Robert Wright (historian)
Encyclopedia
Robert Wright was a historian
and biographer of Hugh Dowding, the RAF
's commanding officer in the Battle of Britain
. Wright served as Dowding's personal assistant during the Battle. In his book Dowding and the Battle of Britain (1969) Wright was one of the early proponents of the Big Wing
conspiracy theory that blamed Trafford Leigh-Mallory
and the British Air Ministry for Dowding's removal from command at the end of the battle. Many of Wright's claims, some based on Dowding's faulty recollections, have been repudiated by witnesses and documentary evidence, but his allegations have proven popular and persistent over the years.
Prior to becoming a champion of Dowding, Wright co-wrote the biography of Dowding's rival and replacement at Fighter Command, Sholto Douglas in two volumes titled: Years of Combat and Years of Command (1966).
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
and biographer of Hugh Dowding, the RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
's commanding officer in the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
. Wright served as Dowding's personal assistant during the Battle. In his book Dowding and the Battle of Britain (1969) Wright was one of the early proponents of the Big Wing
Big Wing
The Big Wing, also known as a Balbo, was an air fighting tactic proposed during the Battle of Britain by 12 Group commander Air Vice-Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory and Acting Squadron Leader Douglas Bader. In essence, the tactic involved meeting incoming Luftwaffe bombing raids in strength with a...
conspiracy theory that blamed Trafford Leigh-Mallory
Trafford Leigh-Mallory
Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory KCB, DSO & Bar was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force. Leigh-Mallory served as a Royal Flying Corps pilot and squadron commander during World War I...
and the British Air Ministry for Dowding's removal from command at the end of the battle. Many of Wright's claims, some based on Dowding's faulty recollections, have been repudiated by witnesses and documentary evidence, but his allegations have proven popular and persistent over the years.
Prior to becoming a champion of Dowding, Wright co-wrote the biography of Dowding's rival and replacement at Fighter Command, Sholto Douglas in two volumes titled: Years of Combat and Years of Command (1966).