Arthur Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder
Encyclopedia
Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Arthur William Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder, GCB
(11 July 1890 – 3 June 1967) was a senior British
air force commander. During the First World War
, he was a pilot and squadron commander in the Royal Flying Corps
and he went on to serve as a senior officer in the Royal Air Force
during the inter-war years. He held high command during the Second World War
, and after the war he served as Chief of the Air Staff before retiring from the RAF and taking up the position of Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.
at the Glenguin Distillery (now Glengoyne) north of Glasgow
in 1890. He was the son of Sir Arthur John Tedder and Emily Charlotte Bryson. His father was distinguished as the Commissioner of the Board of Customs who devised the old age pension scheme. His father's occupation meant that the young Tedder saw different parts of the British Isles, spending 1895 to 1898 in Lerwick
on the Shetland Isles and 1899–1901 in Elgin
, in the County of Moray
. In 1902 the family moved to Croydon
in Surrey
and Tedder attended the Whitgift School
until 1909 when he went up to Cambridge University
. Tedder spent his university years (1909–13) at Magdalene College
, where he read history. He was awarded a lower second-class honours in June 1912.
Tedder spent the summer of 1912 in Berlin
studying German. With the start of a new academic year, he decided to return to Magdalene for a fourth year in order that he might prepare himself for a career as a diplomat. During his last year at Magdalene, Tedder gained a reserve commission as a second lieutenant in the Dorsetshire Regiment. Later in the academic year Tedder changed his mind, deciding against a diplomatic career.
After university, Tedder joined the Colonial Service
as a cadet and departed England in February 1914, serving in the administration in Fiji
. He did not find colonial life in Fiji to his liking and when war was declared
, found a reason to return to England so that he could join the regular Army.
on the Dorset coast where he seriously injured his knee in February. Tedder was consigned to light duties and although he was posted to Calais in July, he remained unable to carry out full infantry duties. During this time Tedder applied for a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps
. In October Tedder was permitted to return to England where he continued to press for a transfer to the Flying Corps.
In January 1916, Tedder was accepted into the Royal Flying Corps and he first attended the No. 1 School of Aeronautics. In April he attended the Central Flying School
where he learned to fly and gained his 'wings
'. In June 1916, Tedder served as a pilot with No. 25 Squadron RFC
flying the Bristol Scout C
on the Western Front
. Less than two months later, Tedder was given additional responsibilities as he was made a flight commander on 25 Squadron. The first day of 1917 saw Tedder promoted to major and appointed commander of No. 70 Squadron RFC
. Tedder remained on the Western Front and his new squadron was equipped with the Sopwith 1½ Strutter
. On 25 June 1917, he was appointed Officer Commanding No. 67 Squadron
. This new command was in Middle East and although Tedder spent under a year as OC No. 67 Squadron, he remained in Middle East when he was made the commander of the School of Navigation and Bomb Dropping which was based in Egypt
. Another change soon followed and on 24 June 1918 Tedder was temporarily promoted to lieutenant colonel in the recently formed RAF and appointed Officer Commanding 38th Wing, also based in Egypt.
and commanded Nos 207 and 274 Squadrons, both based at RAF Bircham Newton
. No 207 Sqn (equipped with DH9a bombers) was briefly deployed to Turkey in 1922/3 during the Chanak Crisis
. No 274 Sqn was equipped with the Handley Page V/1500
, the largest RAF bomber of its time. From 1923, Tedder was involved in training, both as a pupil at the RN Staff College and the Imperial Defence College and on the staff at the Directorate of Training. In 1926 as a Wing Commander, he was station commander at RAF Digby
and Commandant of No. 2 Flying Training School there, later attending the RAF Staff College
and the Air Armament School (as officer commanding in 1932). By 1931, Tedder had reached the rank of group captain
and from 1934 to 1936 he served as Director of Training, gaining promotion to air commodore
early in his tour.
In 1936, Tedder was appointed Air Officer Commanding
(AOC) RAF Far Eastern Forces which gave him command over RAF units from Burma to Hong Kong
and Borneo
. In 1938 he became Director General for Research in the Air Ministry
.
Churchill
and in November 1940, he became Deputy Air Officer Commander in Chief, RAF Middle East Command
.
