Air marshal is immediately senior to the rank of air vice-marshal and immediately subordinate to the rank of air chief marshal. Officers in the rank of air marshal typically hold very senior appointments such as commander-in-chief of an air force or a large air force formation. Officers in the ranks of air chief marshal and air vice-marshal are also referred to generically as air marshals.[2] Occasionally, air force officers of marshal rank are considered to be air marshals.
Prior to the adoption of RAF-specific rank titles in 1919, it was suggested that the RAF might use the Royal Navy's officer ranks, with the word "air" inserted before the naval rank title. For example, the rank that later became air marshal would have been air vice-admiral. The Admiralty objected to any use of their rank titles, including this modified form, and so an alternative proposal was put forward: air-officer ranks would be based on the term "ardian", which was derived from a combination of the Gaelic words for "chief" (ard) and "bird" (eun), with the term "second ardian" or "wing ardian" being used specifically for the rank equivalent to a vice-admiral and lieutenant-general. However, air marshal was preferred and has been used since its adoption in August 1919.[3]Sir Hugh Trenchard, the incumbent Chief of the Air Staff when the rank was introduced, became the first air marshal on 11 August 1919.[4][5]
The rank insignia consists of two narrow light blue bands (each on a slightly wider black band) over a light blue band on a broad black band. This is worn on the lower sleeves of the dress uniform or on shoulders of the flying suit or working uniform.
The command flag for an air marshal is defined by the single broad red band running in the centre of the flag.
The vehicle star plate for an air marshal depicts three white stars (air marshal is equivalent to a three-star rank) on an air force blue background.
The Australian Air Corps adopted the RAF rank system on 9 November 1920[6] and this usage was continued by its successor, the Royal Australian Air Force. However, the rank of air marshal was not used by the Australian Armed Forces until 1940 when Richard Williams, an RAAF officer, was promoted.[7]
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) used the rank until the 1968 unification of the Canadian Forces, when army-type rank titles were adopted and an air marshal became a lieutenant-general. In official French Canadian usage, the rank title was maréchal de l'air. The Canadian Chief of the Air Staff ordinarily held the rank of air marshal. The following RCAF officers held the rank (dates in rank in parentheses):
Billy Bishop (1938 to 1944), rank retained on retirement
George Croil (c. 1940 to 1944), rank retained on retirement
The rank of air marshal was the highest in the Indian Air Force (IAF), held by the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), from 1947 to 1966. In 1966, the rank of CAS was upgraded to air chief marshal and ACM Arjan Singh became the first CAS to hold the four-star rank.
Namibia
The Namibian Air Force adopted the RAF rank system in 2010 previously having been using army ranks and insignia. However the rank of air marshal was not used until 1 April 2020 when Martin Pinehas was promoted to that rank and appointed as Chief of the Namibian Defence Force.[9]
New Zealand
In New Zealand, the head of the air force holds the lower rank of air vice-marshal. However, when an air force officer holds the country's senior military appointment, Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force, he is granted the rank of air marshal. The current Chief of Defence Force is an RNZAF officer, Air Marshal Kevin Short.
Other officers to hold the air marshal rank in New Zealand are:
In 1927, the rank of Luftmarsk (transl. air marshal), was proposed by Christian Førslev [da] for a protentional united Chief of the Royal Danish Air Force rank. The rank would have been equivalent to a major general.[11]
^Gillison, Douglas Napier (1962). "Chapter 1: Formation of the Royal Australian Air Force" (digitised book). Royal Australian Air Force, 1939–1942 (1st ed.). Australian War Memorial. pp. 5–6.
^Gillison, Douglas Napier (1962). "Chapter 5: The New Command" (digitised book). Royal Australian Air Force, 1939–1942 (1st ed.). Australian War Memorial. pp. 92–93.
^. Archived from the original on 11 February 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
^ ab"Postos e Graduações" [Ranks and Graduations]. fab.mil.br (in Portuguese). Brazilian Air Force. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
^Kongstad, Jan O. (2008). Den militære flyvnings udvikling i Danmark 1910-1932 [The development of military aviation in Denmark 1910-1932] (in Danish). p. 83. ISBN978-87-7674-175-4.
