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Hugh Dowding

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The Lord Dowding
Lord Dowding
Birth nameHugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding
Nickname(s)Stuffy
Born(1882-04-24)24 April 1882
Moffat,Scotland
Died15 February 1970(1970-02-15)(aged 87)
Royal Tunbridge Wells,England
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army(1900–18)
Royal Air Force(1918–42)
Years of service1900–1942
RankAir Chief Marshal
Commands heldRAF Fighter Command(1936–40)
Air Member for Research and Development (1935–36)
Air Member for Supply and Research(1930–35)
Fighting Area,Air Defence of Great Britain(1929–30)
RAF Transjordan and Palestine (1929)
No. 1 Group(1920–22)
No. 16 Group(1919–20)
No. 16 Squadron(1915–16)
Battles/warsFirst World War
Second World War
AwardsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
Mentioned in Despatches
Spouse(s)
Clarice Maud Vancourt
​
​
(m.1918; died 1920)​
​
(m.1951)​
Children1

Air Chief MarshalHugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding,GCB,GCVO,CMG(24 April 1882 – 15 February 1970) was a senior officer in theRoyal Air Force.He was Air Officer CommandingRAF Fighter Commandduring theBattle of Britainand is generally credited with playing a crucial role in Britain's defence, and hence, the defeat ofOperation Sea Lion,Adolf Hitler's plan to invade Britain.

Born inMoffat,Scotland, Dowding was an officer in the British Army in the 1900s and early 1910s. He joined theRoyal Flying Corpsat the start of theFirst World Warand went on to serve as a fighter pilot and then as commanding officer ofNo. 16 Squadron.During the inter-war years he became Air Officer Commanding Fighting Area,Air Defence of Great Britainand then joined the Air Council asAir Member for Supply and Research.In July 1936, Dowding was appointed chief of the newly created RAF Fighter Command.

During the Battle of Britain in theSecond World War,Dowding's Fighter Command successfully defended the UK against the attacks of theLuftwaffe,thanks to his prudent management of RAF resources and detailed preparation of Britain's air defences (theDowding system). He subsequently came into conflict with proponents of theBig Wingtactic, most notablyTrafford Leigh-MalloryandDouglas Bader,which along with the inadaquecies of RAF's nighttime defence duringthe Blitzled to his eventual downfall. In November 1940, Dowding was replaced in command against his wishes bySholto Douglas,another Big Wing advocate.

Dowding retired from the Royal Air Force in July 1942 and was made apeerin June 1943. Upon retirement, Dowding subsequently became an influential member of the Britishspiritualist,theosophical,andanimal rightsmovements. He died on 15 February 1970, aged 87.

Early life

[edit]

Dowding was born atSt. Ninian's Boys' Preparatory SchoolinMoffat,Dumfriesshire, the son of Arthur John Caswall Dowding and Maud Caroline Dowding (née Tremenheere). His father had taught atFettes Collegein Edinburgh before moving to Moffat.[1]Dowding was educated at St Ninian's School andWinchester College.[2]He trained at theRoyal Military Academy, Woolwichbefore being commissioned as asecond lieutenantin theRoyal Garrison Artilleryon 18 August 1900.[3]

Military career

[edit]

Promoted tolieutenanton 8 May 1902,[4]Dowding served with the Royal Garrison Artillery atGibraltar,inCeylonand inHong Kongbefore being posted to No. 7 Mountain Artillery Battery inIndiain 1904.[5]After returning to the United Kingdom, he attended theArmy Staff College1912 before being promoted tocaptainon 18 August 1913 and being posted with the Royal Garrison Artillery on theIsle of Wightlater that year.[5]After becoming interested in aviation, Dowding gainedAviator's Certificate no. 711on 19 December 1913 in aVickersbiplane at the Vickers School of Flying,Brooklands.[6]He then attended theCentral Flying School,where he was awarded hiswings.Although added to the Reserve List of theRoyal Flying Corps(RFC), Dowding returned to the Isle of Wight to resume his Royal Garrison Artillery duties. However, this arrangement was short lived and in August 1914, he joined the RFC as a pilot onNo. 7 Squadron.[5]

First World War

[edit]

