Air Vice Marshal Air vice-marshal (AVM) is a two-star air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes u ...

Cuthbert Trelawder MacLean, (18 October 1886 – 25 February 1969) was a

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

officer who served as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at

Middle East Command Middle East Command, later Middle East Land Forces, was a British Army Command established prior to the Second World War in Egypt. Its primary role was to command British land forces and co-ordinate with the relevant naval and air commands to ...

from 1934 to 1938.

RAF career

Educated at

Wanganui Collegiate School Whanganui Collegiate School (formerly Wanganui Collegiate School; see here) is a state-integrated, coeducational, day and boarding, secondary school in Whanganui, Manawatū-Whanganui region, New Zealand. The school is affiliated to the Anglican c ...

and Auckland University College in New Zealand,Encyclopaedia of New Zealand 1966
/ref> MacLean served in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

in the 7th

Royal Fusiliers The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in continuous existence for 283 years. It was known as the 7th Regiment of Foot until the Childers Reforms of 1881. The regiment served in many wars ...

Grace's Guide
/ref> and was seconded to the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

in 1915.Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
/ref> He was awarded his aviator's certificate in October 1915 and successively served as a flight, squadron, wing and brigade commander. He received the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typ ...

for distinguished service in France. He went on to be Air Officer Commanding

British Forces Aden British Forces Aden was the name given to the British Armed Forces stationed in the Aden Protectorate during part of the 20th century. Their purpose was to preserve the security of the Protectorate from both internal threats and external aggressi ...

in 1929 and Director of Postings at the

Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...

in 1931 before becoming Air Officer Commanding

in 1934. He was appointed Air Officer Commanding No. 2 (Bomber) Group in 1938 and served in that role in the early stages of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

before retiring in 1940. He was awarded the rank of Chevalier in the

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

References

, - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Maclean, Cuthbert 1886 births 1969 deaths British Army personnel of World War I New Zealand military personnel Royal Fusiliers soldiers Royal Flying Corps officers People educated at Whanganui Collegiate School University of Auckland alumni Royal Air Force air marshals Companions of the Order of the Bath Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Recipients of the Military Cross New Zealand military personnel of World War I New Zealand military personnel of World War II Knights of the Legion of Honour New Zealand recipients of the Legion of Honour