^. joinbangladeshairforce.mil.bd. Archived from the original on 10 February 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
^. careerairforce.nic.in. Indian Air Force. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
^"Government Notice" (PDF). Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia. Vol. 4547. 20 August 2010. pp. 99–102. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
^Smaldone, Joseph P. (1992). "National Security". In Metz, Helen Chapin (ed.). Nigeria: a country study. Area Handbook (5th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. pp. 296–297. LCCN 92009026. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
^"Commissioned Officers". airforce.lk. Sri Lanka Air Force. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
^"RAF Ranks". raf.mod.uk/. Royal Air Force. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
^. afz.gov.zw. Air Force of Zimbabwe. Archived from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
External links
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marshal, enforcement, officers, travel, covertly, commercial, airline, flights, marshal, federal, marshal, service, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced. For law enforcement officers who travel covertly on commercial airline flights see Sky marshal and Federal Air Marshal Service This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Air marshal news newspapers books scholar JSTOR October 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message See also RAF officer ranks Air marshal Air Mshl or AM is an air officer rank which originated within the Royal Air Force 1 The rank is used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence including many Commonwealth nations The rank is usually equivalent to a vice admiral or a lieutenant general Air MarshalCommand flagShoulder and sleeve insigniaStar plateCountry United KingdomService branch Royal Air ForceAbbreviationAir Mshl AMRankthree starsNATO rank codeOF 8Formation1 August 1919 1919 08 01 Next higher rankAir chief marshalNext lower rankAir vice marshalEquivalent ranksLieutenant general Army Royal Marines Vice admiral RN Air marshal is immediately senior to the rank of air vice marshal and immediately subordinate to the rank of air chief marshal Officers in the rank of air marshal typically hold very senior appointments such as commander in chief of an air force or a large air force formation Officers in the ranks of air chief marshal and air vice marshal are also referred to generically as air marshals 2 Occasionally air force officers of marshal rank are considered to be air marshals Contents 1 Royal Air Force use and history 1 1 Origins 1 2 RAF insignia command flag and star plate 2 Australia 3 Canada 4 India 5 Namibia 6 New Zealand 7 Pakistan 8 Other language variants 9 Gallery 10 See also 11 References 12 External linksRoyal Air Force use and history EditOrigins Edit Prior to the adoption of RAF specific rank titles in 1919 it was suggested that the RAF might use the Royal Navy s officer ranks with the word air inserted before the naval rank title For example the rank that later became air marshal would have been air vice admiral The Admiralty objected to any use of their rank titles including this modified form and so an alternative proposal was put forward air officer ranks would be based on the term ardian which was derived from a combination of the Gaelic words for chief ard and bird eun with the term second ardian or wing ardian being used specifically for the rank equivalent to a vice admiral and lieutenant general However air marshal was preferred and has been used since its adoption in August 1919 3 Sir Hugh Trenchard the incumbent Chief of the Air Staff when the rank was introduced became the first air marshal on 11 August 1919 4 5 RAF insignia command flag and star plate Edit This section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed September 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message The rank insignia consists of two narrow light blue bands each on a slightly wider black band over a light blue band on a broad black band This is worn on the lower sleeves of the dress uniform or on shoulders of the flying suit or working uniform The command flag for an air marshal is defined by the single broad red band running in the centre of the flag The vehicle star plate for an air marshal depicts three white stars air marshal is equivalent to a three star rank on an air force blue background Australia EditMain article Air marshal Australia See also List of Royal Australian Air Force air marshals The Australian Air Corps adopted the RAF rank system on 9 November 1920 6 and this usage was continued by its successor the Royal Australian Air Force However the rank of air marshal was not used by the Australian Armed Forces until 1940 when Richard Williams an RAAF officer was promoted 7 In Australia there are four appointments available for air marshals the Chief of Air Force and at times when they are occupied by an air force officer the Vice Chief of Defence Force the Chief of Joint Operations and the Chief of Capability Development Group Canada EditThe Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF used the rank until the 1968 unification of the Canadian Forces when army type rank titles were adopted and an air marshal became a lieutenant general In official French Canadian usage the rank title was marechal de l air The Canadian Chief of the Air Staff ordinarily held the rank of air marshal The following RCAF officers held the rank dates in rank in parentheses