Arthur Longmore

Infobox Military Person
name= Arthur Murray Longmore
lived= 8 October 1885 – 10 December 1970
placeofbirth= St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
placeofdeath=


caption=
nickname=
allegiance=flag|United Kingdom
serviceyears= 1900 – 1 March 1942
1 August 1943 - 1 June 1944
rank= Air Chief Marshal
branch= air force|United Kingdom
commands=
unit=
battles= World War I
World War II
awards= Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Distinguished Service Order
Mention in Despatches
laterwork= Vice-Chairman of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Murray Longmore GCB, DSO (8 October 1885 – 10 December 1970) was an early naval aviator, before reaching high rank in the Royal Air Force.

Born in St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia, the son of Charles Croker Longmore and Janet Murray, he was educated at Benges School, Hertford and Foster's Academy, Stubbington before entering Dartmouth Naval College. He was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1904. Having developed an interest in flying, he obtained his flying certificate in 1911 and joined the Royal Naval Air Service [Arthur Longmore, "From Sea to Sky" (Geoffrey Bles, London, 1946), Chapter II] in 1912. He subsequently obtained a permanent commission in the Royal Air Force, serving in (among other places) Italy, Iraq and RAF Coastal Command.

The outbreak of the Second World War found Longmore an Air Chief Marshal and in charge of RAF Training Command. On 2 April 1940, he was appointed Air Officer Commanding in the Middle East. He did not long enjoy the full confidence of Winston Churchill in that position and was relieved of his command in May 1941. His last role before his formal retirement in 1942 was as Inspector-General of the RAF. He was subsequently Vice-Chairman of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Longmore’s memoirs, "From Sea to Sky 1910-1945", were published in 1946.

In 1913 Longmore married Marjorie Maitland, the daughter of William James Maitland C.I.E. Their son, Wing Commander Richard Maitland Longmore OBE, was killed in action on 4 October 1943, in the course of an attack on a U-boat.

Longmore died on 10 December 1970.

References

ources

* Arthur Longmore, "From Sea to Sky" (Geoffrey Bles, London, 1946)
* Dictionary of National Biography
* [http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Longmore.htm Air of Authority: A History of RAF Organisation]
* [http://uboat.net/boats/u539.htm uboat.net: U539]

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