Herbert Rowley
Encyclopedia
Air Commodore
Herbert Victor Rowley (24 October 1897 - 9 April 1966) began his military career during World War I. He became a flying ace
while in the Royal Naval Air Service
and became a member of the Royal Air Force when the RNAS was consolidated into it. Rowley remained in the RAF postwar, rising to the position of Air Commodore during World War II before retiring.
24 August 1916: qualified for Royal Aero Club
Certificate no. 3569
Late 1917: appointed Flight Commander
1 October 1917: promoted to temporary Flight Lieutenant
1 April 1918: appointed Captain upon formation of Royal Air Force
; appointed Flying Officer
30 June 1922: promoted to Flight Lieutenant
5 November 1930: promoted to Squadron Leader
1 January 1937: promoted to Wing Commander
15 August 1921: Pilot, No. 25 Squadron RAF
3 November 1922: Officer, No. 5 Armoured Car Company RAF
19 January 1924: Flight Commander, No. 84 Squadron RAF
17 January 1925: Flight Commander, No. 47 Squadron RAF
October–November 1925: participant in Arthur Coningham
's pioneering flight from Helwan, Egypt to Kaduna
, Nigeria
1 June 1926: Staff duty
1 May 1927: Supernumerary due to illness, RAF Depot
18 July 1927: Engineering Officer, RAF College
15 December 1930: Officer Commanding, No. 56 Squadron RAF
18 January 1932: Began attendance at RAF Staff College, Andover
17 January 1933: Air Staff duty, Headquarters Iraq Command
1 March 1940: appointed temporary Group Captain
14 April 1942: appointed Group Captain (with seniority from 1 March 1940)
1 November 1942: appointed temporary Air Commodore
3 December 1941: Senior Air Staff Officer, Headquarters, No. 10 Group RAF
1 May 1943: Air Officer Commanding, No. 221 Group RAF
26 October 1944: Retired as Air Commodore
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Herbert Victor Rowley (24 October 1897 - 9 April 1966) began his military career during World War I. He became a flying ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
while in the Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
and became a member of the Royal Air Force when the RNAS was consolidated into it. Rowley remained in the RAF postwar, rising to the position of Air Commodore during World War II before retiring.
Personal life
Herbert Victor Rowley was born in Audley, Staffordshire, England on 24 October 1897. He died on 9 April 1966.Promotions and appointments
30 April 1916: commissioned as temporary Flight Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Air ServiceRoyal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
24 August 1916: qualified for Royal Aero Club
Royal Aero Club
The Royal Aero Club is the national co-ordinating body for Air Sport in the United Kingdom.The Aero Club was founded in 1901 by Frank Hedges Butler, his daughter Vera and the Hon Charles Rolls , partly inspired by the Aero Club of France...
Certificate no. 3569
Late 1917: appointed Flight Commander
1 October 1917: promoted to temporary Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
1 April 1918: appointed Captain upon formation of Royal Air Force
List of aerial victories
See also Aerial victory standards of World War IAerial victory standards of World War I
During World War I, the national air services involved developed their own methods of assessing and assigning credit for aerial victories.The victory scores of the pilots represented at List of World War I flying aces often cannot be definitive, but are based on itemized lists that are the best...
