27 Facts About Ralph Royce

Ralph Royce was a United States Army Air Forces general during World War II.

Ralph Royce was born in Marquette, Michigan on 28 June 1890 and attended school at Hancock, Michigan.

Ralph Royce entered the United States Military Academy at West Point on 1 March 1910.

Ralph Royce graduated 12 June 1914, ranked 89th in merit in a class of 107 cadets, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 26th Infantry.

In 1915, Ralph Royce was detailed to the Aviation Section, US Signal Corps and sent to the Signal Corps Aviation School at Rockwell Field, California, for pilot training.

Ralph Royce was posted to the 1st Aero Squadron, which was then serving on the Mexican border in support of the Pancho Villa Expedition.

Ralph Royce briefly commanded the squadron in March 1917, before being promoted to captain in May 1917.

Ralph Royce experienced the chaotic ups and downs in rank common to Regular officers in 1920, when the National Defense Act of 1920 reorganized the military.

Ralph Royce first reverted to his permanent rank of captain of Infantry 1 March 1920 when his temporary ranks expired.

Ralph Royce then became commandant of Brooks Field, San Antonio, Texas.

Ralph Royce then went to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas as a student in the Command and General Staff College.

In January 1930 Ralph Royce commanded the 1st Pursuit Group in a flight across the northern United States from Selfridge Field to Spokane, Washington and back in what became known as the "Arctic Patrol" flight, in order to put "pursuit tactics to the acid test under extremely rigorous weather conditions, and to afford a very broad opportunity for testing flying equipment in zero temperatures".

Ralph Royce attended the Army War College from 1933 to 1934, after which he resumed command of the 1st Pursuit Group.

Ralph Royce assumed command of the 20th Bombardment Wing at Fort Douglas, Utah in March 1941 and was promoted to brigadier general in April.

In January 1942, Ralph Royce was posted to Australia as Chief of the Air Staff, US Army Forces in Australia.

Ralph Royce commanded the mission in person, which consisted of ten B-25 Mitchell medium bombers of the 3rd Bomb Group and three B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers of the 19th Bomb Group.

Ralph Royce inexplicably declined to disperse the B-17s, and one was damaged by an air attack on Del Monte during the subsequent mission after it had been left behind for repairs.

For leading the mission, Ralph Royce was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

Ralph Royce was promoted to major general in June 1942.

Ralph Royce returned to the United States in September 1942 and assumed command of the South Eastern Training Center at Maxwell Field in Montgomery, Alabama.

Ralph Royce commanded the First Air Force from April to September 1943.

In March 1944, Royce returned to the United Kingdom as Deputy Commander of the Ninth Air Force to Lieutenant General Lewis H Brereton and later Major General Hoyt Vandenberg.

Ralph Royce commanded the First Tactical Air Force from October 1944 to January 1945, operating in support of the Sixth United States Army Group.

Ralph Royce then commanded the Personnel Distribution Command at Louisville, Kentucky until August 1945.

Ralph Royce was married again in Detroit in February 1945, this time to Agnes Berges an ex-Manhattan hotel executive and overseas Red Cross worker.

Ralph Royce received a disability retirement from the military in July 1946.

Ralph Royce died of leukemia on 7 August 1965 at the Homestead Air Force Base Hospital in Miami-Dade County, Florida.