H S P Walmsley

Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation

Air Marshal Sir Hugh Walmsley (05008)

Hugh Sidney Porter b: 6 Jun 1898 r: 1 Aug 1952 d: 2 Sep 1985

KCB - 5 Jun 1952 (CB - 15 Aug 1944), KCIE - 1 Jan 1948, CBE - 1 Jan 1943 (OBE - 11 May 1937), MC - 16 Sep 1918, DFC - 10 Oct 1922, MiD - 11 Jul 1940, MiD - 17 Mar 1941, MiD - 24 Sep 1941, MiD - 11 Jun 1942, MiD – 1 Jan 1946.

For a list of foreign decoration abbreviations, click here

(Army):- 2 Lt: 15 Jan 1916, (T) Lt: 1 Sep 1917.

(RAF):- Lt: 1 Apr 1918, Fg Off: 1 Aug 1919, Flt Lt: 30 Jun 1922, Sqn Ldr: 30 Jun 1931, Wg Cdr: 1 Apr 1937, (T) Gp Capt: 1 Mar 1940, Act A/Cdre: 16 Mar 1941, (T) A/Cdre: 1 Jun 1942, Gp Capt: 20 Nov 1942 [1 Oct 1941], Act AVM: 25 Jun 1943, (T) AVM: 1 Dec 1943, A/Cdre: 1 Dec 1944, AVM: 1 Apr 1946, Act AM: 22 Oct 1946, AM: 1 Jan 1949.

xx xxx xxxx: Private, Royal North Lancashire Regiment.

15 Jan 1916: Officer, Royal North Lancashire Regiment.

xx xxx 1916: Seconded to the RFC.

16 Sep 1917: Embarked for France

17 Sep 1917: Attached, No 1 AD

24 Sep 1917: Pilot, No 55 Sqn RFC

7 Jun 1918: Flight Commander, No 55 Sqn RFC.

2 Aug 1918: Returned to Home Establishment

28 Oct 1919: Granted a Permanent Commission in the rank of Flying Officer (effective from 1 Aug)

2 Feb 1920: Instructor, No 1 School of Technical Training (Boys)

11 Feb 1921: Pilot, No 55 Sqn (Iraq).

14 Jan 1923: Supernumerary, RAF Depot.

13 Apr 1923: Instructor/Staff, Inland Area Aircraft Depot, Henlow.

14 Feb 1924: Adjutant, Boy's/No 4 (Apprentices) Wing - RAF Cranwell.

19 Aug 1926: Staff, No 4 (Apprentices) Wing, No 1 SoTT (Apprentices)

20 Dec 1927: Flight Commander, No 503 (County of Lincoln) Sqn

13 Aug 1928: Adjutant/QFI, No 603 (City of Edinburgh) Sqn Aux AF.

4 Oct 1931: PA to the Chief of the Air Staff.

9 Nov 1933: Supernumerary, No 33 Sqn.

18 Nov 1933: Officer Commanding, No 33 Sqn.

24 Feb 1935: Supernumerary, No 8 Sqn, wef 9 Feb 1935

9 Mar 1935: Officer Commanding, No 8 Sqn.

5 Nov 1935: Officer Commanding, No 8 Sqn/SHQ RAF Khormaksar.

28 Jun 1937: Officer Commanding, RAF Abingdon.

2 Sep 1939: Officer Commanding, No 71 Wing - Advanced Air Striking Force.

24 Apr 1940: Supernumerary, RAF Scampton

29 Apr 1940: Officer Commanding, RAF Scampton.

12 Mar 1941: Group Captain - ?, HQ Bomber Command.

16 Mar 1942: AOC, No 6 (Bomber) Group.

11 May 1942: AOC, No 91 Group.

8 Feb 1944: SASO (Night Bombing), HQ Bomber Command.

18 May 1945: AOC, No 4 Group.

1 Apr 1946: Air Officer, Transport Command, South East Asia.

1 Jun 1946: AOA, AHQ India

22 Nov 1946: AOC in C, RAF India.

4 Feb 1948: Deputy Chief of the Air Staff.

1 Mar 1950: AOC in C, Flying Training Command.

Hugh Walmsley was educated at Old College, Windermere and then Dover College. Joining the 4th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment in 1915, he transferred to the RFC in 1916. Posted to No 55 Squadron flying the DH4. Initially involved in operations over the Western Front, he moved with the squadron to Ochey in October 1917 when the unit was transferred to the 41st Wing. Here the squadron was to carry out raids on strategic targets such as Mannheim, Mainz, Coblenz and Frankfurt.

The day before war was declared No 1 (Bomber) Group was redesignated the Advanced Air Striking Force and it's squadrons formed into mobile Wings. The units under Walmsley's command at Abingdon, No's XV and 40 Squadrons became No 71 Wing with Group Capt Walmsley as it's CO. He was a representative of the RAF at the funeral of King George VI.

He maintained the connection with flying training on his retirement from the RAF by becoming Managing Director of Air Service Training at Hamble and then in 1960 the Principal of the College of Air Training, also at Hamble. However, before the end of the year he had resigned from this post.

Citation for Military Cross

"Lt. Hugh Sidney Porter Walmsley, N. Lan. R., and R.A.F.

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty on long-distance bomb raids. In four of these he acted as leader, and displayed great skill and tenacity in getting the better of the enemy. He has carried out twelve raids into the enemy's country, and his work throughout has been consistently of a high order."

(London Gazette - 18 September 1918)

Recommendation for the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross

"WALMSLEY, Hugh Sidney Porter, F/L, MC.

For outstanding courage and devotion to duty in the air throughout the operations in South Kurdistan from May to September 1921. This officer displayed great coolness, gallantry and skill whilst on a bombing expedition on August 17th, 1921, when his machine caught fire owing to the bursting of a Very light in the rear locker. The observer was successful in extinguishing the flames, and Flying Officer Walmsley brought the machine safely back to the aerodrome. "

Announced in the London Gazette as: -

"For distinguished services rendered during active service operations in Iraq during 1920-1921".

(Source - Air 30/49)

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