Duncan Pitcher: Difference between revisions

Duncan le Geyt Pitcher
Duncan le Geyt Pitcher
	Pitcher during the First World War
Born	31 August 1877; Naini Tal, East Indies
Died	1 September 1944 (aged 67); Uxbridge, London, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	British Army (1898–1918); Royal Air Force (1918–29)
Years of service	1898–1929
Rank	Air Commodore
Commands	No. 22 Group (1926–29); No. 7 Group (1925–26); 1st Brigade RFC (1916–17, 1918); Central Flying School (1915–16)
Battles / wars	First World War
Awards	Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George; Commander of the Order of the British Empire; Distinguished Service Order; Mentioned in Despatches (2); Officer of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (Italy); Officer of the Legion of Honour (France)

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Revision as of 07:58, 21 June 2021

Air Commodore Duncan le Geyt Pitcher, CMG, CBE, DSO (31 August 1877 – 1 September 1944) was an infantry and cavalry officer in the British Indian Army. During the First World War he served in the Royal Flying Corps and in his later years became a senior commander in the Royal Air Force.

Early years

Pitcher was born in Naini Tal in Uttarakhand (then called the East Indies), the son of Major Duncan Pitcher and his wife Rose.^[1] His father was on active service with the Bengal Staff Corps of the British Indian Army. At the time of the 1881 Census the family are living in Hendon, North London.^[1] In the 1891 Census Pitcher is a 13-year-old scholar at the Sedbergh School in Yorkshire.^[2]

Military aviation

Pitcher was sent from India to the Central Flying School in Great Britain in order to learn how to fly and gain the requisite knowledge to set up a flying school in India. The European War broke out before he could return to India and Pitcher became involved in military aviation in Europe.

Pitcher attended the Central Flying School as a pilot under training in 1913 and once he had completed his course, he remained on the staff until the summer of 1914 when he was attached to No 4. Squadron RFC. He returned to the Central Flying School, probably in late 1914 and was appointed Officer In-charge of Transport. Immediately following the New Year of 1915, Pitcher took up instructional duties before being appointed a squadron commander at the Central Flying School in late January. In April 1915 he was appointed Assistant Commandant at the Central Flying School in which capacity he served until mid November 1915. Pitcher then spent around a month as a Royal Flying Corps wing commander before returning to the Central Flying School as its Commandant when Godfrey Paine returned to naval duties at Cranwell.

The 1 April 1916 saw Pitcher promoted and appointed Brigadier-General Commanding the I Brigade. He recommended A. M. Low in WWI for work on the radio control systems for unmanned ‘Aerial Target' aircraft and then in 1918, for the remote control of boats - see Coastal Motor Boat.^[3]

In 1921 Duncan was the best man at his old RFC colleague Robert Loraine’s wedding.^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c 1881 Census of Hendon, RG11/1367, Folio 91, Page 58, Duncan L G Pitcher, Age: 3, Where born: Naini Tal, East Indies, Address: 8 Edgware Road, Rockhall Terrace, Hendon, Middlesex.
^ 1881 Census of Sedbergh, RG12/3489, Folio 25, Page 5, Duncan Leuguy Pitcher, Age: 13, Where born: Lucknow, India, Address: School House Towers, Sedbergh, Yorkshire.
^ "The Dawn of the Drone" Steve Mills 2019 Casemate Publishers. page 221
^ "The Life of Robert Loraine: The Stage, the Sky, and George Bernard Shaw” Lanayre D. Liggera page 172

External links

Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Commodore D le G Pitcher

Military offices
Preceded by Godfrey Paine	Commandant of the Central Flying School 1915–1916	Succeeded by Charles Burke
Preceded by Edward Ashmore	Brigadier-General Commanding I Brigade RFC 1916–1917	Succeeded by Gordon Shephard
Preceded by Cuthbert MacLean Temporary appointment, preceded by: Gordon Shephard	Brigadier-General Commanding I Brigade RFC January – December 1918	Brigade disbanded End of the First World War
Preceded by Arthur Longmore	Air Officer Commanding No. 7 Group 1925–1926	Vacant Title next held by Ralph Cochrane
Vacant Title last held by Edward Masterman	Air Officer Commanding No. 22 Group 1926–1929	Succeeded by Norman MacEwen

[Census1881-1] 1881 Census of Hendon, RG11/1367, Folio 91, Page 58, Duncan L G Pitcher, Age: 3, Where born: Naini Tal, East Indies, Address: 8 Edgware Road, Rockhall Terrace, Hendon, Middlesex.

[Census1891b-2] 1881 Census of Sedbergh, RG12/3489, Folio 25, Page 5, Duncan Leuguy Pitcher, Age: 13, Where born: Lucknow, India, Address: School House Towers, Sedbergh, Yorkshire.

[3] "The Dawn of the Drone" Steve Mills 2019 Casemate Publishers. page 221

[4] "The Life of Robert Loraine: The Stage, the Sky, and George Bernard Shaw” Lanayre D. Liggera page 172

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@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 Pitcher attended the Central Flying School as a pilot under training in 1913 and once he had completed his course, he remained on the staff until the summer of 1914 when he was attached to [[No. 4 Squadron RAF|No 4. Squadron RFC]]. He returned to the Central Flying School, probably in late 1914 and was appointed Officer In-charge of Transport. Immediately following the New Year of 1915, Pitcher took up instructional duties before being appointed a squadron commander at the Central Flying School in late January. In April 1915 he was appointed Assistant Commandant at the Central Flying School in which capacity he served until mid November 1915. Pitcher then spent around a month as a Royal Flying Corps wing commander before returning to the Central Flying School as its Commandant when Godfrey Paine returned to naval duties at [[RAF Cranwell|Cranwell]].
-The 1 April 1916 saw Pitcher promoted and appointed [[Brigadier-General]] Commanding the I Brigade. He was [[Archibald Low|A. M. Low]]’s commanding officer in WWI all of the time they were working on the radio control systems for unmanned [[History of unmanned aerial vehicles|‘Aerial Target']] aircraft and boats - see [[Coastal Motor Boat]].
+The 1 April 1916 saw Pitcher promoted and appointed [[Brigadier-General]] Commanding the I Brigade. He recommended [[Archibald Low|A. M. Low]] in WWI for work on the radio control systems for unmanned [[History of unmanned aerial vehicles|‘Aerial Target']] aircraft and then in 1918, for the remote control of boats - see [[Coastal Motor Boat]].<ref>"The Dawn of the Drone" Steve Mills 2019 Casemate Publishers. page 221</ref>
 In 1921 Duncan was the best man at his old RFC colleague [[Robert Loraine]]’s wedding.<ref>"The Life of Robert Loraine: The Stage, the Sky, and George Bernard Shaw”     Lanayre D. Liggera page 172</ref>