John Salmond
Encyclopedia
Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Sir John Maitland Salmond, GCB
, CMG
, CVO
, DSO and Bar
(17 July 1881 – 16 April 1968) was a British military officer who rose to high rank in the Royal Flying Corps
during World War I
. During the first half of the 20th century he was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force
, serving as General Officer Commanding the RAF in France in 1918 and the Air Officer Commanding British Forces in Iraq in the early 1920s when he dealt with a Kurdish uprising and a Turkish invasion. Most notably, he was Chief of the Air Staff from 1930 to 1933.
Sir William Salmond KCB
of the Royal Engineers
, and wife Emma Mary Hoyle, born on 21 May 1849 the daughter of William Fretwell Hoyle of Hooton Levet Hall, Maltby
, Yorkshire
, and Jane Grave Walker. He grew up the youngest child amongst three sisters, one of them being Emma Margaret Salmond (died 14 December 1959), who married on 28 October 1903 Andrew Ramsay Don-Wauchope
, and a brother Geoffrey
. His education followed the traditional pattern for those of his class in the 1880s. After first being taught by a series of governesses he then attended Miss Dixon's School in Thurloe Square
, London. At the age of nine Salmond was sent to Aysgarth Preparatory School in Yorkshire
. In 1894, he went up to Wellington College
and in 1900 he attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He became a Doctor of Civil Law
.
In 1913, Salmond travelled to Scotland
and married Helen Amy Joy Lumsden, a daughter of James Forbes Lumsden from Aberdeen. Less than three years later, in 1916, Helen Salmond died giving birth to their first child, a daughter, named Joy.
On 2 June 1924 Salmond married for the second time, this time to Hon. Monica Margaret Grenfell (4 August 1893 - 17 June 1973), who was the elder daughter of William Henry Grenfell, 1st Baron Desborough
and Ethel Anne Priscilla Fane. John and Monica Salmond had a daughter Rosemary Laura Salmond (died 1991), who married as his first wife on 14 November 1947 and divorced in 1974 Nicholas Mosley, 3rd Baron Ravensdale, and had four children, and a son Julian John William Salmond (born 20 December 1926), who married Brigid Louise Wright (born 1 November 1928) and had four children: Alicia Brigid Salmond (born 1951) and married on 11 May 1974 to Richard Anthony Head, 2nd Viscount Head; Georgina Salmond (born 1952), unmarried and without issue; Venetia Anne Salmond (born 1957) and married in London in 1984 to David John Morrison (born London
, 12 January 1959, baptized
South Wraxall Manor, Wiltshire
, 26 April 1959), son of Hon. Sir Charles Andrew Morrison
and Hon. Antoinette Sara Frances Sibell Long, and had a daughter and a son; and David John Julian Salmond (born 1969), unmarried and without issue.
. In 1902 he applied for a secondment to the West African Frontier Force but was turned down on the grounds that he was too young. Salmond re-applied the following year and this time was accepted, spending the next year in Nigeria
. Salmond's time in Africa was cut short as he was pronounced medically unfit and returned to England.
Salmond learned to fly in 1912. During World War I
he commanded several Royal Flying Corps
units and formations, serving as a squadron, wing and brigade commander. In 1917 he was appointed Director-General of Military Aeronautics at the War Office
. Salmond was then appointed General Officer Commanding the Royal Flying Corps in the Field. Upon the creation of the Royal Air Force
, he became General Officer Commanding the RAF in the Field. From 1923 to 1924 he was in charge of Iraq Command
, using aircraft to suppress uprisings. This was a new role for aircraft. At the time King Feisal
was the British-sponsored ruler of Iraq. When King Feisal's troops rebelled, they were bombed.
At the start of 1929, Salmond was promoted to air chief marshal
and appointed Air Member for Personnel
, taking a seat on the Air Council at the same time.
Salmond was appointed Chief of the Air Staff. As Hugh Trenchard's successor, Salmond also believed in keeping the RAF as an independent force. On 1 January 1933 Salmond was promoted to Marshal of the Royal Air Force and he relinquished the post of Chief of the Air Staff on 1 April 1933. Salmond was succeeded by his older brother, Air Chief Marshal Sir Geoffrey Salmond. However, only 27 days later, Geoffrey Salmond died and John Salmond was temporarily re-appointed as Chief of the Air Staff. He finally stood down on 22 May 1933.
During the Second World War, Salmond was Director of Armament Production at the Ministry of Aircraft Production. He resigned this appointment in 1941 after clashing with Lord Beaverbrook
, the Minister of Aircraft Production
. Salmond then accepted the appointment as Director-General of Flying Control and Air Sea Rescue. Ill heath forced Salmond to retire in 1943 although he remained in close contact with the Service in the following years. Salmond was President of the RAF Club for 23 years and regularly appeared at major RAF events. Salmond died in 1968, aged 86, at Eastbourne
; he was survived by his second wife and three children.