Tedder was appointed as Air Officer Commander in Chief, RAF Middle East Command in June 1941, with the temporary rank of Air Marshal
(made permanent in April 1942). He had not been Churchill's first choice for the role but when the preferred choice (Air Vice-Marshal
O T Boyd
) was captured, Tedder was appointed. As head of the RAF Middle East Command, he commanded Allied air operations in the Mediterranean and North Africa, covering the evacuation of Crete
in May 1941 and Operation Crusader
in North Africa in late 1941. In January 1942 Tedder was knighted, being appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. Tedder oversaw the build up of the air arm in the Western Desert and, more importantly, the development of new more effective operational and administrative policies which turned it into a highly effective force which was key to the Allied victory at the decisive Battle of El Alamein
. One of his bombing tactics became known as the "Tedder Carpet".
In December 1943, by now a temporary Air Chief Marshal
, Tedder took command of Allied Air Forces in the Mediterranean. He was involved in the planning of the Allied invasion of Sicily
.
When Operation Overlord
—the invasion of France—came to be planned, Tedder was appointed Deputy Supreme Commander beneath U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower
. Finding himself with little responsibility in this new role he wrested control of the air planning for D-Day
from the commander of the Allied Air Expeditionary Force, Trafford Leigh-Mallory
. He developed an antipathy towards the British General Bernard Montgomery and during the difficult Battle of Normandy
and later, he was a critic of Montgomery's performance and advocated Montgomery's removal from command.
In the last year of the war, Tedder was sent to Russia to seek assistance as the Western Front came under pressure during the Battle of the Bulge
. When the unconditional surrender of the Germans
came in May 1945 Tedder signed on behalf of General Eisenhower.
Knighted in 1942, Tedder was granted a peerage at the war's end. He followed Charles Portal as Chief of the Air Staff and served in that post from 1946 to 1950. In 1947 he delivered the Lees Knowles Lecture, which was then published as Air Power in War.
Although the nature of his war service denied him gallantry awards, Tedder received several significant foreign awards from Belgium, France, the United States and elsewhere.
and also composed his war memoirs. In 1950 he became Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. In 1950 he served as the British representative on the military committee of NATO in Washington DC. He also served as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Governors of the BBC
. He received at least six honorary LLD degrees
, and was avidly interested in astronomy. In his later years he developed Parkinson's Disease
and died in Surrey in 1967, aged 76 years.
(1926–1994; Late Purdie Professor of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews), and a daughter Mina. His stepson Alasdair was also killed.
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Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Marshal of the Royal Air Force is the highest rank in the Royal Air Force. In peacetime it was granted to RAF officers in the appointment of Chief of the Defence Staff, and to retired Chiefs of the Air Staff, who were promoted to it on their last day of service. Promotions to the rank have ceased...
Arthur William Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder, GCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(11 July 1890 – 3 June 1967) was a senior British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
air force commander. During the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he was a pilot and squadron commander in the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
and he went on to serve as a senior officer in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
during the inter-war years. He held high command during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and after the war he served as Chief of the Air Staff before retiring from the RAF and taking up the position of Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.
Early life
Arthur Tedder was born in ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
at the Glenguin Distillery (now Glengoyne) north of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
in 1890. He was the son of Sir Arthur John Tedder and Emily Charlotte Bryson. His father was distinguished as the Commissioner of the Board of Customs who devised the old age pension scheme. His father's occupation meant that the young Tedder saw different parts of the British Isles, spending 1895 to 1898 in Lerwick
Lerwick
Lerwick is the capital and main port of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, located more than 100 miles off the north coast of mainland Scotland on the east coast of the Shetland Mainland...
on the Shetland Isles and 1899–1901 in Elgin
Elgin, Moray
Elgin is a former cathedral city and Royal Burgh in Moray, Scotland. It is the administrative and commercial centre for Moray. The town originated to the south of the River Lossie on the higher ground above the flood plain. Elgin is first documented in the Cartulary of Moray in 1190...
, in the County of Moray
County of Moray
Moray is one of the registration counties of Scotland, bordering Nairnshire to the west, Inverness-shire to the south, and Banffshire to the east...
. In 1902 the family moved to Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
and Tedder attended the Whitgift School
Whitgift School
Whitgift School is an independent day school educating approximately 1,400 boys aged 10 to 18 in South Croydon, London in a parkland site.- History and grounds :...
until 1909 when he went up to Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. Tedder spent his university years (1909–13) at Magdalene College
Magdalene College, Cambridge
Magdalene College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary Magdalene...
, where he read history. He was awarded a lower second-class honours in June 1912.