Dowding transferred toNo. 6 Squadronin October 1914 and then, after two weeks as a staff officer inFrance,became a Flight Commander, first withNo. 9 Squadronand then with No. 6 Squadron. He became commanding officer of the Wireless Experimental Establishment at Brooklands in March 1915 and went on to be commanding officer ofNo. 16 Squadronin July 1915,[5]which was based atLa Gorguein northern France.[7]After theBattle of the Somme,Dowding clashed with GeneralHugh Trenchard,the commander of the RFC, over the need to give pilots some rest and recuperation. In September 1915Duncan Grinnell-Milnejoined No 16 squadron as a junior pilot. Years later he published an account of his time in the squadron, in which he criticises Dowding as being "too reserved and aloof from his juniors", although efficient.[8]Promoted tomajoron 30 December 1915, Dowding was recalled to England in January 1916, and, having been promoted to temporarylieutenant colonelon 1 February 1916 was given command of 7 Wing atFarnboroughlater that month. He transferred to the command of 9 Wing atFienvillersin June 1916. Returning to England, he was promoted to temporarycolonelon 1 January 1917 on appointment as commander of the Southern Group Command and promoted to temporarybrigadier-generalon 23 June 1917 before being given command of the southern training brigade in August 1917. He was sent toYorkas chief staff officer to the RAF's senior administrative officer in the area in April 1918.[9]He was appointed aCompanion of the Order of St Michael and St Georgeon 1 January 1919.[5]

Inter-war years

[edit]

Dowding was given a permanent commission in the RAF on 1 August 1919 with the rank ofgroup captain.[10]He commandedNo. 16 Groupfrom October 1919 and thenNo. 1 Groupfrom February 1920 where he was responsible for organising two of the annual air displays atHendon.He was promoted toair commodoreon 1 January 1922,[11]and served as chief staff officer at Inland Area headquarters atUxbridgefrom February 1922 before being appointed Chief Staff Officer forRAF Iraq Commandin August 1924.[5]

Dowding was an accomplishedskier,winner of the first ever NationalSlalom Championship,and president of theSki Club of Great Britainfrom 1924 to 1925.[12]

In May 1926 Dowding was appointed director of training at theAir Ministry.He was appointed aCompanion of the Order of the Bathon 2 January 1928[13]and promoted toair vice-marshalon 1 January 1929.[14]Trenchard sent him to Palestine and Transjordan to study security problems caused by Arab–Jewish unrest: his reports, which gained Trenchard's approval, were a cause of further career advancement. Dowding became Air Officer Commanding Fighting Area,Air Defence of Great Britainin December 1929 and then joined the Air Council asAir Member for Supply and Researchin September 1930. One of his first responsibilities in this post was the approval of the granting of acertificate of airworthinessto theR101airship shortly before it set off on its ill-fated voyage to India; he later said "I think I was wrong not to insist on much more extensive trials and tests" and that his decision had been based on optimistic technical advice.[15]Dowding's time in this office coincided with a period of rapid development in aircraft design and a growing fear that another major war was on the horizon. Although without scientific or technical training, he displayed a great capacity for understanding technical matters. He was promoted toair marshalon 1 January 1933[16]and advanced toKnight Commander of the Order of the Bathon 3 June 1933.[17]

In July 1936 Dowding was appointed commanding officer of the newly createdRAF Fighter Command,and was perhaps the one important person in Britain, and perhaps the world, who did not agree withBritish Prime MinisterStanley Baldwin's 1932 declaration that "The bomber will always get through".[18]He conceived and oversaw the development of the "Dowding system".[19]This consisted of an integrated air defence system which included (i)radar(whose potential Dowding was among the first to appreciate), (ii) human observers (including theRoyal Observer Corps), who filled crucial gaps in what radar was capable of detecting at the time (the early radar systems, for example, did not provide accurate information on the altitude of incoming German aircraft), (iii) raid plotting, and (iv) radio control of aircraft. The whole network was linked in many cases by dedicated telephone cables buried sufficiently deeply to provide protection against bombing. The network had its centre atRAF Bentley Priory,a converted country house on the outskirts of London.[9]The system as a whole later became known asGround-controlled interception(GCI).[20]

Dowding also brought modern aircraft into service during the pre-war period, including the eight gunSpitfireandHurricane.[9]He is also credited with having fought the Air Ministry so that fighters were equipped with bullet-proof wind shields.[21]He was promoted toair chief marshalon 1 January 1937[22]and appointed aKnight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Orderon 23 January 1937.[23]

Second World War

[edit]

