Hugh Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard received numerous titles, decorations, and honours both during and after his military career. Three days later Major-General Frederick Sykes replaced him as Chief of the Air Staff. He was made Knight Commander of the Bath in 1918. Corrections? [39] He arrived in London on 6 July 1912, only to discover that Captain Loraine had been killed in a flying accident on the previous day. This bold move worked, and he received his orders for South Africa several weeks later. and establishing it on a peacetime basis. [97] Trenchard's close co-operation with the Americans and the French was formalized when his command was redesignated the Inter-Allied Independent Air Force in late October 1918, and placed directly under the orders of Foch. In 1919 Trenchard was appointed by War Minister Winston Churchill to be the chief of staff of the RAF. Marshal of the Royal Air Force Hugh Montague Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard, was a British officer who was instrumental in establishing the Royal Air Force. The basic weapon systems…, British army, in the United Kingdom, the military force charged with national defense and the fulfillment of international mutual defense commitments. [99] Trenchard departed France in mid-November 1918 and returned to England to take a holiday. In 1920 he successfully argued that it should take the lead during the 1920 conflict between British forces and Somaliland dervishes. Looking to take the initiative, Trenchard arranged to see Beatty, meeting with him in early December, Trenchard, arguing that the "air is one and indivisible", put forward a case for an air force with its own strategic role which also controlled army and navy co-operation squadrons. [19], Trenchard's company came under the command of the 6th (Fusilier) Brigade which was headquartered at Krugersdorp. Hankey responded by accusing Trenchard of "trying to stab him in the back. [56] He paid particular attention to ensuring that skills were acquired in practical topics such as map reading, signalling and engine mechanics. He has been described as the "Father of the Royal Air Force." However, a year or two previously, it had so happened that he had been promised help or advice from Sir Edmond Elles, as a gesture of thanks after rescuing a poorly planned rifle-shooting contest from disaster. Even the Militia's examinations proved difficult for Trenchard and he failed in 1891 and 1892. [4], When Hugh Trenchard was two, the family moved to Courtlands, a manor house in Norton Fitzwarren, less than three miles (4 km) from the centre of Taunton. After he had finished his flying course he was officially appointed as an instructor. Churchill was unsettled at Trenchard's apparent willingness to use lethal military force domestically upon British subjects, and told him by reply not to refer to this proposal again. 'Hill Lands' prepared its pupils for Army commissions and, as before, Trenchard did not apply himself to his studies,[8][9] preferring sports (rugby in particular) and practical joking. Trenchard was summoned back from France, crossing the Channel on a destroyer on the morning of 16 December. [42], In early 1910 Trenchard became seriously ill and after several months he returned home, this time with a liver abscess. [107] Once he had recovered, he proposed marriage to Katherine Boyle, who refused. Trenchard being critically wounded was medically evacuated to Krugersdorp. [126] Following the British failure to win the Schneider Trophy in 1925, Trenchard ensured that finances were available for an R.A.F. [76] In any case, this did not stop his promotion to full colonel in June 1915. The problems were resolved after a meeting of Trenchard and General de Castelnau, who disregarded the concerns about the status of the Independent Air Force and did not block the much-needed supplies. By October he realised that the creation of an "Air Force" was inevitable and, seeing that he was the obvious candidate to become the new Chief of the Air Staff, he attempted to bring about a scheme whereby he would retain control of the flying units on the Western Front. [153], Just after the outbreak of the Second World War the Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, summoned Trenchard and offered him the job of organising advanced training for RAF pilots in Canada, possibly as a pretext to remove Trenchard from England. Hugh Montague Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard (1873-1956), Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sitter in 17 portraits Air Marshal, known as the 'Father of the Royal Air Force'. Marshal of the Royal Air Force Hugh Montague Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO (3 February 1873 – 10 February 1956) was a British officer who was instrumental in establishing the Royal Air Force. The Balfour Report of 1921, the Geddes Axe of 1922, and the Salisbury Committee of 1923 all found in favour of the R.A.F. [167] From 1954, during the last two years of his life, Trenchard was partially blind and physically frail. He has been described as the Father of the Royal Air Force. [29] After attending a medical board he had his sick leave reduced and was able to return to South Africa in July 1901. After the end of the Boer War, Trenchard saw service in Nigeria where he was involved in efforts to bring the interior under settled British rule and quell intertribal violence. Despite the detailed information this provided and the improved air-artillery cooperation during the battles, the offensives were inconclusive. [163], In the aftermath of the war, several American generals, including Henry H. Arnold and Carl Andrew Spaatz, asked Trenchard to brief them in connection with the debate which surrounded the proposed establishment of the independent United States Air Force. [3] Although Copland Perry, Trenchard's instructor,[51] noted that teaching him to fly had been "no easy performance", Trenchard himself had been "a model pupil. Hugh Montague Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard, (born Feb. 3, 1873, Taunton, Somerset, Eng.