SIR R. BROOKE-POPHAM

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 January 1941, Page 8

SIR R. BROOKE-POPHAM

FAR EAST COMMAND. LONDON, November 18. Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham, who has been appointed Commander-in-Chief, Far East, has had a longer Service career with the British Air Force than any other officer now serving with the R.A.F.

Educated at Haileybury and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, he entered the Army in 1898 with a commission in the Oxfordshire Light Infantry, becoming captain in 1904. In 1911 he obtained the Royal Aero Club Certificate No. 108, and in 1912, before the establishment of the Royal Flying Corps, he joined the Air Battalion, Royal Engineers. When the R.F.C. was formed later the same year he was posted to Salisbury Plain as an instructor. In November, 1914, he became wing commander of the R.F.C., and brevet lieutenant-colonel. He served in France with short intervals at home between 1915 and 1918. During 1915 he commanded a wing and was later employed on staff duties at headquarters, R.F.C., France. In 1919 he was Controller, Technical Department, at the Ministry of Munitions (Aircraft Production). He resigned his Army commission on being appointed to a permanent commissiort in the R.A.F. as commandant. He was promoted air commodore and appointed Director of Research at the Air Ministry. Sir Robert left the Air Ministry in 1921 to become the third Commandant of the newly-constructed Staff College. He was promoted ViceMarshal in 1924, and two years later became Air Officer Commanding Air Defences of Great Britain. In November, 1928, he was appointed Air Officer Comanding Irak Command. In the following year he acted as tern- j porary High Commissioner of Irak ; and received recognition of appreciation by the Secretary of State for the Colonies for his services.-

Sir Robert became Commandant of the Imperial Defence College in 1931, with the rank of Air Marshal, and in 1933 was appointed Air Officer Com-manding-in-Chief, Air Defence of Great Britain. He was promoted Air Chief Marshal in 1935, and became Inspector-General of the R.A.F. He retired in 1937 on his appointment as Governor of Kenya. Rejoining the Active List after the outbreak of war, he went to South Africa in May with the British Air Mission to the Union and completed his mission to South Africa in June.

Sir Robert Brooke-Popham’s orders and distinctions include the G.C.V.0., 1935; K.C.8., 1927; C. 8., 1919; C.M.G., 1918; D. 5.0., 1915; A.F.C., 1918; French Legion of Honour,, Croix d’ Officier, 1914; Russian Order of St. Stanislaus, 1916. He was principal A.D.C. to the King, 1933-37..