- Edward Masterman
Infobox Military Person
name= Edward Masterman
lived=15 April 1880 –26 August 1957
placeofbirth=
placeofdeath=Aldershot ,Hampshire England
caption= Air Commodore Edward Masterman, pictured wearing an early Observer Corps lapel badge on his suit jacket.
nickname=
allegiance=flag|United Kingdom
rank=Air Commodore
branch= navy|United Kingdom (c. 1894-1918)
air force|United Kingdom (1918-1929)
commands=
unit=
battles=World War I
awards=Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Air Force Cross
laterwork=Commandant of theObserver Corps Air Commodore Edward Alexander Dimsdale Masterman CB CMG CBE AFC RAF (15 April 1880 –26 August 1957 ) was a senior officer in theRoyal Air Force in the first half of the 20th century. After retiring from the RAF, he served as the first ever Commandant of the Observer Corps.ervice career
Masterman started his service career in the
Royal Navy , attending theBritannia Naval College around 1894. After serving onHMS Revenge in the late 1890s and early 1900s, he attended Torpedo Specialist Course and in 1907 he worked as a Russia interpreter onHMS Vernon .By 1911 Masterman had become involved in the Navy's efforts to built an experimental
airship and the following year he was appointed Officer Commanding the Naval Airship Section.During
World War I , Masterman served in theRoyal Naval Air Service , commanding the Farnborough Airship Station and working in several technical posts. With the establishment of theRoyal Air Force on1 April 1918 , Masterman transferred to the new service. Just before the end of the war, he was promoted tobrigadier-general and appointedGeneral Officer Commanding No. 22 Group.Observer Corps
Between
1 March 1929 and1 March 1936 , when he retired from the RAF, Masterman was the Commandant of the Observer Corps and was the first RAF officer to hold this appointment. Headquarters Royal Observer Corps was located at Hillingdon House,RAF Uxbridge , only relocating toRAF Bentley Priory after Masterman retired. He was succeeded as Commandant Observer Corps by Air Commodore Warrington-Morris.Following his retirement as an RAF officer, Air Commodore Masterman rejoined the Royal Observer Corps as a civilian part time volunteer with the rank of Observer Captain and served as the ROC's Western Area Commandant between 1937 and 1942, although by special permission of Warrington-Morris, he was permitted to wear his RAF Air Commodore's uniform and rank braid after April 1941 when the Observer Corps became the Royal Observer Corps and part of
Fighter Command .References
* [http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Masterman.htm Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - Air Cdre Masterman]
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