Battle of Britain

[edit]
Queen ElizabethandKing George VIwith Dowding in 1940

At the time of his retirement in June 1939, Dowding was asked to stay on until March 1940 because of the tense international situation. He was again permitted to continue serving through theBattle of Britain,first until July and finally until November 1940.[9]In 1940, Dowding, nicknamed "Stuffy" by his men for his alleged lack of humour,[24]proved unwilling to sacrifice aircraft and pilots in the attempt to aid Allied troops during theBattle of France.He, along with his immediate superiorSir Cyril Newall,thenChief of the Air Staff,resisted repeated requests fromWinston Churchillto weaken the home defence by sending precious squadrons to France.[25]When the Allied resistance in France collapsed, he worked closely with Air Vice-MarshalKeith Park,the commander of11 Fighter Group,in organising cover for theevacuationof theBritish Expeditionary ForceatDunkirk.[26]

Through the summer and autumn of 1940 in theBattle of Britain,Dowding's Fighter Command resisted the attacks of theLuftwaffe.[9]Beyond the critical importance of the overall system of integrated air defence which he had developed for Fighter Command, his major contribution was to marshal resources behind the scenes (including replacement aircraft and air crew) and to maintain a significant fighter reserve, while leaving his subordinate commanders' hands largely free to run the battle in detail.[9]

Dowding (in the Bowler hat) with some ofThe Few

Dowding was known for his humility and great sincerity.[21]Fighter Command pilots came to characterise Dowding as one who cared for his men and had their best interests at heart. Dowding often referred to his "dear fighter boys" as his "chicks": indeed his son Derek was one of them.[9]Because of his brilliant detailed preparation of Britain's air defences for the German assault, and his prudent management of his resources during the battle, Dowding is today generally given the credit for Britain's victory in theBattle of Britain.[27]

Dowding's subsequent downfall has been attributed by some to his single-mindedness and perceived lack of diplomacy and political savoir faire in dealing with intra-RAF challenges and intrigues, most obviously the still, even now, hotly debatedBig Wingcontroversy in which a number of senior and active service officers had argued in favour of large set-piece air battles with the Luftwaffe as an alternative to Dowding's successfulFabian strategy.[28]Another reason often cited for his removal, but characterised by some contemporary commentators more as a pretext, was the difficulty of countering German nighttime bombing raids on British cities.[29]

The account of radar pioneer,E. G. BoweninRadar Days(1987) rebuts the claim that Dowding's grasp of the problems of British night fighters was inadequate. He suggests that if Dowding had been left to follow his own path, the ultimately effective British response to night bombing (which depended completely on developments in air-borne radar) would have come somewhat sooner.[30]

Dowding himself showed that he had a good grasp of night fighter defence and was planning a defence system against night bombing in a letter he wrote some time after the Battle of Britain. However, there was great political and public pressure duringthe Blitzfor something to be done, and Fighter Command's existing resources without, as yet, airborne radar, proved woefully inadequate. A committee of enquiry chaired by SirJohn Salmondproduced a long list of recommendations to improve night air defence; when Dowding approved only some of them, his erstwhile supporters,Lord Beaverbrookand Churchill, decided that it was time for him to step down.[9]

On 8 October 1940, Dowding was advanced toKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath.[31]He unwillingly relinquished command on 24 November 1940 and was replaced by Big Wing advocateSholto Douglas.Churchill tried to soften the blow by putting him in charge of the British Air Mission to the United States, responsible for theprocurement of new aircraft types.[32]

Publication of his bookTwelve Legions of Angelswas suppressed in November 1941.[33]The British Government considered that it contained information which might be of use to the Germans. The book was finally published in 1946, soon after the war ended.[9]

Ministry of Aircraft Production

[edit]

After leaving Fighter Command, Dowding was sent on special duty to the United States for the Ministry of Aircraft Production, but there he made himself unpopular with his outspokenness. On his return he headed a study into economies of RAF manpower before retiring from the Royal Air Force in July 1942. He was elevated to thepeerage,asBaron Dowding of Bentley Prioryon 2 June 1943.[34]

Later life

[edit]
Lord Dowding laying the foundation stone of the RAF chapel, now known as St. George's Chapel of Remembrance, atRAF Biggin Hillin 1951

Later in life, because of his belief that he was unjustly treated by the RAF, Dowding became increasingly bitter. The RAF passed him over for promotion toMarshal of the Royal Air Force.[9]

He approvedRobert Wright's bookDowding and the Battle of Britain,which argued that a conspiracy ofBig Wingproponents, includingTrafford Leigh-MalloryandDouglas Bader,had engineered his sacking from Fighter Command.[35]

