Air Commodore Air commodore (Air Cdre or Air Cmde) is an air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from 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 ...

Gordon Herbert Vasse, (23 April 1899 – 26 March 1965) was a fighter pilot in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and a senior

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 ...

commander during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and into the early 1950s. During most of the Second World War he was Director of Air Tactics for the RAF. In his final appointment Vasse also served as the seventh Commandant of the

Royal Observer Corps The Royal Observer Corps (ROC) was a civil defence organisation intended for the visual detection, identification, tracking and reporting of aircraft over Great Britain. It operated in the United Kingdom between 29 October 1925 and 31 Decembe ...

. Vasse was chosen as one of the RAF's principal representatives to the funeral of

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...

in 1952.

RAF career

Early career

In 1917 Vasse joined the

Royal Naval Air Service The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty (United Kingdom), Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British ...

as a trainee pilot in the rank of Probationary Flight Officer and was later promoted to

flight sub-lieutenant Flying officer (Fg Offr or F/O) is a junior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Flying officer is immediately ...

. When the

(RAF) was formed in March 1918 Vasse transferred to the new service in the rank of second lieutenant and was rapidly promoted to

pilot officer Pilot officer (Plt Off or P/O) is a junior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Pilot officer is the lowest ran ...

and then

flying officer Flying officer (Fg Offr or F/O) is a junior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Flying officer is immediately ...

. After seeing active combat duty as a fighter pilot in the latter stages of the

Vasse was transferred to the unemployed officer list in September 1919.

Back to the RAF

In October 1921 Vasse rejoined the RAF on a short service commission in the rank of flying officer and posted as a

supernumerary Supernumerary means "exceeding the usual number". Supernumerary may also refer to: * Supernumerary actor, a performer in a film, television show, or stage production who has no role or purpose other than to appear in the background, more common ...

pilot at the RAF Central Depot. After a further supernumerary posting to the School of Technical Training he was posted to No. 6 Squadron RAF as a pilot in April 1923. After a short one-month period as a supernumerary at the Central Depot over the Christmas of 1925 he was granted a permanent commission in January 1926 and posted as an instructor to the RAF's Air Armament and Gunnery School. Promoted to flight lieutenant in July 1927, in March 1929 he was appointed Armaments Officer at the

RAF North Coates Royal Air Force North Coates or more simply RAF North Coates is a former Royal Air Force List of former Royal Air Force stations, station in Lincolnshire, England, six miles south-east of Cleethorpes, and close to the mouth of the Humber estuary ...

gunnery practice range in

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...

where he remained until November 1930. Returning to flying duties as a flight commander with No. XV Squadron RAF on 1 November 1930, Vasse remained with the squadron until February 1933, apart from a two-month period while suffering from an illness that prevented him from flying. In November he was posted overseas firstly as Armaments Officer for No. 3 (Indian) Wing RAF and later as Staff Armament Officer at Headquarters No. 1 (Indian) Group. Returning to the United Kingdom in 1936 he was appointed as a Staff Instructor at the Air Armament School on promotion to

squadron leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr or S/L) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Squadron leader is immediatel ...

. After a short armament officer posting to

RAF Northolt Royal Air Force Northolt or more simply RAF Northolt is a Royal Air Force List of Royal Air Force stations, station in South Ruislip, from Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, western Greater London, England, approximately north of ...

he was promoted to

wing commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr or W/C) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Wing commander is immediately se ...

and granted his first command as Officer Commanding the Air Fighting Development Unit (AFDU) at RAF Duxford.

Commands

Vasse would remain at Duxford, becoming Station Commander there, on promotion to

group captain Group captain (Gp Capt or G/C) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British influence. Group cap ...

, until July 1941 when he was appointed deputy director of the RAF Air Tactics department. In October the following year he became Director of the department in the rank of Acting Air Commodore. In July 1945 he was honoured as a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

in the

King's Birthday Honours The Birthday Honours, in some Commonwealth realms, mark the reigning monarch's official birthday in each realm by granting various individuals appointment into national or dynastic orders or the award of decorations and medals. The honours are ...

. Between 1944 and 1945 Vasse filled a number of senior appointments in quick succession including Deputy Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) at Headquarters Air Command South East Asia, SASO No. 221 Group RAF and SASO HQ RAF Burma. As the war ended Vasse was serving as AOC RAF Seletar in Singapore. Returning to post war England in the Autumn of 1946 Vasse served in a number of AOC appointments with No. 21 Group RAF, No. 25 Group and latterly No. 63 Group where he remained from March 1948 until March 1951. His rank as an Air Commodore was confirmed on 1 July 1947.

Royal Observer Corps

In March 1951 Vasse was posted to

RAF Bentley Priory RAF Bentley Priory was a non-flying Royal Air Force station near Stanmore in the London Borough of Harrow. It was the headquarters of Fighter Command in the Battle of Britain and throughout the Second World War. The Royal Air Force station c ...

and took over as the seventh Commandant

from Air Commodore Sir Richard Bowen Jordan.

References

External links

Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - Air Commodore G H Vasse
, - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Vasse, Gordon Herbert Royal Naval Air Service aviators Royal Air Force air commodores Royal Air Force personnel of World War I Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Commanders of the Order of the British Empire People of the Royal Observer Corps 1899 births 1965 deaths English aviators People from Blean Military personnel from Kent