| No. | Date/time | Aircraft | Foe | Result | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 April 1917 @ 1150 hours | Sopwith Triplane Sopwith Triplane The Sopwith Triplane was a British single seat fighter aircraft designed and manufactured by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War. Pilots nicknamed it the Tripehound or simply the Tripe. The Triplane became operational with the Royal Naval Air Service in early 1917 and was... serial number N5425 |
Albatros D.III Albatros D.III The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service and the Austro-Hungarian Air Service during World War I. The D.III was flown by many top German aces, including Manfred von Richthofen, Ernst Udet, Erich Löwenhardt, Kurt Wolff, and Karl Emil Schäfer... |
Driven down out of control | Villers-lès-Cagnicourt Villers-lès-Cagnicourt Villers-lès-Cagnicourt is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Villers-lès-Cagnicourt is situated some southeast of Arras, at the junction of the D939 and D13 roads.-Population:... |
Victory shared with Cyril Ridley Cyril Ridley Flight Lieutenant Cyril Ridley, DSC was a British World War I flying ace. He served with the Royal Naval Air Service in 1917/1918, flying Sopwith Triplanes and Sopwith Camels.-Early life:... . Rowley WIA Wounded in action Wounded in action describes soldiers who have been wounded while fighting in a combat zone during war time, but have not been killed. Typically it implies that they are temporarily or permanently incapable of bearing arms or continuing to fight.... , forced to land |
| 2 | 13 July 1917 @ 1024 hours | Sopwith Triplane s/n N6308 | German reconnaissance plane | Destroyed | East of Warneton Warneton -References:*... |
Victory shared with Forster Maynard and another pilot. Rowley also was shot down during dogfight Dogfight A dogfight, or dog fight, is a form of aerial combat between fighter aircraft; in particular, combat of maneuver at short range, where each side is aware of the other's presence. Dogfighting first appeared during World War I, shortly after the invention of the airplane... |
| 3 | 17 July 1917 @ 1805 hours | Sopwith Triplane s/n N5373 | Albatros D.V Albatros D.V |-See also:-Bibliography:*Bennett, Leon. Gunning for the Red Baron. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press, 2006. ISBN 1-58544-507-X.... |
Driven down out of control | Four miles east of Mesen Mesen Mesen is a city located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality only comprises the town of Mesen proper. On January 1, 2006, Mesen had a total population of 988. The total area is 3.58 km² which gives a population density of 276 inhabitants per km².Mesen is the smallest city in... |
Victory shared with Forster Maynard, Cyril Ridley, five other pilots |
| 4 | 26 August 1917 @ 0750 hours | Sopwith Triplane s/n N6301 | DFW DFW DFW may refer to:*Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport*Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, a metropolitan area in north Texas*Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources*Division of Fisheries and Wildlife... reconnaissance plane |
Driven down out of control | East of Deulemont Deûlémont -References:*... |
Victory shared with Stanley Wallace Rosevear Stanley Wallace Rosevear Stanley Wallace Rosevear DSC & Bar was a Canadian First World War flying ace, officially credited with 25 victories.-Distinguished Service Cross:"Flt. Sub-Lieut. Stanley Wallace Rosevear, R.N.A.S.... |
| 5 | 13 November 1917 @ 1210 hours | Sopwith Triplane s/n N5472 | German reconnaissance plane | Driven down out of control | Southeast of Nieuport Nieuport Nieuport, later Nieuport-Delage, was a French aeroplane company that primarily built racing aircraft before World War I and fighter aircraft during World War I and between the wars.-Beginnings:... |
|
| 6 | 12 March 1918 @ 1315 hours | Sopwith Camel Sopwith Camel The Sopwith Camel was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter introduced on the Western Front in 1917. Manufactured by Sopwith Aviation Company, it had a short-coupled fuselage, heavy, powerful rotary engine, and concentrated fire from twin synchronized machine guns. Though difficult... s/n B6429 |
Observation balloon Observation balloon Observation balloons are balloons that are employed as aerial platforms for intelligence gathering and artillery spotting. Their use began during the French Revolutionary Wars, reaching their zenith during World War I, and they continue in limited use today.... |
Destroyed | Ypres Ypres Ypres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote... |
Victory shared with Cyril Ridley |
| 7 | 16 March 1918 @ 1145 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B6429 | Albatros D.V | Driven down out of control | Dixmude | |
| 8 | 21 March 1918 @ 1550 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B6429 | Albatros D.V | Destroyed | Nieuport | |
| 9 | 1 April 1918 @ 1300 hours | Sopwith Camel s/n B6429 | Albatros D.V | Driven down out of control | Arras Arras Arras is the capital of the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. The historic centre of the Artois region, its local speech is characterized as a Picard dialect... -Albert Albert Albert may refer to:* Albert , a family name * Albert * Albertet, an Occitan diminutive of AlbertFictional characters:* Albert , minor character in Dario Argento's 1977 film Suspiria... |
|
Promotions and appointments
1 August 1919: permanently commissioned as a LieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
; appointed Flying Officer
Flying Officer
Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
30 June 1922: promoted to Flight Lieutenant
5 November 1930: promoted to Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
1 January 1937: promoted to Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
Duty assignments
1920: Air Staff Duty, Headquarters No. 3 Group RAFNo. 3 Group RAF
Number 3 Group of the Royal Air Force was an RAF group first active in 1918, again in 1923-26, part of RAF Bomber Command from 1936 to 1967, and part of RAF Strike Command from 2000 until it disbanded on 1 April 2006.-The 1930s and World War II:...