Tedder spent the summer of 1912 in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
studying German. With the start of a new academic year, he decided to return to Magdalene for a fourth year in order that he might prepare himself for a career as a diplomat. During his last year at Magdalene, Tedder gained a reserve commission as a second lieutenant in the Dorsetshire Regiment. Later in the academic year Tedder changed his mind, deciding against a diplomatic career.
After university, Tedder joined the Colonial Service
Colonial Service
The Colonial Service was the British government service which administered Britain's colonies and protectorates, under the authority of the Secretary of State for the Colonies and the Colonial Office in London....
as a cadet and departed England in February 1914, serving in the administration in Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
. He did not find colonial life in Fiji to his liking and when war was declared
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, found a reason to return to England so that he could join the regular Army.
First World War
Tedder arrived back in England in December 1914. He was commissioned as a regular officer in the Dorsets in January 1915 and was promoted to lieutenant on 10 January. He was posted to a reserve unit at Wyke RegisWyke Regis
Wyke Regis is a village in south Dorset, England. The village is part of the south western suburbs of Weymouth, on the northern shore of Portland Harbour and the south-eastern end of Chesil Beach. Wyke is south of the county town, Dorchester...
on the Dorset coast where he seriously injured his knee in February. Tedder was consigned to light duties and although he was posted to Calais in July, he remained unable to carry out full infantry duties. During this time Tedder applied for a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
. In October Tedder was permitted to return to England where he continued to press for a transfer to the Flying Corps.
In January 1916, Tedder was accepted into the Royal Flying Corps and he first attended the No. 1 School of Aeronautics. In April he attended the Central Flying School
Central Flying School
The Central Flying School is the Royal Air Force's primary institution for the training of military flying instructors. Established in 1912 it is the longest existing flying training school.-History:...
where he learned to fly and gained his 'wings
Aircrew brevet
An aircrew brevet is the badge worn on the left breast, above any medal ribbons, by qualified aircrew in the Royal Air Force, British Army, Indian Air Force, Canadian Forces, Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal New Zealand Air Force, South African Air Force and Sri Lanka Air...
'. In June 1916, Tedder served as a pilot with No. 25 Squadron RFC
No. XXV Squadron RAF
No. 25 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. Until April 2008 the squadron operated the Panavia Tornado F3, from RAF Leeming.-The first years:...
flying the Bristol Scout C
Bristol Scout
The Bristol Scout was a simple, single seat, rotary-engined biplane originally intended as a civilian racing aircraft. Like other similar fast, light aircraft of the period - it was acquired by the RNAS and the RFC as a "scout", or fast reconnaissance type...
on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
. Less than two months later, Tedder was given additional responsibilities as he was made a flight commander on 25 Squadron. The first day of 1917 saw Tedder promoted to major and appointed commander of No. 70 Squadron RFC
No. LXX Squadron RAF
No. 70 Squadron of the Royal Air Force most recently operated the Lockheed Hercules from RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire until September 2010.-World War I:...
. Tedder remained on the Western Front and his new squadron was equipped with the Sopwith 1½ Strutter
Sopwith 1½ Strutter
The Sopwith 1½ Strutter was a British one or two-seat biplane multi-role aircraft of the First World War. It is significant as the first British-designed two seater tractor fighter, and the first British aircraft to enter service with a synchronised machine gun...
. On 25 June 1917, he was appointed Officer Commanding No. 67 Squadron
No. 67 Squadron RAF
The name No. 67 Squadron has been used by the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Air Force for two quite different units.-World War I:During the First World War, No. 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps — formed at Point Cook in January 1916, — was referred to by British authorities from...
. This new command was in Middle East and although Tedder spent under a year as OC No. 67 Squadron, he remained in Middle East when he was made the commander of the School of Navigation and Bomb Dropping which was based in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. Another change soon followed and on 24 June 1918 Tedder was temporarily promoted to lieutenant colonel in the recently formed RAF and appointed Officer Commanding 38th Wing, also based in Egypt.
Inter-war years
After the War, Tedder accepted a permanent commission in the new Royal Air Force (RAF) as a squadron leaderSquadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
and commanded Nos 207 and 274 Squadrons, both based at RAF Bircham Newton
RAF Bircham Newton
RAF Bircham Newton was a Royal Air Force airfield in the west of the county of Norfolk in the United Kingdom, eight miles west of Fakenham.-History:...
. No 207 Sqn (equipped with DH9a bombers) was briefly deployed to Turkey in 1922/3 during the Chanak Crisis
Chanak Crisis
The Chanak Crisis, also called Chanak Affair in September 1922 was the threatened attack by Turkish troops on British and French troops stationed near Çanakkale to guard the Dardanelles neutral zone. The Turkish troops had recently defeated Greek forces and recaptured İzmir...