Billy Bishop 1938 to 1944 rank retained on retirement George Croil c 1940 to 1944 rank retained on retirement Lloyd Samuel Breadner 1941 to 1945 subsequently promoted to air chief marshal Gus Edwards 1942 to 1944 rank retained on retirement Albert Cuffe 1942 to 1944 rank retained on retirement Robert Leckie 1944 to 1947 rank retained on retirement George Owen Johnson to 1947 rank retained on retirement Wilfred Curtis c 1947 to 1953 rank retained on retirement Roy Slemon c 1953 to 1964 rank retained on retirement Frank Robert Miller 1955 to 1961 subsequently promoted to air chief marshal Hugh Campbell 1957 to 1962 rank retained on retirement Clare Annis 1962 to 1966 rank retained on retirement 8 Clarence Dunlap 1962 to 1968 rank retained on retirement William Ross MacBrien 1958 to 1968 rank retained on retirement Edwin Reyno 1966 to 1968 later regraded to lieutenant generalIndia EditMain article Air Marshal India The rank of air marshal was the highest in the Indian Air Force IAF held by the Chief of the Air Staff CAS from 1947 to 1966 In 1966 the rank of CAS was upgraded to air chief marshal and ACM Arjan Singh became the first CAS to hold the four star rank Namibia EditThe Namibian Air Force adopted the RAF rank system in 2010 previously having been using army ranks and insignia However the rank of air marshal was not used until 1 April 2020 when Martin Pinehas was promoted to that rank and appointed as Chief of the Namibian Defence Force 9 New Zealand EditIn New Zealand the head of the air force holds the lower rank of air vice marshal However when an air force officer holds the country s senior military appointment Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force he is granted the rank of air marshal The current Chief of Defence Force is an RNZAF officer Air Marshal Kevin Short Other officers to hold the air marshal rank in New Zealand are Sir Richard Bolt promoted 1976 retired 1980 Sir Ewan Jamieson promoted 1983 David Crooks promoted 1986 Carey Adamson Sir Bruce Ferguson promoted 2001Pakistan EditMain article Air marshal Pakistan Other language variants EditIn the Brazilian Air Force the highest rank is Marechal do ar which can be translated as air marshal or marshal of the air The rank is equivalent to marshal in the Brazilian Army 10 In 1927 the rank of Luftmarsk transl air marshal was proposed by Christian Forslev da for a protentional united Chief of the Royal Danish Air Force rank The rank would have been equivalent to a major general 11 Gallery Edit Royal Australian Air Force 12 Bangladesh Air Force 13 Marechal do ar Brazilian Air Force 10 Indian Air Force 14 Namibian Air Force 15 Nigerian Air Force 16 Pakistan Air Force Sri Lanka Air Force 17 Royal Air Force 18 Air Force of Zimbabwe 19 See also Edit United Kingdom portal Aviation portal Air force officer rank insignia British and U S military ranks compared Comparative military ranks RAF officer ranks Ranks of the RAAFReferences Edit Ranks and Badges of the Royal Air Force Royal Air Force 2007 Archived from the original on 13 November 2007 Forms of Address Air Chief Marshal Air Marshal and Air Vice Marshal Debrett s Archived from the original on 19 November 2015 Retrieved 4 December 2015 Hobart Malcolm C 2000 Badges and Uniforms of the Royal Air Force Leo Cooper p 26 ISBN 0 85052 739 2 via Google Books Marshal of the RAF The Viscount Trenchard of Wolfeton Air of Authority A History of RAF Organisation 24 July 2018 Retrieved 15 November 2020 Probert Henry 1991 The Viscount Trenchard High Commanders of the Royal Air Force London Her Majesty s Stationery Office ISBN 9780117726352 Gillison Douglas Napier 1962 Chapter 1 Formation of the Royal Australian Air Force digitised book Royal Australian Air Force 1939 1942 1st ed Australian War Memorial pp 5 6 Gillison Douglas Napier 1962 Chapter 5 The New Command digitised book Royal Australian Air Force 1939 1942 1st ed Australian War Memorial pp 92 93 Air Marshal Clare L Annis OBE CD Archived from the original on 11 February 2013 Retrieved 20 December 2012 Geingob appoints Pinehas as CDF New Era Live a b Postos e Graduacoes Ranks and Graduations fab mil br in Portuguese Brazilian Air Force Retrieved 7 May 2021 Kongstad Jan O 2008 Den militaere flyvnings udvikling i Danmark 1910 1932 The development of military aviation in Denmark 1910 1932 in Danish p 83 ISBN 978 87 7674 175 4 Badges of rank PDF defence gov au Department of Defence Australia Retrieved 31 May 2021 OFFICER S RANKS joinbangladeshairforce mil bd Archived from the original on 10 February 2019 Retrieved 11 October 2020 For Officers careerairforce nic in Indian Air Force Archived from the original on 25 February 2012 Retrieved 23 September 2021 Government Notice PDF Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia Vol 4547 20 August 2010 pp 99 102 Retrieved 20 December 2021 Smaldone Joseph P 1992 National Security In Metz Helen Chapin ed Nigeria a country study Area Handbook 5th ed Washington D C Library of Congress pp 296 297 LCCN 92009026 Retrieved 21 October 2021 Commissioned Officers airforce lk Sri Lanka Air Force Retrieved 24 September 2021 RAF Ranks raf mod uk Royal Air Force Retrieved 21 September 2021 Ranks and Badges in the AFZ afz gov zw Air Force of Zimbabwe Archived from the original on 9 June 2022 Retrieved 29 May 2021 External links Edit Look up Air Marshal in Wiktionary the free dictionary Wikimedia Commons has media related to Air marshals Air Marshal Merriam Webster Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Air marshal amp oldid 1158987761, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
