Air vice-marshal (Air Vce Mshl or AVM) is an
air officer
An air officer is an air force officer of the rank of air commodore or higher. Such officers may be termed "officers of air rank". While the term originated in the Royal Air Force, air officers are also to be found in many Commonwealth of Natio ...
rank used by some air forces, with origins from the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
. The rank is also used by the air forces of many
countries which have historical British influence and 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 the naval rank of
rear admiral
Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral.
Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
or a rank of
major general in an army. The rank of air vice-marshal is immediately senior to the rank of
air commodore and immediately subordinate to the rank of
air marshal. Since before the Second World War it has been common for
air officers commanding RAF
groups to hold the rank of air vice-marshal. In small air forces such as the
Royal New Zealand Air Force and the
Ghana Air Force, the head of the air force holds the rank of air vice-marshal.
The equivalent rank in the
Women's Auxiliary Air Force,
Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force,
Women's Royal Air Force (until 1968) and
Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (until 1980) was "air chief commandant".
Australia
The
Australian Air Corps adopted the RAF rank system on 9 November 1920 and this usage was continued by its successor, the
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...
. However, the rank of air vice-marshal was not used by the Australian Armed Forces until 1935 when
Richard Williams, the
Australian Chief of the Air Staff, was promoted.
Margaret Staib of the
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...
served in the rank of air vice-marshal from 2009 to 2012 when she retired from the
Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the Armed forces, military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia and its national interests. It consists of three branches: the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army and the Royal Aus ...
.
Canada
In 1920, Sir
Willoughby Gwatkin, the former
Canadian Chief of the General Staff, was granted the rank of air vice-marshal and appointed the inspector-general of the newly established
Canadian Air Force. The rank was used until the 1968
unification of the Canadian Forces, when army-type rank titles were adopted. Canadian air vice-marshals then became
major-generals. In official
Canadian French
Canadian French (, ) is the French language as it is spoken in Canada. It includes multiple varieties, the most prominent of which is Québécois (Quebec French). Formerly ''Canadian French'' referred solely to Quebec French and the closely re ...
usage, the rank title was .
India
United Kingdom
Origins
On 1 April 1918, the newly created RAF adopted its officer rank titles from the
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
, 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 the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
'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. The
Admiralty objected to any use of their rank titles, including this modified form, and so an alternative proposal was put forward:
air officer
An air officer is an air force officer of the rank of air commodore or higher. Such officers may be termed "officers of air rank". While the term originated in the Royal Air Force, air officers are also to be found in many Commonwealth of Natio ...
ranks would be based on the term "ardian", which was derived from a combination of the
Gaelic words 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. The following officers were the first to be appointed to the rank, and their former service ranks are also shown:
RAF insignia, command flag and star plate
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 the
flying suit or 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.
File:File-UK-Air-OF7-mess-insignia.svg, An RAF air vice-marshal's sleeve mess insignia
File:British RAF Air Officer (ceremonial shoulder board).svg, An RAF air vice-marshal's shoulder board
File:RAF-AVM-OF-7.png, An RAF air vice-marshal's sleeve on No. 1 service dress uniform
Air Vice-Marshal star plate.svg, An RAF air vice-marshal's star plate
, air vice-marshal was the highest uniformed military rank currently held by a woman in the
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the unified military, military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its British Overseas Territories, Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests ...
when Air Vice-Marshal
Elaine West was awarded the position in August 2013.
Gallery
File:United Kingdom-AirForce-OF-7 Sleeve.svg, (Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...
)
File:British RAF OF-7.svg, ( Bangladesh Air Force)
File:14.Ghana Air Force-MG.svg, ( Ghana Air Force)
File:United Kingdom-AirForce-OF-7 Sleeve.svg, ( Indian Air Force)
File:14-Namibia Air Force-AVM.svg, ( Namibian Air Force)
File:Nigeria-AirForce-OF-7.svg, ( Nigerian Air Force)
File:Pak-air-force-OF-7.svg, ( Pakistan Air Force)
File:United Kingdom-AirForce-OF-7 Sleeve.svg, ( Sri Lanka Air Force)
File:United Kingdom-AirForce-OF-7 Sleeve.svg, (Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
)
File:TaT-Air Guard-OF-7.png, ( Trinidad and Tobago Air Guard)
File:Canadian_RCAF_Mess_Dress_Of-07.png, ( Air Force of Zimbabwe)
See also
*
Air force officer rank insignia
*
Air vice marshal (Australia)
*
British and US military ranks compared
*
Comparative military ranks
*
RAF officer ranks
*
Ranks of the RAAF
References
{{Highest Military Ranks
...
Military ranks of the Commonwealth
Military ranks of Australia
Former military ranks of Canada
Military ranks of the Royal Air Force
Pakistan Air Force ranks
Military ranks of Bangladesh
Military ranks of Sri Lanka
Air force ranks
Vice military offices
1919 introductions