—died Feb. 10, 1956, London), British officer and air marshal who helped lay the foundations of the Royal Air Force (RAF). Part of the newly formed company consisted of a group of volunteer Australian horsemen who, thus far being under-employed, had largely been noticed for excessive drinking, gambling and debauchery. 's future by finding a war-fighting role for the new Service. [155] In April, Sir Samuel Hoare, who was again Secretary of State for Air, unsuccessfully attempted to get him to come back as Chief of the Air Staff. After Trenchard's column had suffered casualties, the ambush party withdrew. It was during a polo match in 1896 that he first met Winston Churchill, with whom he clashed on the field of play. [62] Trenchard's new duties included providing replacements and raising new squadrons for service on the continent. He also turned down the post of Grand Co-ordinator of British and American air policy, and that of Inspector General of the R.A.F. Marshal of the Royal Air Force Hugh Montague Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard GCB OM GCVO DSO (3 February 1873 – 10 February 1956) was a British Army officer who commanded the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) from August 1915 to January 1918. The surgeons believed that he would die as the bullet had punctured his left lung and they had removed six and a half pints of blood from his pleural cavity through a tube. Trenchard synonyms, Trenchard pronunciation, Trenchard translation, English dictionary definition of Trenchard. Kitchener had received intelligence on their location and he hoped to damage the morale of Boer commandos at large by sending a small group of men to capture their political leadership. [31], Later in the year he was summoned to see Kitchener, who was now the Commander-in-Chief in the South African theatre. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. [53] His flying ability still left much to be desired, and Longmore soon discovered his pupil's deficiencies. The Boers fled on horseback and Trenchard's company pursued them for 10 miles (16 km). [180] During his life, Trenchard strongly argued that the bomber was the key weapon of an air force, and he is recognized today as one of the early advocates of strategic bombing,[3] and one of the architects of the British policy on imperial policing through air control. He was Metropolitan Police Commissioner in the 1930s and a defender of the RAF in his later years. [158], From mid-1940 onwards, Trenchard realised that by his rash demands in May he had excluded himself from a pivotal role in the British war effort. This started with reconnaissance and artillery co-ordination, and later encompassed tactical low-level bombing of enemy ground targets. He pressed forward reaching the sheltering wall of the farmhouse. On 18 March they exchanged letters, Trenchard expressing his dissatisfaction and Rothermere curtly replying. He was commissioner of the London metropolitan police from 1931 to 1935. [83] Finally and most significantly, they disagreed over proper future use of air power which Trenchard judged as being vital in preventing a repeat of the strategic stalemate which had occurred along the Western Front. His own first-born son, also called Hugh, was killed in North Africa. squadrons were formed at Cambridge, London and Oxford. [43], October 1910 saw him posted to Derry, where the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers were garrisoned. As a disabled soldier without independent financial means, he was now at his lowest point. Trenchard definition, British Royal Air Force marshal. In other respects he did not fit in, lacking social graces and choosing to converse little, he was nicknamed "the camel", as like the beast he neither drank nor spoke. [39] From summer 1904 to the late summer 1905, Trenchard was acting Commandant of the Southern Nigeria Regiment. He had already been created a Baronet, of Wolfeton in the County of Dorset, in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom in 1919 and Baron Trenchard, of Wolfeton in the County of Dorset, … on the Western Front was characterised by three priorities. Marshal of the Royal Air Force Hugh Montague Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard, (3 February 1873 – 10 February 1956) was a British officer who was instrumental in establishing the Royal Air Force. Trenchard's letter was circulated among the Cabinet, with a vindictive response written by Rothermere. At the War Office Churchill asked him to come back as Chief of the Air Staff. Putting on his Army general's uniform Trenchard arrived at the docks with a staff of two, his clerk and Maurice Baring, his Aide-de-Camp. He also supported the creation of two memorials. [67], Trenchard took up command of the First Wing in November 1914, establishing its headquarters at Merville. Instead, Trenchard, seeking equal status with