In 1951, Dowding laid the foundation stone of the Chapel of St George atRAF Biggin Hill,nowLondon Biggin Hill Airport,in memory of fallen airmen.[36]

Dowding and his second wifeBaroness Dowdingwere both anti-vivisectionists,and in 1973 Britain'sNational Anti-Vivisection Societyfounded the Lord Dowding Fund for Humane Research in his honour.[37]

Spiritualism

[edit]

In his retirement, Dowding became actively interested inspiritualism,both as a writer and speaker. His first book on the subject,Many Mansions,was written in 1943, followed byLychgate(1945),The Dark StarandGod's Magic.Rejecting conventionalChristianity,he joined theTheosophical Societywhich advocated belief inreincarnation.He wrote of meeting dead "RAF boys" in his sleep – spirits who flew fighters from mountain-top runways made of light.[1]Dowding became a vegetarian, based on his beliefs as atheosophistand spiritualist. Although he was a vegetarian, he believed that "animals will be killed to satisfy human needs for many a long day to come", and he made several appeals in the House of Lords for the humane killing of animals intended for food.[38]He was also a member of theFairy Investigation Society.[39]Although he knew that people considered him a crank for his belief in fairies, Dowding believed that fairies "are essential to the growth of plants and the welfare of the vegetable kingdom".[40]

Death

[edit]

Dowding died at his home inRoyal Tunbridge Wells,Kent,on 15 February 1970. His body was cremated and his ashes were placed below theBattle of Britain Memorial Windowin theRoyal Air Force chapelinWestminster Abbey.[41]Dowding's son Derek (1919–1992) inherited the title of Baron Dowding.[9]

Personal life

[edit]

Dowding married Clarice Maud Vancourt, the daughter of an officer in the Indian Army, on 16 February 1918.[42]She had one child from a previous marriage, Marjorie Brenda Williams (1911–2003) and they had one child together, Derek Hugh Tremenheere (1919–1992).[43]Clarice died in 1920,[43]and Dowding's sister Hilda helped Dowding look after the two children.[43]

Dowding marriedMuriel Whiting(néeAlbino) on 25 September 1951; they had no children.[9][43]

Media portrayals

[edit]
Memorial in Moffat

In the 1940s and 1950s,H.D.wrote several novels, memoirs, andbook-length poemsabout Dowding.[44]

In the 1956 filmReach for the Sky,Dowding was played byCharles Carson.[45]

In the 1969 filmBattle of Britain,Dowding was played byLaurence Olivier.Olivier had himself served as a pilot in theRoyal Navy'sFleet Air Armduring the Second World War. During filming in summer 1968, 86 years old and wheelchair-bound by severe arthritis, Dowding visited the set at Hawkinge airfield in Kent. Olivier told Dowding he had sat behind the latter's desk all day "pretending to be you" and was "making an awful mess of it too", to which Dowding replied, "Oh, I'm sure you are." The crew and Olivier broke into laughter. Footage of this can be seen in the special features section of the film's Special Edition DVD.[46]

In the 2017 filmDarkest Hour,Dowding was played byAdrian Rawlins.[47]

In the 2018 filmHurricane: 303 Squadron,Dowding was played byNicholas Farrell.[48]

Honours and tributes

[edit]
Lord Dowdingstatue, St Clement Danes, theStrand, London
Memorial atRoyal Tunbridge Wells

A statue of Dowding stands outsideSt Clement Daneschurch on theStrand, London.The inscription reads:

Air Chief Marshal Lord Dowding was commander-in-chief of Fighter Command, Royal Air Force, from its formation in 1936 until November 1940. He was thus responsible for the preparation for and the conduct of the Battle of Britain. With remarkable foresight, he ensured the equipment of his command with monoplane fighters, the Hurricane and the Spitfire. He was among the first to appreciate the vital importance of R.D.F. (radar) and an effective command and control system for his squadrons. They were ready when war came. In the preliminary stages of that war, he thoroughly trained his minimal forces and conserved them against strong political pressure to disperse and misuse them. His wise and prudent judgement and leadership helped to ensure victory against overwhelming odds and thus prevented the loss of the Battle of Britain and probably the whole war. To him, the people of Britain and of the Free World owe largely the way of life and the liberties they enjoy today.[49]

Other monuments to Dowding can be found in Station Park inMoffat,the town of his birth,[50]and in Calverley Gardens in Tunbridge Wells where he died.[51]TheRAF Associationin conjunction with theRAF Benevolent Fund,purchased his birthplace, the former St Ninian's School, Moffat;[52]the building was renamed Dowding House and restored to provide sheltered housing for former members of the Royal Air Force or their dependents.[53]

The Dowding Centre at the School of Aerospace Battle Management (formerly the School of Fighter Control) atRAF Boulmeris named after Dowding.[54]

A green ceramic commemorative plaque was unveiled at his former residence (1951–1967) in Darnley Drive, Southborough on 6 May 2012.[55]

Dowding Place,Stanmore,the site of formerRAF Stanmore Parkis named after him.

