Middle East. C. 1941. Group portrait of Air Marshal A. W. Tedder CB, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (C-in-C) of RAF Middle East (left), Lieutenant General Sir Pierre van Ryneveld, Chief of the General Staff South African Forces (centre), and Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Blamey, Deputy C-in-C Middle East.
After the war, Van Ryneveld was called back to South Africa by the Prime Minister Jan Smuts in order to set up the South African Air Force (SAAF).[2] He flew back home, across Africa, in a Vickers Vimy – a pioneering feat for which he and his co-pilot Quintin Brand were both knighted.[3][a]
(L-R) Lt Col van Ryneveld with First Lt Quintin Brand, February 1920, in front of Vickers Vimy Silver Queen, before their England to South Africa flight
Colonel van Ryneveld established the SAAF in 1920, and directed it until 1933, when he was promoted to Chief of the General Staff (CGS),[4] in command of the Union Defence Forces. However, for the next four years the SAAF remained under Van Ryneveld's direct control as no one was appointed as the Air Force's director until 1937.
In 1925, then Lt-Col van Ryneveld took part in the government's suppression of the Baster Council's rebellion.[5]
Van Ryneveld served as CGS for sixteen years, including the whole of the Second World War. He retired in 1949.[6]
^ abThe citation for his Knighthood reads as follows: 14 May 1920 - Lieutenant-Colonel Hesperus Andrias Van Ryneveld, DSO, MC, late Royal Air Force - Appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of the valuable services rendered to Aviation by the successful flight from England to Cape Town, South Africa.
Referencesedit
^"Supplement to the London Gazette" (PDF). The Gazette. 15 July 1919. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
^. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 20 January 2011.
^Ellis, Johan (2000). "Oswald Pirow's Five-Year Plan for the Reorganisation of the Union Defence Force, 1933-193". South African Journal of Military Studies. 30 (2).
^Oosthuizen, G.J.J. (13 February 2012). "Luitenant- Kolonel Helperus Andreas (Pierre) van Ryneveld en die Onderdrukking van die Rehoboth-Baster-Opstand in Suidwes-Afrika (Namibië), April 1925" [Lieutenant-Colonel Helperus Andreas (Pierre) van Ryneveld and the Suppression of the Rehoboth-Baster Uprising in South West Africa (Namibia), April 1925]. Scientia Militaria: South African Journal of Military Studies (in Afrikaans). 26 (1). doi:10.5787/26-1-240. ISSN 2224-0020.
^. Prominent people. 14 July 2013. Archived from the original on 19 November 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
^. Archived from the original on 24 September 2006.
pierre, ryneveld, general, hesperus, andrias, ryneveld, 1891, december, 1972, known, south, african, military, commander, founding, commander, south, african, force, general, sirhesperus, andrias, pierre, ryneveldkbe, mcnickname, pierreborn, 1891, 1891senekal,. General Sir Hesperus Andrias van Ryneveld KBE CB DSO MC 2 May 1891 2 December 1972 known as Sir Pierre van Ryneveld was a South African military commander He was the founding commander of the South African Air Force General SirHesperus Andrias Pierre van RyneveldKBE CB DSO MCNickname s PierreBorn 1891 05 02 2 May 1891Senekal Orange Free StateDied2 December 1972 1972 12 02 aged 81 Pretoria South AfricaAllegianceUnited KingdomSouth AfricaService wbr branchRoyal Flying Corps Royal Air Force South African Air ForceYears of service1915 1949RankGeneralCommands heldChief of the General Staff of the Union Defence Force Director of Air Services South African Military College No 45 Squadron RFCWarsFirst World WarSecond World WarAwardsSpouse s Enid Kathleen Helen Collard died 1958 wbr 1901 1958 ChildrenSon John Frederick Van Ryneveld 1923 1996 Contents 1 Military career 2 Honours 3 Namesakes and legacy 4 Notes 5 References 6 External linksMilitary career edit nbsp Middle East C 1941 Group portrait of Air Marshal A W Tedder CB Air Officer Commanding in Chief C in C of RAF Middle East left Lieutenant General Sir Pierre van Ryneveld Chief of the General Staff South African Forces centre and Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Blamey Deputy C in C Middle East Van Ryneveld began his military career in the First World War in which he served in the Royal Flying Corps and later the Royal Air Force For his service in the war Van Ryneveld