Sykes, argued for a re-organisation of the R.A.F. He was the third child and second son of Henry Montague Trenchard and his wife Georgina Louisa Catherine Tower. [115][116] Around this time Trenchard indicated to Beatty that control over some supporting elements of naval aviation (but not aircrew or aircraft) might be returned to the Admiralty. I… During the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March the R.F.C., and especially the First Wing, supported the operation. Instead, he simply said "I am deeply proud to belong to this great regiment", followed by "I hope one day I shall live to command it." He began to speak privately against Hankey who, for his part, had no liking for Trenchard in return. The many tribesmen who surrendered were given jobs as road builders and thereby began to develop the country as part of the British Empire. 's airmen. [60] Trenchard formed a distinctly unfavourable opinion of Churchill's ability as a pilot. [73] However, the bombing from the air had little effect due to limited weight payload capacity, and the Royal Artillery disregarded the information provided by the R.F.C. Thirdly, Rothermere and Trenchard disagreed on nominees for senior appointments in the R.A.F. He began work on 18 January. This was a sizable task as the force was budgeted to shrink from 280 squadrons to around 28. [182][183][184], "Trenchard" redirects here. [94] The Independent Air Force continued the task of the VIII Brigade from which it was formed, carrying out strategic bombing attacks on German railways, airfields and industrial centres. In early 1894 he won the All-India Rifle Championship. He viewed this idea as a precursor to the break-up of the R.A.F., and in spite of the costs, he wanted its own institutions which would develop airmanship and engender the air spirit. was the belief that mastery of the air must be gained and retained through offensive action. [38] In the occasional clashes with the Ibo tribesmen, Trenchard gained decisive victories. provided good value for money, and was required for the long-term strategic security of the United Kingdom. Hugh Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard.jpg 250 × 410; 26 KB Lord Trenchard as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.jpg 350 × 643; 158 KB Lord Trenchard in RAF full dress.jpg 517 × 800; 66 KB However, development costs were not insignificant and in 1928, when he applied for further funding, the Committee of Imperial Defence and the Cabinet discontinued the project. [91], Trenchard had many reasons for not accepting any of these posts, which he saw as titular, with little value and lacking practical authority. He has been described as the "Father of the Royal Air Force." However, when Trenchard and his patrol reached the valley floor and broke cover the Boers opened fire from about a dozen points and bullets whistled past it. [3][15], It was during this period of his life in India that he took up reading. It appeared to him that the Boers thought they had got away and were eating breakfast unawares. It was during a heavy crash from the Cresta Run that his spine was somehow readjusted, enabling him to walk freely immediately after regaining consciousness. Hugh Montague, 1st Viscount. [18] The Boers were accomplished horsemen and the tactics of the day placed a heavy strain upon the British cavalry. On the following Monday, Trenchard was summoned to Buckingham Palace where King George listened to his account of the events which caused him to resign. In December 1935 he wrote in The Times that the Committee of Imperial Defence should be placed under the chairmanship of a politician. On the third day he regained consciousness, but spent most of that day sleeping. [21][22], After he was brought to the hospital in Krugersdorp, he slipped from semi-consciousness into unconsciousness. [105], During the first week in February, Trenchard was summoned to London by official telegram. Without an official role he took it upon himself to spend the spring of 1940 visiting RAF units, including those of the Advanced Air Striking Force in France. Trenchard's father was a captain in the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and his mother was the daughter of the Royal Navy captain John McDowall Skene. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [171], Several institutions and buildings are named after him, including the University of Ibadan's Trenchard Hall,[172] and RAF Cranwell's Trenchard Hall. It was during this period that he oversaw the introduction of the short-service commission scheme. [68] Trenchard's discomfort was relieved when in December 1914 Kitchener ordered that Henderson resume command of the Royal Flying Corps in the Field. Trenchard appealed to Kitchener, by then the Secretary of State for War, threatening to resign. Churchill made Trenchard his last job offer, this time as the reorganizer of Military Intelligence. At around 3 pm he met newspaper proprietor Lord Rothermere, who had recently been appointed as Air Minister by David Lloyd George for political reasons. 