. No 274 Sqn was equipped with the Handley Page V/1500
Handley Page V/1500
-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes, C. H. Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907. London: Putnam & Company, Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-803-8.* Bowyer, Chaz. Handley Page Bombers of the First World War. Bourne End, Bucks, UK:Aston Publications, 1992. ISBN 0-946627-68-1.* Clayton, Donald C. Handley Page, an...
, the largest RAF bomber of its time. From 1923, Tedder was involved in training, both as a pupil at the RN Staff College and the Imperial Defence College and on the staff at the Directorate of Training. In 1926 as a Wing Commander, he was station commander at RAF Digby
RAF Digby
RAF Digby is a Royal Air Force station which, since March 2005, has been operated by the Ministry of Defence's Joint Service Signals Organisation, part of the Intelligence Collection Group. Formerly a training and fighter airfield, it is currently a tri-service military signals installation located...
and Commandant of No. 2 Flying Training School there, later attending the RAF Staff College
RAF Staff College, Andover
The RAF Staff College at RAF Andover was the first Royal Air Force staff college to be established. Its role was the training of officers in the administrative, staff and policy apects of air force matters.-Foundation:...
and the Air Armament School (as officer commanding in 1932). By 1931, Tedder had reached the rank of group captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
and from 1934 to 1936 he served as Director of Training, gaining promotion to air commodore
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
early in his tour.
In 1936, Tedder was appointed Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding is a title given in the air forces of Commonwealth nations to an air officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, an air vice marshal might be the AOC 38 Group...
(AOC) RAF Far Eastern Forces which gave him command over RAF units from Burma to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
. In 1938 he became Director General for Research in the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
.
Second World War
At the outbreak of war in 1939, Tedder's department was transferred to the newly created Ministry of Aircraft Production, but Tedder was unable to form a good working relationship with the minister, Lord Beaverbrook, and consequently with Prime MinisterPrime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
and in November 1940, he became Deputy Air Officer Commander in Chief, RAF Middle East Command
RAF Middle East Command
Middle East Command was a command of the Royal Air Force formed on December 29, 1941 by renaming Headquarters RAF Middle East. During the early part of the Second World War the Command was one of the three major British service commands in the Middle East, the others being the British Army's...
.
Tedder was appointed as Air Officer Commander in Chief, RAF Middle East Command in June 1941, with the temporary rank of Air Marshal
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
(made permanent in April 1942). He had not been Churchill's first choice for the role but when the preferred choice (Air Vice-Marshal
Air Vice-Marshal
Air vice-marshal is a two-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in...
O T Boyd
Owen Tudor Boyd
Air Marshal Owen Tudor Boyd CB, OBE, MC, AFC was an officer in the British Royal Flying Corps during most of World War I...
) was captured, Tedder was appointed. As head of the RAF Middle East Command, he commanded Allied air operations in the Mediterranean and North Africa, covering the evacuation of Crete
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
in May 1941 and Operation Crusader
Operation Crusader
Operation Crusader was a military operation by the British Eighth Army between 18 November–30 December 1941. The operation successfully relieved the 1941 Siege of Tobruk....
in North Africa in late 1941. In January 1942 Tedder was knighted, being appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. Tedder oversaw the build up of the air arm in the Western Desert and, more importantly, the development of new more effective operational and administrative policies which turned it into a highly effective force which was key to the Allied victory at the decisive Battle of El Alamein
Second Battle of El Alamein
The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The battle took place over 20 days from 23 October – 11 November 1942. The First Battle of El Alamein had stalled the Axis advance. Thereafter, Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery...
. One of his bombing tactics became known as the "Tedder Carpet".
In December 1943, by now a temporary Air Chief Marshal
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
, Tedder took command of Allied Air Forces in the Mediterranean. He was involved in the planning of the Allied invasion of Sicily
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
.
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
—the invasion of France—came to be planned, Tedder was appointed Deputy Supreme Commander beneath U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
. Finding himself with little responsibility in this new role he wrested control of the air planning for D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
from the commander of the Allied Air Expeditionary Force, Trafford Leigh-Mallory
Trafford Leigh-Mallory
Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory KCB, DSO & Bar was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force. Leigh-Mallory served as a Royal Flying Corps pilot and squadron commander during World War I...
