Air vice-marshal
 | The examples and perspective in thisdeal primarily with the United Kingdom and do not represent aworldwide viewof the subject.(October 2023) |
Air vice-marshal(Air Vce MshlorAVM) is aair officerrank used by some air forces, with origins from theRoyal Air Force.[1]The rank is also used by the air forces of manycountries which have historical British influenceand it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure.
Air vice-marshal is usually equivalent to arear admiralor amajor general.The rank of Air Vice-Marshal is immediately senior to the rankAir Commodoreand immediately subordinate to the rank ofAir Marshal.Since before the Second World War it has been common forair officers commandingRAFgroupsto hold the rank of Air Vice-Marshal. In small air forces such as theRoyal New Zealand Air Forceand theGhana Air Force,the head of the air force holds the rank of Air Vice-Marshal.
The equivalent rank in theWomen's Auxiliary Air Force,Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force,[2]Women's Royal Air Force(until 1968) andPrincess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service(until 1980) was "air chief commandant".
Australia
[edit]TheAustralian Air Corpsadopted the RAF rank system on 9 November 1920 and this usage was continued by its successor, theRoyal Australian Air Force.However, the rank of air vice-marshal was not used by the Australian Armed Forces until 1935 whenRichard Williams,theAustralian Chief of the Air Staff,was promoted.Margaret Staibof theRoyal Australian Air Forceserved in the rank of air vice-marshal from 2009 to 2012 when she retired from theAustralian Defence Force.
Canada
[edit]In 1920, SirWilloughby Gwatkin,the formerCanadian Chief of the General Staff,was granted the rank of air vice-marshal and appointed the inspector-general of the newly establishedCanadian Air Force.[3]The rank was used until the 1968unification of the Canadian Forces,when army-type rank titles were adopted. Canadian air vice-marshals then becamemajor-generals.In officialCanadian Frenchusage, the rank title wasvice-maréchal de l'air.[4]
India
[edit]United Kingdom
[edit]| Air Vice-Marshal | |
|---|---|
 Command flag | |
 Shoulder and sleeve insignia | |
 An RAF Air Vice-Marshal star plate | |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Service branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Abbreviation | AVM / Air Vce Mshl |
| Rank | Two-star |
| NATOrank code | OF-7 |
| Non-NATOrank | O-8 |
| Formation | 1 August 1919 |
| Next higher rank | Air Marshal |
| Next lower rank | Air Commodore |
| Equivalent ranks | |
Origins
[edit]On 1 April 1918, the newly created RAF adopted its officer rank titles from theBritish Army,with officers at what is now air vice-marshal level holding the rank of major-general. In response to the proposal that the RAF should use its own rank titles, it was suggested that the RAF might use theRoyal Navy's officer ranks, with the word "air" inserted before the naval rank title. For example, the rank that later became air vice-marshal would have been air rear-admiral. TheAdmiraltyobjected to any use of their rank titles, including this modified form, and so an alternative proposal was put forward:air officerranks would be based on the term "ardian", which was derived from a combination of theGaelicwords for "chief" (ard) and "bird" (eun), with the term "third ardian" or "squadron ardian" being used for the equivalent to rear admiral and major general. However, air vice-marshal was preferred and was adopted in August 1919.[5]The following officers were the first to be appointed to the rank, and their former service ranks are also shown:
| Officer | Rank in RAF | Rank in Army | Rank in Navy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Ashmore[6] | Major-general | Major-general | None |
| Sir Sefton Brancker[7] | Major-general | Major-general | None |
| Edward Ellington[8] | Major-general | Brigadier-general | None |
| John Higgins[9] | Major-general | Brigadier-general | None |
| Sir Godfrey Paine[10] | Major-general | None | Rear-admiral |
| Sir Geoffrey Salmond[11] | Major-general | Major-general | None |
| Sir John Salmond[12] | Major-general | Major-general | None |
| Sir Frederick Sykes[13] | Major-general | Major-general | Wing captain |
| Sir Hugh Trenchard[14] | Major-general | Major-general | None |
RAF insignia, command flag and star plate
[edit]The rank insignia consists of a narrow light blue band (on a slightly wider black band) over a light blue band on a broad black band. This is worn on both the lower sleeves of the dress uniform or on the shoulders of theflying suitor working uniform.
The command flag of an air vice-marshal has two narrow red bands running through the centre.
The vehicle star plate for an air vice-marshal depicts two white stars (air vice-marshal is a two-star rank) on an air force blue background.
