32-635: Air Vice Marshal Stanley Flamank Vincent , CB , DFC , AFC , DL (7 April 1897 – 13 March 1976) was a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and later a senior commander in the Royal Air Force (RAF). He was the only RFC/RAF pilot to shoot down enemy aircraft in both world wars. Stanley Vincent was born in Hampstead , north London, on 7 April 1897, the son of Dr Charles Vincent and Hannah Phillips. He
64-423: A broad black band. This is worn on both the lower sleeves of the dress uniform or on the shoulders of the flying suit or working uniform. The command flag of an air vice-marshal has two narrow red bands running through the centre. The vehicle star plate for an air vice-marshal depicts two white stars (air vice-marshal is a two-star rank) on an air force blue background. As of August 2014 , air vice-marshal
96-494: The 14th Army . He remained in Asia until the end of the war and, on the day of the victory parade, was invalided home with dysentery. He was promoted acting air vice marshal in 1944, which was made substantive in 1947. Between 1945 and 1948 he held the position of Senior Air Staff Officer, RAF Fighter Command . From 1948 he commanded No. 11 Group before requesting retirement in 1950. After retirement he served as Commandant for
128-602: The Distinguished Flying Medal , which had until then been awarded to other ranks , was discontinued. While remaining a reward for "flying in active operations against the enemy", the requirement was changed from "valour, courage or devotion to duty" to "exemplary gallantry". The DFC had also been awarded by Commonwealth countries but by the 1990s most, including Canada , Australia and New Zealand , had established their own honours systems and no longer recommended British honours. The DFC now serves as
160-526: The Nieuport 17 . In March 1917 he returned to England with his commanding officer (CO), Major Smith-Barry, in order to open and establish the School of Special Flying at Gosport . In April 1917 Vincent crashed-landed and spent 7 months in hospital. In November 1917 Vincent was given command of the newly formed No. 110 Squadron RAF . After handing command to the squadron's first CO, Major H R Nicholl, Vincent
192-463: The Royal Air Force . The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. Air vice-marshal is usually equivalent to a rear admiral or a major general . The rank of Air Vice-Marshal is immediately senior to
224-941: The Air Fighting Development Unit. In late 1936 he was promoted wing commander and was made Officer Commanding RAF Northolt . After a brief period with the Air Ministry , followed by attendance at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich , he was promoted to group captain and in March 1940 returned to RAF Northolt where he commanded the station during the Battle of Britain . Vincent often accompanied his station squadrons (usually 229 and 257 Squadrons ) on scrambles and also flew lone 'station defence' sorties. He considered personally that he shot down 5 Do 17 enemy bombers on his various sorties. As he
256-690: The Air Staff by the Royal New Zealand Air Force , a post he held for nine months. He returned to England in mid-1943 and to RAF Fighter Command Operations Room, after which he was dispatched to Scotland and the command of No. 13 Group . He was also designated Air Officer Commanding of the planned invasion of Norway. When this failed to materialise he travelled back to the Far East and command of No. 221 Group (South East Asia Air Forces, Burma) where he provided aerial support for
288-509: The DFC who received a further award, with a silver rosette worn on the ribbon when worn alone to denote the award of each bar. Recipients are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "DFC". The decoration, designed by Edward Carter Preston , is a cross flory , 2.125 inches (54.0 mm) wide. The horizontal and bottom bars are terminated with bumps, the upper bar with a rose. The decoration's face features aeroplane propellers, superimposed on
320-493: The Eastern Area, Royal Observer Corps (1954–1965) in the rank of Observer Captain. He published his autobiography, Flying Fever in 1972 and died in 1976. On 15 September 2010, a replica Hawker Hurricane gate guardian in the colours of Vincent's aircraft was unveiled at RAF Northolt. Air Vice Marshal Air vice-marshal ( Air Vce Mshl or AVM ) is an air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from
352-784: The Prince of Wales at this time. In August 1919 he was transferred to the Unemployed List but soon afterwards re-joined the RAF. In 1921 he was appointed flight commander at the newly opened Royal Air Force College Cranwell . In 1923 he returned to operations in Iraq with No. 30 Squadron RAF . His overseas posting finished in 1928 and he travelled home in order to join No. 1 Squadron RAF at Tangmere . Promoted squadron leader in 1931, Vincent took command of No. 41 Squadron RAF at RAF Northolt and it