. He developed an antipathy towards the British General Bernard Montgomery and during the difficult Battle of Normandy
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
and later, he was a critic of Montgomery's performance and advocated Montgomery's removal from command.
In the last year of the war, Tedder was sent to Russia to seek assistance as the Western Front came under pressure during the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
. When the unconditional surrender of the Germans
German Instrument of Surrender, 1945
The German Instrument of Surrender was the legal instrument that established the armistice ending World War II in Europe. It was signed by representatives of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht and the Allied Expeditionary Force together with the Soviet High Command, French representative signing as...
came in May 1945 Tedder signed on behalf of General Eisenhower.
Knighted in 1942, Tedder was granted a peerage at the war's end. He followed Charles Portal as Chief of the Air Staff and served in that post from 1946 to 1950. In 1947 he delivered the Lees Knowles Lecture, which was then published as Air Power in War.
Although the nature of his war service denied him gallantry awards, Tedder received several significant foreign awards from Belgium, France, the United States and elsewhere.
Later life
Lord Tedder was the author of a historical study of the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and also composed his war memoirs. In 1950 he became Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. In 1950 he served as the British representative on the military committee of NATO in Washington DC. He also served as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Governors of the BBC
Board of Governors of the BBC
The Board of Governors of the BBC was the governing body of the British Broadcasting Corporation. It consisted of twelve people who together regulated the BBC and represented the interests of the public. It existed from 1927 until it was replaced by the BBC Trust on 1 January 2007.The governors...
. He received at least six honorary LLD degrees
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
, and was avidly interested in astronomy. In his later years he developed Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
and died in Surrey in 1967, aged 76 years.
Family life
Tedder married Rosalinde Maclardy who was killed in an aircraft crash in Egypt in 1943, an event that Tedder witnessed. Tedder remarried but his second wife, Marie (Toppy) de Seton Black, predeceased him by about two years, in 1965. Tedder was the parent of: Dick (killed in France 1940), John MichaelJohn Tedder, 2nd Baron Tedder
John Michael Tedder, 2nd Baron Tedder, FRSE , was the Purdie Professor of Chemistry at St. Andrews University, Scotland.-Early life and education:...
(1926–1994; Late Purdie Professor of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews), and a daughter Mina. His stepson Alasdair was also killed.
Styles
- 1890–1913: Arthur William Tedder
- 1913–1915: Second LieutenantSecond LieutenantSecond lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
Arthur William Tedder - 1915–1916: LieutenantLieutenantA lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Arthur William Tedder - 1916–1917: CaptainCaptain (British Army and Royal Marines)Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
Arthur William Tedder - 1917–1918: Major Arthur William Tedder (Temporary rank in Army from 1 Jan 1917 – 1 Apr 1918; full rank of Major in RAF after then)
- 1918–1919: Major RAF (Temp. Lieutenant-Colonel RAF) Arthur William Tedder
- 1919–1924: Squadron LeaderSquadron LeaderSquadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
Arthur William Tedder - 1924–1931: Wing CommanderWing Commander (rank)Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
Arthur William Tedder - 1931–1934: Group CaptainGroup CaptainGroup captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
Arthur William Tedder - 1934 – 1 February 1937: Air CommodoreAir CommodoreAir commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Arthur William Tedder - 1 February – 1 July 1937: Air Commodore Arthur William Tedder, CBOrder of the BathThe Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
- 1 July 1937–1940: Air Vice-MarshalAir Vice-MarshalAir vice-marshal is a two-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in...
Arthur William Tedder, CB - 1940–1941: Air Vice-Marshal (Actg. Air MarshalAir MarshalAir marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
) Arthur William Tedder, CB - 1941 – 1 Jan 1942: Air Marshal Arthur William Tedder, CB
- 1 Jan – 1 July 1942: Air Marshal SirSirSir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Arthur William Tedder, KCBOrder of the BathThe Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath... - 1 July – 27 November 1942: Air Marshal (Temp. Air Chief MarshalAir Chief MarshalAir chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
) Sir Arthur William Tedder, KCB - 27 November 1942 – 6 June 1945: Air Marshal (Temp. Air Chief Marshal) Sir Arthur William Tedder, GCBGCBGCB may stand for:* Gaming Control Board, any governmental body that regulates gambling in its jurisdiction* Generator circuit-breaker, a special circuit breaker in the high-current connection between generator and generator transformer...
