Richard Saul

Richard Ernest Saul
Richard Ernest Saul
	Air Vice-Marshal Richard Saul
Born	16 April 1891; Dublin, Ireland
Died	30 November 1965 (aged 74)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army; Royal Air Force
Years of service	1914–1944
Rank	Air Vice-Marshal
Commands	No. 4 Squadron; No. 7 Squadron; No. 12 Squadron; No. 2 Squadron; No. 203 Squadron; No. 13 Group; No. 12 Group; Air Defences Eastern Mediterranean
Battles/wars	First World War; Second World War
Awards	Companion of the Order of the Bath; Distinguished Flying Cross; Mention in Despatches
Other work	United Nations official

Air Vice-Marshal Richard Ernest Saul CB, DFC, RAF (16 April 1891 – 30 November 1965) was a pilot during World War I and a senior Royal Air Force commander during World War II.

Earlier Years

Saul was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1891. At the start of the First World War he was a second lieutenant in the Royal Army Service Corps but by 1916 he was a Flying Officer (Observer) with No. 16 Squadron of the Army's Royal Flying Corps.^[3] During the war he rose to command No. 4 Squadron and after the armistice he commanded No. 7 Squadron and then No. 12 Squadron.^[3] In 1925 he was given command of No. 2 Squadron.^[3] A keen sportsman Saul played rugby and hockey for the RAF; in both 1928 and 1932 he was the RAF tennis champion.^[3]

In September 1933 Saul was appointed the Officer Commanding No. 203 Squadron operating out of Basra in Iraq and in 1935 Saul led a flight of flying boats, from his squadron, on a long-distance journey from Plymouth to Basra.^[3]

World War II and beyond

During World War II Saul was air officer commanding No. 13 Group from 1939, air officer commanding No. 12 Group from 1940 and then air officer commanding Air Defences Eastern Mediterranean from 1943.^[3]

Saul retired from the RAF on 29 June 1944 and then served as the Chairman of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration's mission in the Balkans.^[3] He next acted as the Vice-Chairman of the International Transport Commission in Rome.^[3] After Saul left Rome in 1951, he took up employment as the manager of the University of Toronto bookshop until finally retiring in 1959.^[3] Richard Saul died on 30 November 1965 after being hit by a car two days earlier.

Honours and awards

Companion of the Order of the Bath - 17 March 1941^[3]
Distinguished Flying Cross - 1 January 1919^[3]
Mentioned in Despatches - 11 July 1940^[3]
Chevalier of the Order of the Crown - 15 July 1919^[3]
Croix de Guerre with Palms (Belgium) - 15 July 1919^[3]

Notes

References

Military offices
Preceded by L Jenkins	Officer Commanding No. 4 Squadron 2 December 1917 – 5 January 1919	Succeeded by H B Prior
Preceded by L F Forbes	Officer Commanding No. 2 Squadron 2 March 1925 – 8 January 1927	Succeeded by W Sowrey
Preceded by W L Welsh	Officer Commanding No. 203 Squadron 29 September 1933 – 20 March 1936	Succeeded by W B Callaway
Preceded by E A B Rice	Officer Commanding RAF Calshot 31 July 1936 – 10 June 1937	Succeeded by A Coningham
New title	Air Officer Commanding No. 13 (Fighter) Group 24 July 1939 – 17 December 1940	Succeeded by J O Andrews
Preceded by T L Leigh-Mallory	Air Officer Commanding No. 12 (Fighter) Group 17 December 1940 – 29 November 1942	Succeeded by J O Andrews
Preceded by W A McClaughry	Air Officer Commanding Air Headquarters Egypt Became AOC Air Defences Eastern Mediterranean on 4 March 1943 5 January 1943 – 1 February 1944	Succeeded by T A Langford-Sainsbury As AOC Air Headquarters Eastern Mediterranean

[1] Richard Saul - History of the Battle of Britain

[2] Royal Army Service Corps then Royal Flying Corps

[air-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - Air Vice-Marshal R E Saul

[1]

[2]

[3]

v t e Aviation in World War I
People and aircraft	Commanders Aces Aircraft of the Entente Powers Aircraft of the Central Powers Zeppelins
Campaigns and battles	Strategic bombing German Cuxhaven Bombing of cities Aerial reconnaissance Fokker Scourge Flight over Vienna Bloody April Battles
Entente Powers air services	British air services Royal Flying Corps Royal Naval Air Service Royal Air Force Australian Flying Corps Canadian Air Force (1918–1920) French Air Service Imperial Russian Air Service Royal Italian Air Corps Romanian Air Corps United States Army Air Service Greek air services Army Air Service Naval Air Service Japanese air services Imperial Japanese Army Air Service Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
Central Powers air services	Imperial German Air Service Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops Ottoman Aviation Squadrons Bulgarian Army Aeroplane Section

v t e Royal Flying Corps
Command structure	Brigades First Wing Second Wing Fifth Wing London Air Defence Area Squadrons
Airfields	Royal Flying Corps airfields
Aircraft	List of aircraft of the Royal Flying Corps
Personnel	Royal Flying Corps generals List of British WWI aces
World War I	World War I Aviation in World War I Royal Naval Air Service Imperial German Army Air Service Anti-aircraft Warfare in WWI