Air Vice-Marshal Air vice-marshal (Air Vce Mshl or AVM) 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 sometime ...

Ronald Graham, (19 July 1896 – 23 June 1967) was a Scottish

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 ...

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviation, military aviator credited with shooting down a certain minimum number of enemy aircraft during aerial combat; the exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ...

of 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 ...

. Remaining in 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 ...

after that war, he rose to the rank of air vice marshal 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 ...

First World War

Graham was a medical student when the First World War began. In 1915, he joined the

Royal Naval Division The 63rd (Royal Naval) Division was a United Kingdom infantry division of the First World War. It was originally formed as the Royal Naval Division at the outbreak of the war, from Royal Navy and Royal Marine reservists and volunteers, who w ...

. In September, he pulled a lateral transfer into the

as a

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 ...

. In 1916, he served at the Dover Seaplane Base. He then moved to Dunkirk, flying cover for the North Sea Fleet. During this time, he was forced into landing in the sea on two occasions. He became part of the Saint Pol

Seaplane Defence Flight No. 213 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. The squadron was formed on 1 April 1918 from No. 13 (Naval) Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service.Halley 1988, p. 278. This RNAS squadron was itself formed on 15 January 1918 from the Sea ...

, which formed on 30 June 1917. Graham tallied his first two victories at this time, destroying a German seaplane on 19 June while piloting a

Sopwith Baby The Sopwith Baby is a British single-seat floatplane that was operated by the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) from 1915. Development and design The Baby (also known as the Admiralty 8200 Type) was a development of the two-seat Sopwith Tabloid, ...

, and another while piloting a

Sopwith Pup The Sopwith Pup is a British single-seater biplane fighter aircraft built by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It entered service with the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps in the autumn of 1916. With pleasant flying characteristi ...

on 12 August 1917; the latter was shared with

Leonard Slatter Air Marshal Sir Leonard Horatio Slatter, (8 December 1894 – 14 April 1961) was a naval aviator during the First World War and a senior Royal Air Force commander during the Second World War. Slatter ended his career as the Air Officer Command ...

. His unit morphed into No. 13 Squadron RNAS, sometimes referred to as 13 Naval Squadron. He switched to

Sopwith Camel The Sopwith Camel is a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft that was introduced on the Western Front in 1917. It was developed by the Sopwith Aviation Company as a successor to the Sopwith Pup and became one of the b ...

s for his next three victories. He shared number three with Slatter, on 15 September, and destroyed two more, one each on 25 September and 19 October 1917. Then, on 29 December, while showboating for his nurse girlfriend, he crashed and seriously injured himself. After his convalescence, he returned to his squadron, which was now No. 213 Squadron RAF, and took command in May 1918. In August 1918 he took command of the newly formed No.233 Squadron RAF which had a Fighter Defence Flight of Camels at RAF Walmer under the command of Captain W. M. Alexander, another Flight (491)at Dover (Guston Road)and the Seaplane flight (407) Dover, Marine Parade. In March 1919 the Squadron moved its headquarters to RAF Walmer. In total he was credited with five aerial victories.

Second World War

On the outbreak of the

, Graham was an

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 ...

on the staff at the headquarters of

Fighter Command RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It operated throughout the Second World War, winning fame during the Battle of Britain in 1940. The ...

Award citations

;Distinguished Service Cross :Flight Sub-Lieutenant Ronald Grahame, R.N.A.S. ::"For exceptional gallantry in attacking and beating off four enemy seaplanes whilst on escort duty off the Belgian coast on the 22nd September, 1916." ;Bar to the Distinguished Service Cross :Flight Lieutenant Ronald Grahame, D.S.C., R.N.A.S. ::For conspicuous gallantry during raids on the seaplane station at Zeebrugge. On one occasion he descended to 600 feet, and on another occasion to 300 feet, before releasing his bombs. ;Distinguished Service Order :Acting Flight Lieutenant-Commander Ronald Graham, D.S.C., R.N.A.S ::For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in air fights and bombing raids. Since the award of a bar to the Distinguished Service Cross, Act. Flt. Cdr. Graham has carried out five night bombing raids, and attacked and brought down three enemy seaplanes. On one occasion he ascended at night for the purpose of attacking hostile machines, notwithstanding the fact that he had only returned a few hours previously from a successful action with hostile aircraft in superior numbers. He has always displayed remarkable skill and courage.

Notes

References

* * * , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, Ronald 1896 births 1967 deaths Royal Naval Air Service aviators British World War I flying aces Scottish flying aces Royal Air Force air marshals of World War II Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) British recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) Companions of the Order of the Bath Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Officers of the Order of the Crown (Belgium) Knights of the Legion of Honour Deputy lieutenants of Buteshire Lord-lieutenants of Buteshire Scottish expatriates in Japan Military personnel from Yokohama