Ronald Ivelaw-Chapman
Encyclopedia
Air Chief Marshal
Sir Ronald Ivelaw-Chapman GCB
, KBE
, DFC
, AFC
, RAF (17 January 1899 – 28 April 1978) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force
in the middle of the 20th century and the penultimate RAF commander-in-chief of the Indian Air Force
.
in 1917 and served as a Bristol Fighter
pilot on the western front with 10 Squadron
in the last eleven months of the war.
, a successful evacuation of the British Legation in Kabul amidst a civil war and a bitter winter. On 27 January a Kabul-bound Vickers Victoria
, piloted by Ivelaw-Chapman, was forced to make an emergency landing in the mountainous Surobi District
. Rescued by an Afghan royalist officer, Ivelaw-Chapman was awarded the Air Force Cross for his handling of the incident.
headquarters. In June 1940 he was promoted to Group Captain and was appointed station commander at RAF Linton-on-Ouse
, a 4 Group
bomber station near York. In 1941 he returned to a staff job at the Air Ministry involved in D-Day planning. In 1943 he was again appointed a station commander at RAF Elsham Wolds
, a 1 Group
bomber station.
On the night of the 6/7 May 1943 Ivelaw-Chapman was flying as second pilot of a 576 Squadron
Avro Lancaster
on a mission to bomb an ammunition dump at Aubigne in France. His aircraft was shot down by a night fighter and Ivelaw-Chapman went on the run. Because of his experience and knowledge Churchill ordered the French resistance to do all they could to help him return to England, he was to be killed if he was in danger of being captured by the Germans. He was captured by the Gestapo on 8 June 1944, the most senior Bomber Command officer to have been captured by the Germans. Churchill's fear was unfounded as the Germans did not realise his importance and he was treated as an ordinary prisoner of war.
at Marks Hall, Earls Colne, Essex. In 1950 he became an Air Chief Marshal and accepted the post of Commander-in-Chief of the newly formed Indian Air Force. On his return to the UK he became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Home Command
in March 1952, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
in November 1952 and Vice-Chief of the Air Staff
in 1953 before he retired in 1957.
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...
Sir Ronald Ivelaw-Chapman 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...
, 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...
, 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...
, AFC
Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
, RAF (17 January 1899 – 28 April 1978) 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...
in the middle of the 20th century and the penultimate RAF commander-in-chief of the Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
.
Early life and the First World War
Ronald Ivelaw-Chapman was born in British Guiana to a successful merchant. He came to England with his parents in 1903 and attended Cheltenham College. He joined the Royal Flying CorpsRoyal 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 1917 and served as a Bristol Fighter
Bristol Fighter
Bristol Fighter may refer to:*Bristol F.2 Fighter aircraft*Bristol Beaufighter aircraft*Bristol Fighter , an automobile by Bristol Cars...
pilot on the western front with 10 Squadron
No. 10 Squadron RAF
No. 10 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron. The squadron served in a variety of roles over its 90 year history...
in the last eleven months of the war.
Between the Wars
In January 1929 Ivelaw-Chapman, then a flight-lieutenant in the RAF, participated in the Kabul AirliftKabul Airlift
The Kabul Airlift was an air evacuation of British and a number of European diplomatic staff and their families conducted by the Royal Air Force from Kabul between December 1928 and February 1929.-Background and the Afghan civil war:...
, a successful evacuation of the British Legation in Kabul amidst a civil war and a bitter winter. On 27 January a Kabul-bound Vickers Victoria
Vickers Victoria
-See also:...
, piloted by Ivelaw-Chapman, was forced to make an emergency landing in the mountainous Surobi District
Surobi District
This article is about the Surobi District of Kabul Province. For the district in Paktika, see Sarobi, Paktika.Surobi, Sarobi or Sarubi District is a district of Kabul Province, Afghanistan. Its capital, Surobi, lies about 60 kilometres east of Kabul along the A01 highway, although much of the...
. Rescued by an Afghan royalist officer, Ivelaw-Chapman was awarded the Air Force Cross for his handling of the incident.
Second World War
At the outbreak of the Second World War Ivelaw-Chapman now a Wing Commander was part of the operations staff of RAF Bomber CommandRAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
headquarters. In June 1940 he was promoted to Group Captain and was appointed station commander at RAF Linton-on-Ouse
RAF Linton-on-Ouse
RAF Linton-on-Ouse is a Royal Air Force station at Linton-on-Ouse near York in Yorkshire, England. It is currently a major flying training centre, one of the RAF's busiest airfields...
, a 4 Group
No. 4 Group RAF
No. 4 Group was a Royal Air Force group, originally formed in World War I, and reformed in the wake of the Second World War, mostly part of RAF Bomber Command, but ending its days in RAF Transport Command.-Formation in World War I:...
bomber station near York. In 1941 he returned to a staff job at the Air Ministry involved in D-Day planning. In 1943 he was again appointed a station commander at RAF Elsham Wolds
RAF Elsham Wolds
RAF Elsham Wolds is a former Royal Air Force station in England, which operated in World War I and World War II. It is located just to the north east of the village of Elsham in north Lincolnshire.-World War I:...
, a 1 Group
No. 1 Group RAF
Number 1 Group of the Royal Air Force is one of the two operations groups in Air Command.The group is today referred to as the Air Combat Group, as it controls the RAF's combat fast-jet aircraft and has airfields in the UK plus RAF Unit Goose Bay in Canada, which is used extensively as an...
bomber station.
On the night of the 6/7 May 1943 Ivelaw-Chapman was flying as second pilot of a 576 Squadron
No. 576 Squadron RAF
-History:No. 576 Squadron was formed on 25 November 1943 from 'C' Flight of 103 squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds in Lincolnshire. They started operations beginning in the night of 2 to 3 December 1943, when seven Avro Lancasters were send out to bomb Berlin. Eleven months later 576 Squadron moved to...
Avro Lancaster
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
on a mission to bomb an ammunition dump at Aubigne in France. His aircraft was shot down by a night fighter and Ivelaw-Chapman went on the run. Because of his experience and knowledge Churchill ordered the French resistance to do all they could to help him return to England, he was to be killed if he was in danger of being captured by the Germans. He was captured by the Gestapo on 8 June 1944, the most senior Bomber Command officer to have been captured by the Germans. Churchill's fear was unfounded as the Germans did not realise his importance and he was treated as an ordinary prisoner of war.
Post war
After the war he was promoted to Air Vice Marshal and took command of No. 38 GroupNo. 38 Group RAF
No 38 Group RAF was formed on 6 November 1943 from nine squadrons as part of Fighter Command. It was finally disbanded on 1 April 2000.-History:...
at Marks Hall, Earls Colne, Essex. In 1950 he became an Air Chief Marshal and accepted the post of Commander-in-Chief of the newly formed Indian Air Force. On his return to the UK he became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Home Command
RAF Home Command
RAF Home Command was the Royal Air Force command which was responsible for the maintenance and training of reserve organisations from formation on 1 February 1939 as RAF Reserve Command with interruptions until it ceased to exist on 1 April 1959.-History:...
in March 1952, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
The Deputy Chief of the Air Staff was a senior appointment in the Royal Air Force. The incumbent was the deputy to the Chief of the Air Staff. The post existed from 1918 to 1968 or 1969...
in November 1952 and Vice-Chief of the Air Staff
Vice-Chief of the Air Staff (United Kingdom)
The British Vice-Chief of the Air Staff was the post occupied by the senior Royal Air Force officer who served as a senior assistant to the Chief of the Air Staff. The post was created during World War II on 22 April 1940 and its incumbement sat on the Air Council...
in 1953 before he retired in 1957.