Augustus Orlebar

Air Vice Marshal Augustus Henry Orlebar, CBE, AFC & Bar (17 February 1897 – 4 August 1943) was a British Army and Royal Air Force officer who served in both world wars.

Augustus Orlebar
Born(1897-02-17)17 February 1897
Hinwick House, Podington, Bedfordshire
Died4 August 1943(1943-08-04) (aged 46)
Buried
St Mary's Church, Podington
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army (1915–18)
Royal Air Force (1918–43)
Years of service1915–1943
RankAir Vice Marshal
UnitBedfordshire Regiment
Royal Flying Corps
Commands heldNo. 10 (Fighter) Group
RAF Northolt
High Speed Flight RAF
Battles/warsFirst World War Second World War
AwardsCommander of the Order of the British Empire
Air Force Cross & Bar
Mentioned in Despatches

After being wounded during the Gallipoli campaign, Orlebar was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps and subsequently the Royal Air Force (RAF). He formally transferred to the RAF after the First World War and between the wars was involved in high speed flying, commanding the High Speed Flight RAF, competing in the Schneider Trophy, and holding the world air speed record.

By the outbreak of the Second World War Orlebar was in command of RAF Northolt. He briefly became Director of Flying Training in 1940 before going to HQ RAF Fighter Command. In July 1941 he became Air Officer Commanding, No. 10 (Fighter) Group, and in March 1943 Deputy Chief of Combined Operations. He fell ill, and died in hospital on 4 August 1943.

Early life

Orlebar was the son of Augustus Scobell Orlebar and Hester Mary Orlebar, of Podington, Bedfordshire. The Orlebars were an old established family, having built Hinwick House almost 200 years earlier, after holding the manor since the mid-17th century. He was educated at Rugby School.[1]

First World War

Orlebar was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1/5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment (Territorial Force) on 15 January 1915.[2] His battalion landed at Suvla Bay on 11 August 1915, pitching him into the Gallipoli campaign,[3] He was promoted to temporary lieutenant on 21 September 1915,[4] but was subsequently wounded in action by a sniper's bullet. He was then invalided to the United Kingdom and seconded to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) on recovery.

Orlebar trained as a pilot in 1916 and was appointed a flying officer in the military wing of the RFC on 17 September 1916 when he was formally seconded from his regimental duties to the RFC.[5][6] His rank of lieutenant was confirmed on 21 October.[7] He was posted to No. 19 Squadron RFC on the Western Front.[1] On 13 March 1918 he shot down and severely wounded Ltn. Lothar von Richthofen (brother of Manfred von Richthofen), near Cambrai. He was wounded in turn himself by Albatros scouts over Ham on 23 March 1918. Before his return to combat, he also served as an instructor in Essex.

Orlebar was credited with two enemy aircraft destroyed whilst serving with No 19 and a further four as a flight commander in No 73 Squadron, before being wounded. He gained his final victory with No. 43 Squadron on 29 September, bringing his total to seven.

Inter-war service

Orlebar served as a test pilot at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE), Martlesham Heath, between 1919 and 1925, being awarded the Air Force Cross in 1921 and the bar in 1929.

Air racing

Orlebar was Officer Commanding and pilot with the High Speed Flight, the RAF's team for the Schneider Trophy seaplane races of 1927–1931. Britain, having won the 1927 race, became the subsequent host for the contests, which were based at RAF Calshot on the eastern entrance to Southampton Water.

In 1929 Orlebar set an air speed record of 357.7 mph in Supermarine S.6 N247.[8]

The final contest was held in 1931, for a 3rd win gave the title to Britain in perpetuity. His report on the contest describes Flight Lieutenant George Stainforth's achievement of a new speed record at over 400 mph.[9]

Second World War

At the outbreak of the Second World War Orlebar was the Director of Flying Training before joining the Air Staff, HQ Fighter Command in October 1940. On 22 July 1941 he became Air Officer Commanding of No. 10 Group then the position of Deputy Chief of Combined Operations, at RAF Northolt from 2 March 1943. He died in hospital from natural causes after a short illness and is buried at his family church of Saint Mary's, Podington, Bedfordshire.[10] He is commemorated on the War Memorial of the Church.[11]

Service career

Decorations

Air Force Cross – 2 Jan 1922, Bar – 3 Jun 1930, Mentioned in Despatches – 24 Sep 1941.

