Lawrence Pattinson
Encyclopedia
Air Marshal
Sir Lawrence Arthur Pattinson KBE
CB
DSO
MC
DFC
(8 October 1890 - 28 March 1955) was a Royal Air Force
officer who became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Flying Training Command
.
in 1914 at the start of World War I
. He subsequently transferred to the Royal Fusiliers and then to the Royal Flying Corps
and became Officer Commanding No. 57 Squadron
on the Western Front
in 1916. In March 1918 he became Officer Commanding No. 99 Squadron
and later that year he took command the 41st Wing.
Between the Wars he was Station Commander at RAF Andover
and then, from 1930, Deputy Director of Organisation at the Air Ministry
. He went on to be Air Officer Commanding the Armament Group in 1934 and Air Officer Commanding No. 23 (Training) Group in 1937. He served in World War II
as Air Officer Commanding Flying Training Command
and then as Head of the RAF Training Mission to the Chinese Air Force
before retiring in 1945. In recognition of his contribution to the development of the Chinese Air Force, in 1943 General Chiang Kai-shek
gave him a black and gold lacquerware vase which is now in the Victoria and Albert Museum
.
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir Lawrence Arthur Pattinson KBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
CB
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...
DSO
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...
MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
(8 October 1890 - 28 March 1955) was a 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...
officer who became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Flying Training Command
RAF Flying Training Command
Flying Training Command was an organization within the Royal Air Force which controlled units responsible for delivering flying training. The command's headquarters were at Shinfield Park, Reading in Berkshire.-History:...
.
RAF career
Educated at Cambridge University, Pattinson was commissioned into the 5th Battalion of the Durham Light InfantryDurham Light Infantry
The Durham Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1968. It was formed by the amalgamation of the 68th Regiment of Foot and the 106th Regiment of Foot along with the militia and rifle volunteers of County Durham...
in 1914 at the start of 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 subsequently transferred to the Royal Fusiliers and then 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...
and became Officer Commanding No. 57 Squadron
No. 57 Squadron RAF
-History:57 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed on 8 June 1916 at Copmanthorpe, Yorkshire. In December 1916 the squadron was posted to France equipped with the FE2d. The squadron re-equipped with Airco DH4s in May 1917 and commenced long range bombing and reconnaissance operations near...
on the Western Front
Western Front
Western Front was a term used during the First and Second World Wars to describe the contested armed frontier between lands controlled by Germany to the east and the Allies to the west...
in 1916. In March 1918 he became Officer Commanding No. 99 Squadron
No. 99 Squadron RAF
No. 99 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was a bomber squadron in both first and second world war. At present it operates the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III from RAF Brize Norton, the RAF's air transport hub. The squadron was the first RAF unit to receive the Avro Aldershot, Handley Page Hyderabad,...
and later that year he took command the 41st Wing.
Between the Wars he was Station Commander at RAF Andover
RAF Andover
Andover Airfield is a former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station. The ICAO code for the airfield is EGWA and the IATA code is ADV...
and then, from 1930, Deputy Director of Organisation at 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...
. He went on to be Air Officer Commanding the Armament Group in 1934 and Air Officer Commanding No. 23 (Training) Group in 1937. He served in World War II
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...
as Air Officer Commanding Flying Training Command
RAF Flying Training Command
Flying Training Command was an organization within the Royal Air Force which controlled units responsible for delivering flying training. The command's headquarters were at Shinfield Park, Reading in Berkshire.-History:...
and then as Head of the RAF Training Mission to the Chinese Air Force
Chinese Air Force
The phrase Chinese Air Force may refer to one of two modern bodies; a third historical unit can also be referred to as a part:*Republic of China Air Force: The air force of China from 1920 to 1949, operating from Taiwan only post-1949....
before retiring in 1945. In recognition of his contribution to the development of the Chinese Air Force, in 1943 General Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
gave him a black and gold lacquerware vase which is now in the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
.