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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...
Sir John Maitland Salmond, 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...
, CMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, CVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, DSO and Bar
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(17 July 1881 – 16 April 1968) was a British military officer who rose to high rank 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...
during World War I
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...
. During the first half of the 20th century he was a senior commander 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...
, serving as General Officer Commanding the RAF in France in 1918 and the Air Officer Commanding British Forces in Iraq in the early 1920s when he dealt with a Kurdish uprising and a Turkish invasion. Most notably, he was Chief of the Air Staff from 1930 to 1933.
Early life and family
John Salmond was born the son of Major-GeneralMajor-General (United Kingdom)
Major general is a senior rank in the British Army. Since 1996 the highest position within the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines who holds the rank of major general...
Sir William Salmond KCB
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...
of the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
, and wife Emma Mary Hoyle, born on 21 May 1849 the daughter of William Fretwell Hoyle of Hooton Levet Hall, Maltby
Maltby
Maltby, from Old Norse "Malti's farm", can be the name of a person, an organization, or a place:Places:*Maltby, Lincolnshire, England*Maltby, South Yorkshire, England, near Rotherham...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, and Jane Grave Walker. He grew up the youngest child amongst three sisters, one of them being Emma Margaret Salmond (died 14 December 1959), who married on 28 October 1903 Andrew Ramsay Don-Wauchope
Andrew Ramsay Don-Wauchope
Andrew Ramsay "Bunny" Don-Wauchope was a Scottish international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cambridge and Fettesian-Lorettonian. Don Wauchope played an important role within the early growth of Scottish rugby and after retiring from international rugby he became a referee and was...
, and a brother Geoffrey
Geoffrey Salmond
Air Chief Marshal Sir William Geoffrey Hanson Salmond KCB, KCMG, DSO , commonly known as Sir Geoffrey Salmond, was a senior commander in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. Remaining in the Royal Air Force after the War, he held senior appointments in the Middle East, Great Britain and India...
. His education followed the traditional pattern for those of his class in the 1880s. After first being taught by a series of governesses he then attended Miss Dixon's School in Thurloe Square
Thurloe Square
Thurloe Square is a traditional garden square in South Kensington, London, England.There are private communal gardens in the centre of the square for use by the local residents. The Victoria and Albert Museum is close by to the north across Thurloe Place and Cromwell Gardens...
, London. At the age of nine Salmond was sent to Aysgarth Preparatory School in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
. In 1894, he went up to Wellington College
Wellington College, Berkshire
-Former pupils:Notable former pupils include historian P. J. Marshall, architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, impressionist Rory Bremner, Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, author Sebastian Faulks, language school pioneer John Haycraft, political journalist Robin Oakley, actor Sir Christopher...
and in 1900 he attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He became a Doctor of Civil Law
Doctor of Civil Law
Doctor 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....
.
In 1913, Salmond travelled to Scotland
Scotland
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...
and married Helen Amy Joy Lumsden, a daughter of James Forbes Lumsden from Aberdeen. Less than three years later, in 1916, Helen Salmond died giving birth to their first child, a daughter, named Joy.
On 2 June 1924 Salmond married for the second time, this time to Hon. Monica Margaret Grenfell (4 August 1893 - 17 June 1973), who was the elder daughter of William Henry Grenfell, 1st Baron Desborough
William Grenfell, 1st Baron Desborough
William Henry Grenfell, 1st Baron Desborough, KG, GCVO, was an athlete, sportsman, public servant and politician. He sat in the House of Commons firstly for the Liberal Party and then for the Conservatives between 1880 and 1905 when he was raised to the peerage...
and Ethel Anne Priscilla Fane. John and Monica Salmond had a daughter Rosemary Laura Salmond (died 1991), who married as his first wife on 14 November 1947 and divorced in 1974 Nicholas Mosley, 3rd Baron Ravensdale, and had four children, and a son Julian John William Salmond (born 20 December 1926), who married Brigid Louise Wright (born 1 November 1928) and had four children: Alicia Brigid Salmond (born 1951) and married on 11 May 1974 to Richard Anthony Head, 2nd Viscount Head; Georgina Salmond (born 1952), unmarried and without issue; Venetia Anne Salmond (born 1957) and married in London in 1984 to David John Morrison (born London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 12 January 1959, baptized
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
South Wraxall Manor, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, 26 April 1959), son of Hon. Sir Charles Andrew Morrison
Charles Morrison
Sir Charles Andrew Morrison was a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom, MP for Devizes constituency from 1964 until 1992.-Background:...
and Hon. Antoinette Sara Frances Sibell Long, and had a daughter and a son; and David John Julian Salmond (born 1969), unmarried and without issue.
