brothers in Gainsborough, which ultimately led to the development of a rear turret for fitting to the Lancaster equipped with two 0.5" Brownings in place of the standard four 0.303" guns. From 1946 until his death he was Director-General of Civil Aviation.
This page was last updated on 19/10/23