Ranks held

Army
Second Lieutenant15 Jan 1915
Lieutenant Temporary21 Sep 1915
Lieutenant21 Oct 1916 [1 Jun 1916]
Captain Temporary20 Dec 1917
RAF
Lieutenant1 Apr 1918
Flight Lieutenant1 Aug 1919 [1 Apr 1918]
Squadron Leader1 Jul 1928
Wing Commander1 Jan 1932
Group Captain1 Jul 1937
Air Commodore Temporary1 Feb 1940
Acting Air Vice Marshal22 Jul 1941 – 1 Jan 1943
Air Commodore War substantive22 Jul 1942
Air Commodore1 Oct 1942 [22 Jul 1942]
Acting Air Vice Marshal1 Mar 1943 – 21 Jun 1943

[1]

Army

15 Jan 19152nd Lt, 1/5th Territorial Btn. Bedfordshire Regiment (Gallipoli)

Royal Flying Corps

17 Sep 1916Flying Officer, RFC
1916Pilot, No. 19 Sqn. RFC(BE12, Spad VIIWestern Front)
1917Pilot, No. 44 (Home Defence) Sqn. RFC(CamelHainault farm[12])
19 Aug 1917precedence backdated to 1 Jun 1916.
20 Dec 1917Flight Commander, No. 73 Sqn. RFC(CamelWestern Front)

RAF

British team for 1929 Schneider Trophy
Left to right: Fg Off HRD Waghorn Fg Off Moon (Engineering Officer) Flt Lt D D'Arcy A Greig Sqn Ldr AH Orlebar (Flight Commander) Flt Lt GH Stainforth Fg Off RLR Atcherley
British team for 1931 Schneider Trophy
Left to right: Flt Lt E.J.L. Hope Lt RL "Jerry" Brinton (Fleet Air Arm) Flt Lt Freddy Long Flt Lt George Stainforth Sqn Ldr AH Orlebar (Flight Commander) Flt Lt John Boothman Fg Off Leonard Snaith Flt Lt W.F. Dry (Engineering Officer) In the background is a Supermarine S.6B, or possibly a S.6A
1918Instructor
Aug 1918Flight Commander, No. 43 Squadron RAF(Camel, SnipeWestern Front)
1 Jul 1919Pilot, Aeroplane Experimental Station, Martlesham Heath.
1 Aug 1919Relinquishes his commission in the Bedfordshire Regiment (retaining rank of Lieutenant)
28 Oct 1919Granted a Permanent Commission in the rank of Flight Lieutenant (effective from 1 Aug)
16 Mar 1920Pilot, at the renamed Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment
24 Jul 1923Flight Commander, No. 22 Sqn.. Trials aircraft – Martlesham Heath
4 May 1925Attended RAF Staff College
12 Apr 1926Staff, HQ No. 22 Group
21 Sep 1926supernumerary – awaiting disposal, HQ Iraq Command
3 Sep 1927Staff, Deputy Directorate of Staff Duties.
9 Jan 1929Test Pilot, Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment
2 Dec 1929Officer Commanding, Flying Boat Development Flight.
11 May 1931Officer Commanding, RAF High Speed Flight.
2 Jan 1932Staff, HQ No. 1 Air Defence Group
22 Sep 1933Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO), HQ Aden Command
1 May 1936Staff, Directorate of Staff Duties
12 Jan 1937Attended Imperial Defence College
20 Dec 1937Officer Commanding, RAF Northolt
15 Oct 1939Duty Air Commodore, HQ RAF Fighter Command
29 Jul 1940Director of Flying Training
15 Oct 1940Air Staff, HQ RAF Fighter Command
22 Jul 1941AOC, No. 10 (Fighter) Group
4 Nov 1942
2 Mar 1943Deputy Chief of Combined Operations

References

  1. Barrass, M. B. "Biography: Air Vice-Marshal A H Orlebar". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.
  2. "No. 29113". The London Gazette. 26 March 1915. p. 2998.
  3. Baker, Chris. "The Bedfordshire Regiment". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  4. "No. 29359". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 November 1915. p. 11041.
  5. "No. 29775". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 October 1916. p. 9662.
  6. "No. 29798". The London Gazette. 24 October 1916. p. 10295.
  7. "No. 29818". The London Gazette. 10 November 1916. p. 10866.
  8. "Photographs of Supermarine S.6 N247 at the 1929 Schneider Trophy". Archived from the original on 3 May 2008.
  9. Sqn Ldr A Orlebar. "Schneider Trophy – Report on the 1931 Race". Royal Air Force.
  10. "Casualty Details: Orlebar, Augustus Henry". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  11. "Podington church memorial". Roll of Honour.
  12. "Hainault Farm aerodrome, Essex".

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