Military career before 1930
After Salmond graduated from Sandhurst in 1901, he was commissioned into the King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment. He sailed for South Africa to join his unit which was engaged in the latter part of the Second Boer WarSecond Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
. In 1902 he applied for a secondment to the West African Frontier Force but was turned down on the grounds that he was too young. Salmond re-applied the following year and this time was accepted, spending the next year in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. Salmond's time in Africa was cut short as he was pronounced medically unfit and returned to England.
Salmond learned to fly in 1912. During World War I
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 commanded several 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...
units and formations, serving as a squadron, wing and brigade commander. In 1917 he was appointed Director-General of Military Aeronautics at the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
. Salmond was then appointed General Officer Commanding the Royal Flying Corps in the Field. Upon the creation of 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...
, he became General Officer Commanding the RAF in the Field. From 1923 to 1924 he was in charge of Iraq Command
RAF Iraq Command
Iraq Command was the RAF commanded inter-service command in charge of British forces in Iraq in the 1920s and early 1930s, during the period of the British Mandate of Mesopotamia. It continued as British Forces in Iraq until 1941 when it was replaced by AHQ Iraq...
, using aircraft to suppress uprisings. This was a new role for aircraft. At the time King Feisal
Faisal I of Iraq
Faisal bin Hussein bin Ali al-Hashemi, was for a short time King of the Arab Kingdom of Syria or Greater Syria in 1920, and was King of the Kingdom of Iraq from 23 August 1921 to 1933...
was the British-sponsored ruler of Iraq. When King Feisal's troops rebelled, they were bombed.
At the start of 1929, Salmond was promoted to 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...
and appointed Air Member for Personnel
Air Member for Personnel
The Air Member for Personnel is the senior Royal Air Force officer who is responsible for personnel matters and is a member of the Air Force Board...
, taking a seat on the Air Council at the same time.
As Chief of the Air Staff
On 1 January 1930 Air Chief MarshalAir 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...
Salmond was appointed Chief of the Air Staff. As Hugh Trenchard's successor, Salmond also believed in keeping the RAF as an independent force. On 1 January 1933 Salmond was promoted to Marshal of the Royal Air Force and he relinquished the post of Chief of the Air Staff on 1 April 1933. Salmond was succeeded by his older brother, Air Chief Marshal Sir Geoffrey Salmond. However, only 27 days later, Geoffrey Salmond died and John Salmond was temporarily re-appointed as Chief of the Air Staff. He finally stood down on 22 May 1933.
Later years
Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook
William Maxwell "Max" Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook, Bt, PC, was a Canadian-British business tycoon, politician, and writer.-Early career in Canada:...
, the Minister of Aircraft Production
Minister of Aircraft Production
The Minister of Aircraft Production was the British government position in charge of the Ministry of Aircraft Production, one of the specialised supply ministries set up by the British Government during World War II...
. Salmond then accepted the appointment as Director-General of Flying Control and Air Sea Rescue. Ill heath forced Salmond to retire in 1943 although he remained in close contact with the Service in the following years. Salmond was President of the RAF Club for 23 years and regularly appeared at major RAF events. Salmond died in 1968, aged 86, at Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
; he was survived by his second wife and three children.
Honours and awards
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath - 3 Jun 1931 (KCB - 1 Jan 1919)
- Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George - 4 Jun 1917
- Commander of the Royal Victorian Order - 27 Aug 1918
- Companion of the Distinguished Service Order - 18 Feb 1915, BarMedal barA medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
- 24 Mar 1915 - Mentioned in Despatches - 19 Oct 1914, 9 Dec 1914, 1 Jan 1916, 15 Jun 1916, 27 Jul 1917, 20 May 1918, 31 Dec 1918, 10 Apr 1919
- Officer of the Legion of Honour - 10 Oct 1918
- Commander 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...
, (Belgium) - 8 Nov 1918 - 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...
(Belgium) - 8 Nov 1918 - Commander of the Order of Leopold (Belgium) - 8 Nov 1918
- Order of the White Eagle (Russia)
- Distinguished Service Medal (United States)Distinguished 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...
- 15 Jul 1919 - 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...
(France) - 21 Aug 1919 - Hon 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....
(Oxford)University 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... - Hon LL.D (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...
) - 1919
Further reading
- Laffin, John (1964). Swifter than eagles - A biography of Marshal of the RAF Sir John Salmond. William Blackwood & Sons Ltd.
- Probert, H. (1991). High Commanders of the Royal Air Force. HMSO. ISBN 0-11-772635-4
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