Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation

Air Commodore E D M Robertson

Edmund Digby Maxwell            b: 21 Mar 1887              r: 1 Aug 1935              d: 24 Jul 1956

CB - 3 Jun 1935, DFC - 1 Jan 1919.  2nd Prize, "Gordon-Shephard" Competition – 1924, 1928

(RN): - Mid’n: 15 May 1903, Sub Lt: 15 Jul 1906, Lt: 15 Jan 1907, Flt Lt: 1 Jul 1914, Act Flt Cdr: 11 Aug 1914, Flt Cdr: 31 Oct 1914, Lt Cdr: 15 Jan 1915, Sqn Cdr: 1 Jan 1916, Wg Cdr: 30 Jun 1917.

(RAF): - (T) Lt Col [Maj]: 1 Apr 1918, Wg Cdr: 1 Aug 1919 [1 Apr 1918], Gp Capt: 1 Jan 1926, A/Cdre: 1 Jul 1931, Gp Capt: 7 Jul 1939 – 21 Nov 1940.

15 Jan 1902:               Naval Cadet, HMS Britannia.

15 May 1903:              Midshipman, HMS Repulse

 5 Jan 1904:                Midshipman, HMS Hannibal

17 Oct 1904:               Midshipman, HMS Hogue

24 Sep 1906:               Attended RN College

13 Jan 1908:                Lieutenant, HMS Panther

18 Aug 1908:               Lieutenant, HMS Venus

 6 Aug 1910:                HMS Excellent for Gunnery Course

14 Sep 1911:                HMS Excellent for Gunnery duties

 2 Jul 1912:                  Lent to HMS Cressey for Gunnery duties during manoeuvres

1 Aug 1913:                  HMS President for Temporary Special Service with the Air Department, Admiralty

27 Jan 1914:                 Lent to Central Flying School for course of instruction.

12 Mar 1914:               Graded as Flying Officer

11 Aug 1914:                Officer Commanding, HMS Riviera.

15 Jan 1915                  Squadron Commander, Isle of Grain Air Station

xx xxx 1916:                 Officer Commanding, ‘Experimental Armament Establishment’, Kingsnorth.

26 Mar 1917:               HMS President for service with Gunnery Section, Air Department, Hotel Cecil

xx May 1918:               Officer Commanding, RAF Felixstowe

20 Aug 1918:               Officer Commanding, No 70 Wing, RAF Felixstowe.

xx May 1919?:             Staff Officer to Lord Jellicoe (during World tour to advise Dominions on Naval Defence)

 1 Aug 1919:                Awarded Permanent Commission as a Lieutenant Colonel

22 Jan 1920:                Removed from the Navy Lists on being awarded Permanent Commission in RAF

15 Feb 1920:               Officer Commanding, School of Naval Co-operation.

Aug/Sep 1921:             Deputy Director of Armament.

xx xxx 1923:                Deputy Director of Research (Armament).

10 Dec 1924:               Fleet Aviation Officer to C in C, Atlantic Fleet.

19 Jul 1926:                 Officer Commanding RAF Base Leuchars

27 Jan 1927:                Fleet Aviation Officer to C in C, China/OC, RAF Units in Honk Kong.

 4 May 1928:               Supernumerary, RAF Depot.

17 Sep 1928:               RAF Representative, Ordnance Committee, Woolwich.

10 Nov 1930:               Director of Personal Services.

 1 Jan 1931:                  Appointed Air ADC to The King.

 1 Aug 1935 – 6 Jul 1939:        Retired.

 2 Sep 1939:                 Relinquished rank of A/Cdre on being re-employed.

21 Nov 1940:               Reverted to Retired List and recalled to service in rank of Air Commodore

xx xxx xxxx:                  Reverted to rank of Group Captain?

 6 Oct 1945:                  Reverted to Retired List, resuming the rank of Air Commodore

Born in Valetta, Malta, he gained his RAeC Certificate, No 7165 on 22 December 1913.  Promoted to Lieutenant in only four years owing to his excellent performance in examinations, he specialised in Gunnery and won the  ‘Commander Egerton’ prize as the best student of his course.  He commanded HMS Riviera  during the Cuxhaven Raid of Christmas 1914 - See Archives.  On 6 June 1918, he was flying in a flying boat which was shot down by five German aircraft and together with the rest of the crew was rescued after eight hours clinging to the wreckage.  Retiring from the RAF in 1935 at his own request, he became Airport Superintendent at Croydon Airport.

His son, Duncan Maxwell, was killed in a flying accident whilst serving at No 1 Air Armament School on 28 October 1940.