- Owen Tudor Boyd
-
Owen Tudor Boyd Born 30 August 1889 Died 5 August 1944 (aged 54) Allegiance 
United KingdomService/branch 
British Army
Royal Air ForceYears of service 1916 – 1944 Rank Air Marshal Commands held RAF Balloon Command
No. 1 Group RAF
RAF Khormaksar
No. 24 Squadron RAF
No. 72 Squadron RAF
No. 66 Squadron RAFBattles/wars World War I
World War IIAwards Companion of the Order of the Bath
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Military Cross
Air Force Cross
Mention in Despatches (2)Air Marshal Owen Tudor Boyd CB, OBE, MC, AFC (30 August 1889 – 5 August 1944) was an officer in the British Royal Flying Corps (RFC) during most of World War I. Boyd was an officer in the British Royal Air Force (RAF) during the latter part of World War I, in the interwar period, and during World War II.
Contents
Education and pre-war
Boyd was educated at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. On 20 January 1909, he was appointed to a commission on the unattached list before entering the Indian Army in the same year. Boyd was an officer with the Indian Army's 5th Cavalry.[1]
World War I
From 25 April 1916, Boyd saw service in World War I as a flying officer with the RFC. Later in 1916, he was a pilot on the Western Front with No. 27 Squadron; on 9 July, he was promoted to Flight Commander.[1]
Boyd stayed on the Western Front and continued to earn promotion. On 26 October, he was made Officer Commanding of a squadron and on 19 January 1917, took command of No. 66 Squadron.[1]
In June 1917, he was moved to a staff appointment and on 2 December, he was made a Staff Officer, 2nd Class, RFC (Captain - graded as Brigade Major).[1]
By 7 July 1918, Boyd was in Mesopotamia as Officer Commanding No. 72 Squadron.[1]
Interwar years
From 18 January 1919, Boyd was an Officer Commanding and a Staff Officer (Acting Lieutenant-Colonel). On 1 August, he was awarded a permanent commission as a Major. By 21 January 1920, he was a Staff Officer with the Mesopotamian Wing Headquarters. He was also involved as a Staff Officer with the Directorate of Operations and Intelligence.[1]
On 23 October 1922, Boyd was once again commanding a squadron, this time No. 24 Squadron.[1]
On 26 February 1923, he was made the Commandant of the School of Army Co-operation. Starting 21 January 1926, he attended the Army Staff College, Camberley. By 21 January 1928, he was on the directing staff of the college.[1]
On 4 January 1930, Boyd became the Deputy Director of Staff Duties.[1]
On 7 August 1931, Boyd was the Officer Commanding, RAF Aden. By 16 April 1934, he was Secretary of State for Air for the Headquarters Fighting Area. By 24 October 1935, he was Air Officer Commanding, Central Area.[1]
On 1 May 1936, Boyd was promoted to Air Commodore of No. 1 Group RAF. He was appointed Director of Personal Services at the Air Ministry in December 1936.[1]
World War II
Women's Auxiliary Air Force barrage balloon crews at RAF Cardington.
In 1938, as an Air Vice-Marshal, Boyd became Commander-in-Chief RAF Balloon Command. On 1 December 1940, he was replaced by Air Marshal Sir Leslie Gossage at RAF Balloon Command. Boyd was then promoted to Air Marshal and appointed Deputy to the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) Middle East.[1]
On his way to Egypt, Boyd was to stop in Malta. However, the aircraft in which he and his staff were passengers was forced down over enemy-controlled Sicily by a group of Italian fighters. After destroying his confidential papers by setting his own aircraft on fire, Boyd became a prisoner of war (POW). He spent much of the war in the Castle Vincigliata (Castello di Vincigliata) camp near Florence, Italy.[2]
When Italy capitulated in September 1943, Boyd and two British Army generals (Philip Neame and Richard O'Connor, both captured in North Africa in 1941), made use of the general confusion and escaped from their Italian captors. After some time in the Italian countryside, all three men successfully reached the Allied lines.[3]
Of all of RAF Bomber Command's wartime group commanders, Boyd spent the shortest time in command of his appointed group. His life was cut tragically short at the age of fifty-four, six months into his appointment as Air Officer Commanding of 93 (Operational Training Unit) Group.
Death
Boyd's life took a turn for the worse upon his return to England after captivity in Italy. In late July 1944, he was divorced. Little more than a week later, on 5 August, he was dead from a heart attack.[1]
Promotion Dates
Insignia Rank Date [1] Service Second Lieutenant 20 January 1909 British Army Lieutenant 20 April 1911 British Army Captain 1 September 1915 British Army Acting Major 26 October 1916 British Army Acting Major 1 April 1918 Royal Air Force Acting Lieutenant Colonel 18 January 1918 Royal Air Force 
Squadron Leader 1 August 1919 Royal Air Force 
Wing Commander 1 January 1923 Royal Air Force 
Group Captain 1 July 1930 Royal Air Force 
Air Commodore 1 July 1934 Royal Air Force 
Air Vice-Marshal 1 July 1937 Royal Air Force 
Acting Air Marshal 8 November 1940 Royal Air Force See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation : Air Marshal O T Boyd". http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Boyd.htm. Retrieved 2008-11-29.
- ^ "Prize Catch". Time Magazine. 2 December 1940. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,772477,00.html. Retrieved 2007-09-14.
- ^ "Generals Free". Time Magazine. 31 January 1944. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,803165,00.html. Retrieved 2007-09-14.
External references
- Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - Air Marshal O T Boyd
- "Prize Catch.". Time Magazine. Monday, December 2, 1940. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,772477,00.html. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
- "Generals Free.". Time Magazine. Monday, January 31, 1944. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,803165,00.html. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
Military offices Preceded by
C T MacLean
As Air Officer Commanding Aden CommandOfficer Commanding RAF Aden
1931 – 1934Succeeded by
C F A Portal
As Officer Commanding Aden CommandPreceded by
H R NichollAir Officer Commanding Central Area
1935 – 1936Formation renamed as No. 1 Group Preceded by
J C Quinnell
Quinnel's command was redesignated No. 6 Group in 1936Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group
1936Succeeded by
S W SmithNew title
Command establishedAir Officer Commanding Balloon Command
1938 – 1940Succeeded by
Sir Leslie GossagePreceded by
A P RitchieAir Officer Commanding No. 93 Group
1944Succeeded by
G S HodsonPeople and aircraft Campaigns and battles Strategic bombing (German, Cuxhaven) · Bombing of cities · Fokker Scourge · Flight over Vienna · Bloody April · BattlesEntente Powers air services Australian Flying Corps · British air services (Royal Flying Corps, Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force) · French Air Service · Imperial Russian Air Force · Italian Military Air Corps · United States Army Air Service · Greek air services (Army Air Service, Naval Air Service)Central Powers air services German air services (Army Air Service, Navy Air Service) · Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops · Ottoman Air Force · Bulgarian Army Aeroplane SectionCommand Structure 
Airfields Aircraft Personnel Royal Flying Corps officers • List of British WWI acesWorld War I Categories:- 1889 births
- 1944 deaths
- British Army personnel of World War I
- British escapees
- Companions of the Order of the Bath
- Escapees from Italian detention
- Officers of the Order of the British Empire
- Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
- Recipients of the Military Cross
- Royal Air Force World War II air marshals
- Royal Flying Corps officers
- Sandhurst graduates
- World War II prisoners of war held by Italy
- Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley
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