was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and Military Cross Mentioned in Despatches and presented with the Chevalier of the Legion of Honour from the French government 1 After the war Van Ryneveld was called back to South Africa by the Prime Minister Jan Smuts in order to set up the South African Air Force SAAF 2 He flew back home across Africa in a Vickers Vimy a pioneering feat for which he and his co pilot Quintin Brand were both knighted 3 a nbsp L R Lt Col van Ryneveld with First Lt Quintin Brand February 1920 in front of Vickers Vimy Silver Queen before their England to South Africa flightColonel van Ryneveld established the SAAF in 1920 and directed it until 1933 when he was promoted to Chief of the General Staff CGS 4 in command of the Union Defence Forces However for the next four years the SAAF remained under Van Ryneveld s direct control as no one was appointed as the Air Force s director until 1937 In 1925 then Lt Col van Ryneveld took part in the government s suppression of the Baster Council s rebellion 5 Van Ryneveld served as CGS for sixteen years including the whole of the Second World War He retired in 1949 6 Honours edit nbsp Order of the British Empire Knight Commander KBE a nbsp Order of the British Empire OBE citation needed nbsp Order of the Bath Companion CB nbsp Distinguished Service Order DSO nbsp Military Cross MC nbsp War Medal 1939 1945 Mentioned in Dispatches MID nbsp Chevalier of the Legion of Honour France Namesakes and legacy editThe Pretoria suburb of Pierre van Ryneveld Park was named in his honour and the airport just north of Upington in the Northern Cape is also named after Van Ryneveld Sir Pierre van Ryneveld High School is in Kempton Park Gauteng The SAAF s annual air power symposium is known as the Sir Pierre Van Ryneveld Air Power Symposium 7 Notes edit a b The citation for his Knighthood reads as follows 14 May 1920 Lieutenant Colonel Hesperus Andrias Van Ryneveld DSO MC late Royal Air Force Appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of the valuable services rendered to Aviation by the successful flight from England to Cape Town South Africa References edit Supplement to the London Gazette PDF The Gazette 15 July 1919 Retrieved 19 October 2018 Father of the SAAF Archived from the original on 4 October 2011 Retrieved 20 January 2011 No 31900 The London Gazette 14 May 1920 p 5480 Ellis Johan 2000 Oswald Pirow s Five Year Plan for the Reorganisation of the Union Defence Force 1933 193 South African Journal of Military Studies 30 2 Oosthuizen G J J 13 February 2012 Luitenant Kolonel Helperus Andreas Pierre van Ryneveld en die Onderdrukking van die Rehoboth Baster Opstand in Suidwes Afrika Namibie April 1925 Lieutenant Colonel Helperus Andreas Pierre van Ryneveld and the Suppression of the Rehoboth Baster Uprising in South West Africa Namibia April 1925 Scientia Militaria South African Journal of Military Studies in Afrikaans 26 1 doi 10 5787 26 1 240 ISSN 2224 0020 van Ryneveld Pierre Prominent people Prominent people 14 July 2013 Archived from the original on 19 November 2019 Retrieved 19 October 2018 Sir Pierre Van Ryneveld Banquet Archived from the original on 24 September 2006 External links editLibrary resources about Pierre van Ryneveld Online books Resources in your library Resources in other libraries By Pierre van Ryneveld Online books Resources in your library Resources in other libraries Works by or about Pierre van Ryneveld at Internet Archive South African Air Force Museum General Sir Helperus Andreas Pierre Van Ryneveld Archived from the original on 4 October 2011 Retrieved 29 September 2019 Prominent People van Ryneveld Pierre IN THE AIR A short study of General Sir Helperus Andries Pierre van Ryneveld Retrieved 20 March 2023 Military officesPreceded byW R Read Officer Commanding No 45 Squadron RFCApril August 1917 Succeeded byArthur HarrisPreceded byEwan Christian Officer Commanding South African Military College1929 1932 Succeeded byGeorge BrinkNew titleSouth African Air Force established Director Air Services South African Air ForceFrom 1933 to 1937 SAAF remained under van Ryneveld s direct control1920 1933 VacantTitle next held byFrancis Hoare in 1937Preceded byAndries Brink Chief of the General Staff of the Union Defence Force1933 1949 Succeeded byLeonard Beyers Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pierre van Ryneveld amp oldid 1214473397, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