The 1946-builtSouthern RailwayBattle of Britain pacific (4-6-2) locomotive 21C152 was namedLord Dowdingin his honour.[56]

Coat of arms of Hugh Dowding
Crest
Upon a catherine wheel Azure a falcon rising Or belled and hooded Gules.
Escutcheon
Argent three bars gemel Sable overall a fleur-de-lis Azure on a chief of the second three Doric columns of the first.
Motto
Laborare Est Orare[57]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ab"Battle of Britain and the fall of 'Stuffy' Dowding".The Herald.8 September 2000.Retrieved19 August2014.
  2. ^Edkins, Richard."Well Road and the Schools of Moffat".Moffat Business Index. Archived fromthe originalon 17 September 2014.Retrieved19 August2014.
  3. ^"No. 27222".The London Gazette.21 August 1900. p. 5174.
  4. ^"No. 27456".The London Gazette.22 July 1902. p. 4671.
  5. ^abcdef"Air Chief Marshal Lord Dowding of Bentley Priory".Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation.Retrieved19 August2014.
  6. ^"Royal Aero Club of the United Kingdom: Official Notices to Members".Flight. 14 October 1914.Retrieved19 August2014.
  7. ^"Beaupré-sur-la-Lys (Abbey)".European Charter of the Cistercian Abbeys and Sites.Retrieved31 May2021.
  8. ^Grinnell-Milne 1933, pp. 42–3
  9. ^abcdefghijklOrange, Vincent (2004)."Hugh Dowding".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/32884.Retrieved19 August2014.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
  10. ^"No. 32372".The London Gazette.28 June 1921. p. 5139.
  11. ^"No. 13774".The Edinburgh Gazette.2 January 1922. p. 11.
  12. ^Carver 2005, p. 206
  13. ^"No. 14405".The Edinburgh Gazette.3 January 1928. p. 5.
  14. ^"No. 33453".The London Gazette.1 January 1929. p. 71.
  15. ^Wright 1970, p. 53
  16. ^"No. 33898".The London Gazette(Supplement). 30 December 1932. p. 16.
  17. ^"No. 14971".The Edinburgh Gazette.6 June 1933. p. 468.
  18. ^Korda 2009, p. 18.
  19. ^Deighton 1980, pp. 88, 89.
  20. ^"Ground Controlled Interception Radars in Operation Neptune / Overlord"(PDF).Archived(PDF)from the original on 9 October 2022.Retrieved19 August2014.
  21. ^ab"Fighting The Blue".Yesterday TV. 25 June 2011.Retrieved19 August2014.
  22. ^"No. 34356".The London Gazette.1 January 1937. p. 17.
  23. ^"No. 34420".The London Gazette.23 July 1937. p. 4733.
  24. ^Waugh and Wright, p. 42
  25. ^Waligorski, Martin."The Battle is Lost: Dowding's Letter Which Changed History".The Spitfire Site. Archived fromthe originalon 24 December 2014.Retrieved19 August2014.
  26. ^Braun, Simon."The Command and Leadership Competence of Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Caswell Tremenheere Dowding GCB GCVO CMG ADC RAF".Royal Air Force. p. 4. Archived fromthe originalon 3 March 2016.Retrieved19 August2014.
  27. ^Braun, Simon."The Command and Leadership Competence of Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Caswell Tremenheere Dowding GCB GCVO CMG ADC RAF".Royal Air Force. p. 17. Archived fromthe originalon 3 March 2016.Retrieved19 August2014.
  28. ^Korda 2009, pp. 124–125.
  29. ^Dixon 2009, pp. 103–120
  30. ^Bowen 1987, pp. 71, 119, 121.
  31. ^"No. 34964".The London Gazette.8 October 1940. p. 5893.
  32. ^McKinstry 2010, pp. 222–3
  33. ^Slee, John (10 November 1941), "Banned",Daily Herald (United Kingdom)
  34. ^"No. 36087".The London Gazette.9 July 1943. p. 3117.
  35. ^Wright 1970, p. 247
  36. ^"Say A Prayer for St George's Chapel"(PDF).RAF Chapel Biggin Hill.Archived(PDF)from the original on 9 October 2022.Retrieved5 March2016.
  37. ^"The Lord Dowding Fund for Humane Research".National Anti-Vivisection Society.Retrieved19 August2014.
  38. ^Orange 2008, p. 262.
  39. ^"Fairy Investigation Society".Strange History. 13 November 2011.Retrieved19 August2014.
  40. ^Orange 2008, p. 263.
  41. ^pixeltocode.uk, PixelToCode."Hugh & Muriel Dowding".Westminster Abbey.
  42. ^Orange, Vincent (2008).Dowding of Fighter Command: Victor of the Battle of Britain.Grubb Street.ISBN978-1906502140.
  43. ^abcd"Dowding-the Man Exhibition".Moffat Museum.Retrieved26 June2020.
  44. ^H.D.(2015).Hirslanden Notebooks: An Annotated Scholarly Edition.ELS Editions. pp. xx–xxv.
  45. ^"Reach for the Sky".IMDB.Retrieved8 May2020.
  46. ^Battle of Britain film starring Harry Andrews, Michael Caine, Trevor Howard, et al. 1969
  47. ^"Darkest Hour".IMDB.Retrieved8 July2018.
  48. ^"Hurricane".IMDB.Retrieved8 May2020.
  49. ^"Lord Dowding".Open Plaques.Retrieved19 August2014.
  50. ^"Battle of Britain hero Hugh Dowding honoured in Moffat".BBC News.12 September 2010.Retrieved19 August2014.
  51. ^"Scottish granite memorial to Lord Dowding in Calverley Park, Tunbridge Wells, Kent".Retrieved19 August2014.
  52. ^"Dowding House".The Spectator.21 November 1987. p. 35.Retrieved26 January2014.
  53. ^"RAFA Sheltered Housing".RAFA.Retrieved19 January2015.
  54. ^"Controllers Training Unit Calcutta".The Association of Royal Air Force Fighter Control Officers. Archived fromthe originalon 14 July 2014.Retrieved19 August2014.
  55. ^"Sir Hugh Dowding plaque: Battle of Britain mastermind honoured".BBC. 6 May 2012.Retrieved19 August2014.
  56. ^"34052 – 'Lord Dowding'".Nine Elms.Retrieved19 August2014.
  57. ^Burke's Peerage.1959.