-
An RAF air vice-marshal's sleeve mess insignia -
An RAF air vice-marshal's shoulder board -
An RAF air vice-marshal's sleeve on No. 1 service dress uniform -
An RAF air vice-marshal's star plate
As of August 2014[update],air vice-marshal was the highest uniformed military rank currently held by a woman in theBritish Armed Forceswhen Air Vice-MarshalElaine Westwas awarded the position in August 2013.[15]
Gallery
[edit]![(Royal Australian Air Force)[16]](/translate/en.wikipedia.org?u=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFile%3ABritish_RAF_OF-7.svg&t=hv){kind=small}
![(Ghana Air Force)[18]](/translate/en.wikipedia.org?u=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFile%3A14.Ghana_Air_Force-MG.svg&t=hv){kind=small}
![(Namibian Air Force)[20]](/translate/en.wikipedia.org?u=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFile%3A14-Namibia_Air_Force-AVM.svg&t=hv)
![(Nigerian Air Force)[21]](/translate/en.wikipedia.org?u=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFile%3ANigeria-AirForce-OF-7.svg&t=hv)
![(Trinidad and Tobago Air Guard)[24]](/translate/en.wikipedia.org?u=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFile%3ATaT-Air_Guard-OF-7.png&t=hv)
![(Air Force of Zimbabwe)[25]](/translate/en.wikipedia.org?u=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFile%3ACanadian_RCAF_Mess_Dress_Of-07.png&t=hv){kind=small}
See also
[edit]
- Air force officer rank insignia
- Air vice marshal (Australia)
- British and U.S. military ranks compared
- Comparative military ranks
- RAF officer ranks
- Ranks of the RAAF
References
[edit]- ^"Ranks and Badges of the Royal Air Force".Royal Air Force.2007. Archived fromthe originalon 13 November 2007.Retrieved26 November2007.
- ^"Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) in Australia during WW2".Oz at War.Retrieved2 August2014.
- ^"GWATKIN, Sir WILLOUGHBY GARNONS – Volume XV (1921–1930)".Dictionary of Canadian Biography.Retrieved2 August2014.
- ^"The RCAF".www.castlearchdale.net.Archived fromthe originalon 3 June 2009.Retrieved22 May2022.
- ^Hobart, Malcolm C (2000).Badges and Uniforms of the Royal Air Force.Leo Cooper. p. 26.ISBN0-85052-739-2.
- ^Barrass, Malcolm (3 November 2007)."Major-General E B Ashmore".Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.Archivedfrom the original on 2 October 2009.Retrieved1 October2009.
- ^Barrass, Malcolm (16 June 2007)."Air Vice-Marshal Sir Sefton Brancker".Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.Archivedfrom the original on 6 October 2009.Retrieved1 October2009.
- ^Barrass, Malcolm (16 June 2007)."Marshal of the RAF Sir Edward Ellington".Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.Retrieved1 October2009.
- ^Barrass, Malcolm (16 June 2007)."Air Marshal Sir John Higgins".Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.Retrieved1 October2009.
- ^Barrass, Malcolm (29 July 2009)."Rear Admiral (Air Vice-Marshal) Sir Godfrey Paine".Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.Retrieved1 October2009.
- ^Barrass, Malcolm (7 October 2007)."Air Chief Marshal Sir Geoffrey Salmond".Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.Retrieved1 October2009.
- ^Barrass, Malcolm (30 November 2008)."Marshal of the RAF Sir John Salmond".Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.Archivedfrom the original on 11 November 2009.Retrieved1 October2009.
- ^Barrass, Malcolm (17 June 2007)."Air Vice-Marshal The Rt. Hon. Sir Frederick Sykes".Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.Archivedfrom the original on 28 October 2009.Retrieved1 October2009.
- ^Barrass, Malcolm (9 October 2007)."Marshal of the RAF The Viscount Trenchard of Wolfeton".Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.Retrieved1 October2009.
- ^"Woman RAF officer joins top military brass".BBC News. 23 August 2013.Retrieved2 August2014.
- ^"Badges of rank"(PDF).defence.gov.au.Department of Defence (Australia).Retrieved31 May2021.
- ^"OFFICER'S RANKS".joinbangladeshairforce.mil.bd.Archived fromthe originalon 19 February 2020.Retrieved11 October2020.
- ^"Rank Structure".gafonline.mil.gh.Ghana Air Force. 2018. Archived fromthe originalon 21 January 2018.Retrieved3 March2024.
- ^"For Officers".careerairforce.nic.in.Indian Air Force. Archived fromthe originalon 25 February 2012.Retrieved23 September2021.
- ^"Government Notice"(PDF).Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia.Vol. 4547. 20 August 2010. pp. 99–102.Retrieved20 December2021.
- ^Smaldone, Joseph P. (1992). "National Security". InMetz, Helen Chapin(ed.).Nigeria: a country study.Area Handbook (5th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. pp. 296–297.LCCN92009026.Retrieved21 October2021.
- ^"Commissioned Officers".airforce.lk.Sri Lanka Air Force.Retrieved24 September2021.
- ^"RAF Ranks".raf.mod.uk/.Royal Air Force.Retrieved21 September2021.
- ^"Rank Chart (Commissioned Officers)".69.0.195.188.Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force.Retrieved27 May2021.
- ^"Ranks and Badges in the AFZ".afz.gov.zw.Air Force of Zimbabwe.Archived fromthe originalon 9 June 2022.Retrieved29 May2021.
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