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#1732790183151384-615: The RAF in World War I. For World War II, 4,018 DFCs with 213 first bars and six second bars were earned by members of the Royal Canadian Air Force , with a further 247 crosses and 34 first bars to Canadians serving with the RAF. From 1918 to 1972 the DFC was awarded to 2,391 Australians, along with 144 first Bars and five second Bars. Over 1,000 DFCs were awarded to New Zealanders during the World War II, with
416-796: 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 the enemy". The award was established on 3 June 1918, shortly after the formation of the Royal Air Force (RAF), with the Royal Warrant published on 5 December 1919. It was originally awarded to RAF commissioned and warrant officers , including officers in Commonwealth and allied forces. In March 1941 eligibility
448-428: The combined Commonwealth fighter formation, No. 226 Group , which had only two Hurricane squadrons, along with the remnants of Brewster Buffalo units, at Palembang , Sumatra . Outnumbered and poorly-equipped Commonwealth and Dutch units fought a losing battle against overwhelming enemy forces and in March, Vincent was evacuated to Australia, where he advised on air defence systems. He was then appointed Deputy Chief of
480-609: The most recent awards for service in Vietnam. In 1999 the DFC was replaced by the New Zealand Gallantry Decoration . A total of 1,022 honorary awards have been made to members of allied foreign forces. This comprises 46 crosses and one bar for World War I and 927, along with 34 first and three second bars, for World War II. Eight crosses and two bars were awarded to members of the US Air Force for
512-461: The naval rank title. For example, the rank that later became air vice-marshal would have been air rear-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
544-759: The rank Air Commodore and immediately subordinate to the rank of Air Marshal . Since before the Second World War it has been common for air officers commanding RAF groups to hold the rank of Air Vice-Marshal. In small air forces such as the Royal New Zealand Air Force and the Ghana Air Force , the head of the air force holds the rank of Air Vice-Marshal. The equivalent rank in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force , Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force , Women's Royal Air Force (until 1968) and Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (until 1980)
576-722: The rank of air vice-marshal from 2009 to 2012 when she retired from the Australian Defence Force . In 1920, Sir Willoughby Gwatkin , the former Canadian Chief of the General Staff , was granted the rank of air vice-marshal and appointed the inspector-general of the newly established Canadian Air Force . The rank was used until the 1968 unification of the Canadian Forces , when army-type rank titles were adopted. Canadian air vice-marshals then became major-generals . In official Canadian French usage,
608-534: The rank title was vice-maréchal de l'air . On 1 April 1918, the newly created RAF adopted its officer rank titles from the British Army , with officers at what is now air vice-marshal level holding the rank of major-general. In response to the proposal that the RAF should use its own rank titles, it was suggested that the RAF might use the Royal Navy 's officer ranks, with the word "air" inserted before
640-584: The recipient. The suspender is straight and decorated with laurel wreaths. The ribbon bar denoting a further award is silver, with the Royal Air Force eagle in its centre. Bars awarded during World War II have the year of award engraved on the reverse. The 1.25-inch (32 mm) ribbon was originally white with deep purple broad horizontal stripes, but it was changed in 1919 to the current white with purple broad diagonal stripes. From 1918 to 2017 approximately 22,322 Distinguished Flying Crosses and 1,737 bars have been awarded. The figures to 1979 are laid out in
672-770: The table below, the dates reflecting the relevant entries in the London Gazette: In addition, between 1980 and 2017 approximately 80 DFCs have been earned, including awards for the Falklands and the wars in the Gulf , Iraq and Afghanistan . Additionally, two second-award, and one third-award bars have been awarded. The above figures include awards to the Dominions : In all, 4,460 DFCs have gone to Canadians, including 256 first bars and six second bars. Of these, 193 crosses and nine first bars were for service with