270) on 31 July flying a Henry Farman biplane of the Sopwith School of Flying at Brooklands. issued by Ardath Tobacco Company Limited relief halftone cigarette card, 1937 2 5/8 in. [35], On Henderson's return to the War Office in the summer of 1915,[77] Trenchard was promoted to brigadier-general and appointed Officer Commanding the R.F.C. The rest of the company, seeing their leader fall, descended from the heights to engage the Boers at close quarters in and around the farmhouse. in the field until the early days of 1918. Updates? Marshal of the Royal Air Force Hugh Montague Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO (3 February 1873 â 10 February 1956) was a British officer who was instrumental in establishing the Royal Air Force. Part of Trenchard's new duties included those of School examiner, and so he set himself a paper, sat it, marked it and awarded himself his 'wings'. Subsequently that year, he organized the Inter-Allied Independent Bomber Force, a force of RAF heavy bombers to raid targets in Germany. [25], On Sunday 30 December he arrived in St Moritz to begin a Swiss convalescence. Over the following weeks Trenchard spent many hours improving his flying technique. Trenchard defended in the debate Haig's policy of constant attacks on the Western Front, arguing that it had been preferable to standing on the defensive, and he himself also had maintained an offensive posture throughout the war which, like the infantry, had resulted in the Flying Corps taking extremely heavy casualties. [3], At the age of 10 he was sent to board at Allens Preparatory School near Botley in Hampshire. He hobbled with the aid of sticks down the gangplank where his concerned parents met him. Beatty did not accept Trenchard's argument and Trenchard resorted to asking for a 12 months amnesty to put his plans into action. Although he did well at arithmetic, he struggled with the rest of the curriculum. In early 1920 he suggested that it could even be used to violently suppress if necessary "industrial disturbances, or risings" in the United Kingdom itself, following on from his experience in such matters in successfully quelling the troop mutiny at Southampton Docks in the previous year. He has been described as the Father of the Royal Air Force. It was common practice for the youngest subaltern to make such a speech and he was expected to cover several highlights of the Royal Scots Fusiliers' history. Notable ancestors were Sir Thomas Trenchard, a High Sheriff of Dorset in the 16th century and Sir John Trenchard, the Secretary of State under William III. [89], In the weeks that followed his resignation, Trenchard was without a role and he kept a low profile, avoiding the Press and making no public comments. As a consequence, Trenchard did not excel academically;[6] however, his enthusiasm for games and riding was evident. and the Royal Naval Air Service. [58], In September 1912 he acted as an air observer during the Army Manoeuvres. Early in the summer of 1901 he entered two tennis competitions, reaching the semi-finals both times and gaining favourable press coverage. He was criticised for this by figures in HM Treasury for wasting money. In the end the Government conceded and Sir Thomas Inskip was appointed as the Minister for Coordination of Defence. As an ardent supporter of the bomber, Trenchard found much to disagree with in the air expansion programme, its emphasis on defensive fighter aircraft, and he wrote about it directly to the Cabinet. [129] The following year he began to feel that he had achieved all he could as Chief of the Air Staff and that he should give way to a younger man, and he offered his resignation to the Cabinet in late 1928, although it was not initially accepted. His interest in aviation led to him being transferred in 1913 to the Royal Flying Corps where he assisted commandant of the Central Flying School .In August 1915, Major-General Trenchard became the Royal Flying Corps General Officer Commander in the field. Returning as Chief of the Air Staff under Winston Churchill in 1919, Trenchard spent the following decade securing the future of the Royal Air Force. [38][106], For most of March he was unable to do much work as he had contracted Spanish flu. Trenchard was accompanied by a column of so-called loyalist Boers whose motives he distrusted. Beatty declined the offer and later, when no transfer of any naval aviation assets occurred, came to the view that Trenchard had acted in bad faith. [5] The country setting meant that he could enjoy an outdoor life, including spending time hunting rabbits and other small animals with the rifle he was given on his eighth birthday. The army of England before the Norman Conquest consisted of the king’s household troops (housecarls) and all freemen able to bear arms, who served…. 1873 Hugh Montague Trenchard was born at Windsor Lodge on Haines Hill in Taunton on 3 February 1873. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003. [168], Trenchard died one week after his 83rd birthday at his London home in Sloane Avenue on 10 February 1956. [92] On 8 May 1918 Trenchard was sitting on a bench in Green Park when he overheard a naval officer saying to another: "I don't know why the Government should pander to a man who threw in his hand at the height of a battle, if I'd my way with Trenchard I'd have him shot. However, without asking any questions, Lady Dudley presented him with a cheque to cover the expense. [11], Trenchard arrived in India in late 1893, joining his regiment at Sialkot in the Punjab. The Kabul Airlift began on Christmas Eve and took nine weeks to rescue around 600 people. The new Air Minister, Sir William Weir, under pressure to find a position for Trenchard, offered him command of the yet to be formed Independent Force, which was to conduct long-range bombing operations against Germany. [166] In the late 1940s and early 1950s he continued his involvement with the United Africa Company, holding the chairmanship until 1953 when he resigned. only to provide flying training. He accorded the highest priority to air operations on the Western Front's land campaign: there were fewer than 400 spare aircraft in the United Kingdom. [178], Trenchard's work in establishing the R.A.F. He declined the offer, citing his unsuitability for the role,[75] although his ambition for command may have been the real reason. 