- 6 June – 12 September 1945: Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur William Tedder, GCB
- 12 September 1945–1946: Marshal of the Royal Air ForceMarshal of the Royal Air ForceMarshal of the Royal Air Force is the highest rank in the Royal Air Force. In peacetime it was granted to RAF officers in the appointment of Chief of the Defence Staff, and to retired Chiefs of the Air Staff, who were promoted to it on their last day of service. Promotions to the rank have ceased...
Sir Arthur William Tedder, GCB - 1946–1967: Marshal of the Royal Air Force The Right HonourableThe Right HonourableThe Right Honourable is an honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain people in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Anglophone Caribbean and other Commonwealth Realms, and occasionally elsewhere...
the Lord TedderBaron TedderBaron Tedder, of Glenguin in the County of Stirling, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1946 for Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Sir Arthur Tedder. His second son, the second Baron, was Purdie Professor of Chemistry at the University of St Andrews...
of Glenguin, GCB
Orders, decorations and medals
His awards were as follows:- BaronBaronBaron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
- 1 Jan 1946 (Conferred 8 Feb 1946) - Order of the BathOrder of the BathThe Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(Knight Grand Cross - 27 Nov 1942; Knight Commander - 1 Jan 1942; Companion - 1 Feb 1937), - Mentioned in Despatches - 22 Jun 1919, 5 Jun 1919,
- Commendation - 3 Jun 1942,
Foreign awards
- Medal of Military ValourMedal of Military ValorThe Medal of Military Valor is an Italian medal. During World War I, the medal was awarded to military personnel, units above the level of company, and civilians for exceptional valor in the face of the enemy...
, Silver; (Italy) - 26 May 1917, - Nichan IftikharNichan IftikharNichan Iftikhar or Atiq Nishan-i-Iftikhar or Nişan-i İftihar , was an Ottoman and Tunisian honorary order founded in 1835 by Al-Mustafa ibn Mahmud...
(Order of Glory), Grand Cordon; (Tunisia) - 27 Aug 1943, - Order of Ouissam Alaouite, Grand Officer; (Morocco) - 27 Aug 1943,
- Legion of MeritLegion of MeritThe Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
, Chief Commander; (United States) - 27 Aug 1943, - Order of Polonia Restituta, Grand Cross; (Poland) - 1 Oct 1943,
- Order of KutuzovOrder of KutuzovThe Order of Kutuzov is a Soviet and Russian military award, named after famous Russian Field Marshal Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov ....
, 1st Class; (USSR) - 28 Aug 1945, - Legion of Honour (Grand Croix - 1945; Grand Officier - 1945; Commandeur - 1942); (France)
- Distinguished Service MedalDistinguished Service Medal (United States)The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United...
, United States - 14 Jun 1946, - Grand Cross of the Order of the CrownOrder of the Crown (Belgium)The Order of the Crown is an Order of Belgium which was created on 15 October 1897 by King Leopold II in his capacity as ruler of the Congo Free State. The order was first intended to recognize heroic deeds and distinguished service achieved from service in the Congo Free State - many of which acts...
with Palms; (Belgium) - 18 Jun 1946, - Croix de Guerre 1940 with Palms, (Belgium) - 18 Jun 1946,
- Royal Order of George I (with Swords), Grand Cross; (Greece) - 6 Sep 1946,
- Croix de GuerreCroix de guerreThe Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
with Palms; (France) - 27 Sep 1946, - Order of Orange Nassau, Knight Grand Cross; (Netherlands) - 31 Oct 1947.
Academic awards
- BABachelor of ArtsA Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
(Hons) – 1912, - Hon FellowHonorary title (academic)Honorary titles in academia may be conferred on persons in recognition of contributions by a non-employee or by an employee beyond regular duties...
, Magdalene College, CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, - HonHonorary degreeAn honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
DCLDoctor of Civil LawDoctor of Civil Law is a degree offered by some universities, such as the University of Oxford, instead of the more common Doctor of Laws degrees....
- OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
(1945), - Hon LLDLegum DoctorLegum Doctor is a doctorate-level academic degree in law, or an honorary doctorate, depending on the jurisdiction. The double L in the abbreviation refers to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both Canon Law and Civil Law, the double L indicating the plural, Doctor of both...
, Cambridge (31 Jan 1946), LeedsUniversity of LeedsThe University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
(10 May 1946), GlasgowUniversity of GlasgowThe University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
(19 Jun 1946), SheffieldUniversity of SheffieldThe University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
(25 Jun 1946), BirminghamUniversity of BirminghamThe University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
, EdinburghUniversity of EdinburghThe University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
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