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#1732790183151704-465: The term "third ardian" or "squadron ardian" being used for the equivalent to rear admiral and major general. However, air vice-marshal was preferred and was adopted in August 1919. The following officers were the first to be appointed to the rank, and their former service ranks are also shown: The rank insignia consists of a narrow light blue band (on a slightly wider black band) over a light blue band on
736-691: The third-level award for all ranks of the British Armed Forces for exemplary gallantry in active operations against the enemy in the air, not to the standard required to receive the Victoria Cross or the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross . Apart from honorary awards to those serving with allied forces, all awards of the DFC are announced in the London Gazette . A bar is added to the ribbon for holders of
768-433: The vertical arms of the cross, and wings on the horizontal arms. In the centre is a laurel wreath around the RAF monogram, surmounted by a heraldic Imperial Crown . The reverse is plain, except for a central roundel bearing the reigning monarch's cypher and the date '1918'. Originally awarded unnamed, from 1939 the year of issue was engraved on the reverse lower limb of cross, and since 1984 it has been awarded named to
800-641: Was "air chief commandant". The Australian Air Corps adopted the RAF rank system on 9 November 1920 and this usage was continued by its successor, the Royal Australian Air Force . However, the rank of air vice-marshal was not used by the Australian Armed Forces until 1935 when Richard Williams , the Australian Chief of the Air Staff , was promoted. Margaret Staib of the Royal Australian Air Force served in
832-496: Was alone on many of these sorties, confirmation has never been substantiated. He claimed a further two victories (over Bf 109s) on 30 September 1940. During one action he was wounded, crash landing at Kenley. He later had numerous pieces of shrapnel removed from his back, having narrowly missed his spine. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1940 in recognition of his skill and bravery. In 1941 he
864-960: Was educated at Lancing College . Vincent was commissioned into the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) after the completion of his training in 1915 at the Central Flying School, Upavon . His first posting was to No. 60 Squadron RAF in France in April 1916, equipped with Morane single seat and two seaters. Vincent was appointed to 'A' Flight equipped with the Morane Bullet scout. He claimed an LVG two-seater in July (the Squadron's first victory), another two seater in September and an Albatros two seater 'Out of control' in early 1917, by now flying
896-610: Was extended to Naval Officers of the Fleet Air Arm , and in November 1942 to Army officers, including Royal Artillery officers serving on attachment to the RAF as pilots-cum- artillery observers . Posthumous awards were permitted from 1979. Since the 1993 review of the honours system as part of the drive to remove distinctions of rank in bravery awards, all ranks of all arms of the Armed Forces have been eligible, and
928-449: Was here that he was involved in the early experiments with Radio Telephony. However he soon returned to Iraq to replace the CO of No. 80 Squadron RAF , who was taken ill and returned home. It was during this time that Vincent took part in the first reinforcement flight to Singapore. He too was taken ill at the end of 1934 and returned home. In June 1936 he was appointed as commanding officer of
960-587: Was posted to RAF North Weald and, after a brief spell at RAF Biggin Hill , in June 1941 he moved to 11 Group as Group Captain (Operations) before a spell at RAF Fighter Command HQ. Promotion to Air Commodore followed in early 1942. After he requested active duty, Vincent was sent to assist with the defence of Singapore and the Dutch East Indies Campaign . In February 1942 he took command of
992-468: Was posted to Shoreham and formed a Special Instructors' Flight at Shoreham . He was one of the first to be awarded the Air Force Cross in late 1918 and was promoted flight lieutenant in 1920. After the war, he was sent to France to bring back captured German machines and joined No 24 Squadron where he gave refresher courses to repatriated prisoners-of-war. He was also involved in the training of
Stanley Vincent - Misplaced Pages Continue
1024-500: Was the highest uniformed military rank currently held by a woman in the British Armed Forces when Air Vice-Marshal Elaine West was awarded the position in August 2013. ... Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) 1918-1919: horizontal alternate white and purple stripes The Distinguished Flying Cross ( DFC ) is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers, and since 1993 to other ranks, of
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