15 August 1921: Pilot, No. 25 Squadron RAF
3 November 1922: Officer, No. 5 Armoured Car Company RAF
19 January 1924: Flight Commander, No. 84 Squadron RAF
No. 84 Squadron RAF
No. 84 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is at present a Search and Rescue Squadron based at RAF Akrotiri, it uses the Bell Griffin HAR.2 helicopter. It is currently part of the RAF's Search and Rescue Force-History:...
17 January 1925: Flight Commander, No. 47 Squadron RAF
No. 47 Squadron RAF
No. 47 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Hercules from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire.-First formation:No. 47 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed at Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire on 1 March 1916 as a home defence unit, protecting Hull and East Yorkshire against attack by German...
October–November 1925: participant in Arthur Coningham
Arthur Coningham (RAF officer)
Air Marshal Sir Arthur "Mary" Coningham KCB, KBE, DSO, MC, DFC, AFC, RAF was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force. During the First World War, he was at Gallipoli with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, where he became a flying ace...
's pioneering flight from Helwan, Egypt to Kaduna
Kaduna
Kaduna is the state capital of Kaduna State in north-central Nigeria. The city, located on the Kaduna River, is a trade center and a major transportation hub for the surrounding agricultural areas with its rail and road junction. The population of Kaduna is at 760,084 as of the 2006 Nigerian census...
, Nigeria
1 June 1926: Staff duty
1 May 1927: Supernumerary due to illness, RAF Depot
18 July 1927: Engineering Officer, RAF College
15 December 1930: Officer Commanding, No. 56 Squadron RAF
No. 56 Squadron RAF
Number 56 Squadron is one of the oldest and most successful squadrons of the Royal Air Force, with battle honours from many of the significant air campaigns of both World War I and World War II...
18 January 1932: Began attendance at RAF Staff College, Andover
RAF Staff College, Andover
The RAF Staff College at RAF Andover was the first Royal Air Force staff college to be established. Its role was the training of officers in the administrative, staff and policy apects of air force matters.-Foundation:...
17 January 1933: Air Staff duty, Headquarters Iraq Command
Promotions and appointments
28 December 1939: appointed acting Group CaptainGroup Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
1 March 1940: appointed temporary Group Captain
14 April 1942: appointed Group Captain (with seniority from 1 March 1940)
1 November 1942: appointed temporary Air Commodore
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Duty assignments
1 February 1941: Group Captain, Headquarters No. 12 Group RAFNo. 12 Group RAF
No. 12 Group of the Royal Air Force was a command organization that exisited over two separate periods, namely the end of World War I when it had a training function and from just prior to World War II until the early 1960s when it was tasked with an air defence role.No. 12 Group was first formed...
3 December 1941: Senior Air Staff Officer, Headquarters, No. 10 Group RAF
No. 10 Group RAF
No. 10 Group of the Royal Air Force was formed on 1 April 1918 in No. 2 Area. On 8 May of the next year it was transferred to South-Western Area. In 1919 it was transferred to Coastal Area where it remained until it was disbanded on 18 January 1932....
1 May 1943: Air Officer Commanding, No. 221 Group RAF
26 October 1944: Retired as Air Commodore
Reference
- Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920 Christopher F. Shores, Norman L. R. Franks, Russell Guest. Grub Street, 1990. ISBN 0948817194, 9780948817199.
- Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - Air Commodore H V Rowley