1. John Salmond went on to be Air Officer Commanding British Forces in Iraq in the early 1920s when he halted a Turkish invasion and sought to put down a Kurdish uprising against King Faisal, the British-sponsored ruler of Iraq.
34 Facts About John Salmond
1. 2.
John Salmond was Chief of the Air Staff in the early 1930s and bitterly opposed the position taken by British politicians at the World Disarmament Conference in Geneva, which would have led to the UK's complete aerial disarmament.
3.
John Salmond was born the son of Major General Sir William Salmond and Emma Mary Salmond.
4.
John Salmond's siblings included a brother, Geoffrey, and sister, Gwen.
5.
At the age of nine Salmond was sent to Aysgarth Preparatory School in Yorkshire.
6.
John Salmond sailed for South Africa to join his unit, which was engaged in the latter part of the Second Boer War.
7.
John Salmond was immediately seconded to the colonial service and then promoted to lieutenant on 5 April 1904.
8.
John Salmond was promoted to captain on 26 June 1910.
9.
John Salmond learned to fly at the Central Flying School in 1912 and was awarded Royal Aero Club certificate No 272 on 13 August 1912.
10.
John Salmond became Officer Commanding No 7 Squadron flying Sopwith Tabloids and the RE8s from RAF Farnborough with the temporary rank of major on 1 May 1914.
11.
John Salmond was mentioned in despatches on 8 October 1914 and awarded the Distinguished Service Order on 24 March 1915.
12.
John Salmond went on to be Officer Commanding the Administrative Wing at RAF Farnborough in April 1915, and having been promoted to the substantive rank of major on 8 January 1916, he became Commander of II Brigade RFC in February 1916, Commander of V Brigade RFC later that month and of VI Brigade RFC in March 1916.
13.
John Salmond was promoted to brevet lieutenant colonel on 3 June 1916 and was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George on 4 June 1917.
14.
John Salmond became Commander of the Training Brigade in July 1916 and then, as General Officer Commanding Training Division from August 1917, shortly after being promoted to temporary major general in June, he opened many more flying schools, laid down minimum training standards and introduced new modern teaching methods.
15.
John Salmond was appointed Director-General of Military Aeronautics at the War Office on 18 October 1917.
16.
John Salmond was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order on 13 August 1918.
17.
John Salmond was appointed an Officer of the French Legion of Honour on 10 October 1918 and a Commander of the Belgian Order of Leopold on 8 November 1918 and was awarded the Belgian Croix de guerre on the same date.
18.
John Salmond was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 1 January 1919 and awarded the American Distinguished Service Medal on 15 July 1919 and the French Croix de Guerre on 21 August 1919.
19.
John Salmond was awarded a permanent commission in the Royal Air Force as a major-general in August 1919.
20.
John Salmond was made Air Officer Commanding Southern Area in September 1919 and then Air Officer Commanding Inland Area in April 1920.
21.
John Salmond was placed on loan to Australian Government in May 1928, where he made an extensive aerial tour of northern Australia.
22.
John Salmond was appointed Chief of the Air Staff on 1 January 1930.
23.
John Salmond was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the 1931 Birthday Honours.
24.
John Salmond was promoted to Marshal of the Royal Air Force on 1 January 1933 and he relinquished the post of Chief of the Air Staff on 1 April 1933.
25.
John Salmond was succeeded by his older brother, Air Chief Marshal Sir Geoffrey John Salmond.
26.
However, only 27 days later, Geoffrey Salmond died and John Salmond was temporarily re-appointed as Chief of the Air Staff.
27.
John Salmond stood down for the second and final time on 22 May 1933.
28.
John Salmond attended the funeral of King George V in January 1936.
29.
John Salmond resigned his post as Director of Armament Production in 1941 after clashing with Lord Beaverbrook, the Minister of Aircraft Production immediately acted the post of Director-General of Flying Control and Air Sea Rescue.
30.
Ill health forced John Salmond to retire in 1943; however he remained President of the Royal Air Force Club for 23 years and regularly appeared at major RAF events.
31.
John Salmond became Honorary Air Commodore of No 3618 Fighter Control Unit of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force on 5 January 1950 and attended the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953.
32.
John Salmond died at Eastbourne in Sussex on 16 April 1968.
33.
Less than three years later, in 1916, Helen John Salmond died giving birth to their first child.
34.
In 1924, John Salmond married for the second time, this time to Hon.