's highest rank. In 1915, during World War I, he assumed command in France of the Royal Flying Corps, which was then a branch of the British army. Marshal of the Royal Air Force Hugh Montague Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard GCB OM GCVO DSO (3 February 1873 – 10 February 1956) was a British officer who was instrumental in establishing the Royal Air Force. [30], On his return he made his way to Pretoria, arriving there in late July 1901. He also instigated the University Air Squadron scheme, and in 1925 the first three U.A.S. [147] Beyond politics, he took on the Chairmanship of the United Africa Company, with its attendant financial income,[148] which had sought out Trenchard because of his West African knowledge and experience. He entered the Army in 1893 and served in South and West Africa. [144] Following his departure from the Metropolitan Police, he was free to speak publicly. During his formative years, Trenchard struggled academically, failing many examinations and only just succeeding in meeting the minimum standard for commissioned service in the British Army. which would have seen him appointed as the RAF's commander of fighting operations, while Sykes would have been left to deal with administrative matters. He then spent the remainder of 1939 arguing that the RAF should be used to strike against Germany from its bases in France. and the American Air Service, providing advanced tuition in bombing techniques to the newly arriving American aviators. [48], When he arrived at Thomas Sopwith's flying school at Brooklands, he told Sopwith than he only had 10 days to gain his aviator's certificate. and preserving its independence has led to him being called the "Father of the Royal Air Force". The idea of transferring the Fleet Air Arm from Air Ministry to Admiralty control was raised and although Trenchard opposed the move in the Lords, in the Press and in private conversations, he now lacked the influence to prevent the transfer, which took place in 1937. The remainder of the company were to close in on his signal. The Battle of Britain had recently concluded and Churchill was full of praise for Trenchard's pre-war efforts in establishing the RAF. Hugh Montagu Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard G.C.B., O.M., G.C.V.O., D.S.O. During this period he underwent a period of training as a probationary subaltern with the Forfar and Kincardine Artillery. First, Rothermere's tendency to disregard his professional advisors in favour of outside experts irritated Trenchard. On 5 April, Trenchard travelled to France, inspecting squadrons and updating his understanding of the air situation. However, as the weeks went on they became increasingly estranged personally, and a low point was reached in mid-March when Trenchard discovered that Rothermere had promised the Navy 4000 aircraft for anti-submarine duties. [164] The United States Air Force was formed as an independent branch of the American Armed Forces in 1947. Trenchard opposed this, believing that it would dilute the air support required by the ground forces in France. The following day Trenchard sent Rothermere a letter of resignation. [35], Following the end of the Boer War, Trenchard was seconded to stay in South Africa,[36] but he applied for service in the West African Frontier Force and was granted the position of Deputy Commandant of the Southern Nigeria Regiment, with the promise that he was entitled to lead all regimental expeditions. He occupied himself during the routine of garrison life with playing polo and he took up hunting. [94], By the autumn of 1919 the budgetary effects of Lloyd George's Ten Year Rule were causing Trenchard some difficulty as he sought to develop the institutions of the R.A.F. By 1900, Elles was Military Secretary to Lord Curzon and Trenchard (recently promoted to captain) sent a priority signal to Elles requesting that he be permitted to rejoin his unit overseas. Trenchard appealed to Kitchener, by then the Secretary of State for War and of... Also sought to secure the R.A.F 30 ], at the San Diego Aerospace Museum (... Son to follow her Father 's profession and enter the Royal Flying Corps 's home garrison, which was in... Company commander Speed Flight was formed as an Air observer during the summer 1901. He maintained a keen interest in military affairs February 1956 15 ], with the Ibo tribesmen, did. Widely held by senior British commanders in the South African War and later encompassed tactical low-level bombing of ground. In 1884 he was criticised for this email, you are agreeing to,... Letter was circulated among the Cabinet, with which the High Speed Flight was formed in preparation for the first! Lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your.. And holding its own his success at shooting, he was offered the job of co-ordinating the of... Required long days in the Times that the Boers rode up a steep slope disappeared. In HM Treasury for wasting money subsequently appointed as second in command of the 12th infantry. 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