Sources

[edit]

Further reading

[edit]
  • Brown, Peter (2005).Honour Restored: The Battle of Britain, Dowding and the Fight for Freedom.Staplehurst, UK: Spellmount.ISBN1-86227-301-4.
  • Bungay, Stephen (2000).The Most Dangerous Enemy: A History of the Battle of Britain.London: Aurum Press.ISBN978-1-84415-854-6.
  • Collier, Basil(1957).Leader of the Few: the authorised biography of Air Chief Marshal Lord Dowding of Bentley Priory.Jarrolds.OCLC123752575.
  • Dixon, Jack (J E G) (2008).Dowding and Churchill: The Dark Side of the Battle of Britain.Pen & Sword, UK.ISBN978-1-86227-301-6.
  • Wright, Robert (1969).The man who won the Battle of Britain.Charles Scribner's Sons.OCLC4169149.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related toHugh Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding.
Military offices
Preceded by Officer CommandingNo. 16 Squadron
23 July 1915 – January 1916 		Succeeded by
D.W. Powell
Preceded by Air Officer CommandingNorthern Area
1919 		Succeeded by
Unknown Officer CommandingNo. 16 Group
1919–1920 		Vacant
Group disbanded
Preceded by Officer CommandingNo. 1 Group
1920–1922 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Director of Training
1926–1929 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Air Officer CommandingRAF Transjordan and Palestine
September–December 1929 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Air Member for Supply and Research
1 September 1930 – 14 January 1935 		Succeeded by
Himself
As Air Member for Research and Development
Succeeded by
Cyril Newall
As Air Member for Supply and Organisation
New title
Created from part of the remit of the Air Member for Supply and Research
 Air Member for Research and Development
14 January 1935 – 1 April 1936 		Succeeded by
New title
Command established
 Commander-in-ChiefFighter Command
1936–1940 		Succeeded by
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New creation Baron Dowding
1943–1970 		Succeeded by

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