Richard Saul

Richard Ernest Saul
Richard Ernest Saul
	Air Vice Marshal Richard Saul c.1940
Born	16 April 1891; Dublin, Ireland
Died	30 November 1965 (aged 74)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	British Army (1914–18); Royal Air Force (1918–44)
Years of service	1914–44
Rank	Air Vice-Marshal
Commands	Air Defences Eastern Mediterranean (1943–44); No. 12 Group (1940–42); No. 13 Group (1939–40); RAF Calshot (1936–37); No. 203 Squadron (1933–36); School of Army Co-operation (1930–33); No. 2 Squadron (1925–27); No. 12 Squadron (1919–21); No. 7 Squadron (1919); No. 4 Squadron (1917–19)
Battles / wars	First World War; Second World War; * Battle of Britain
Awards	Companion of the Order of the Bath; Distinguished Flying Cross; Mentioned in Despatches; Knight of the Order of the Crown (Belgium); Croix de guerre (Belgium)
Other work	United Nations official

Air Vice-Marshal Richard Ernest Saul, CB, DFC (16 April 1891 – 30 November 1965) was a pilot during the First World War and a senior Royal Air Force commander during the Second World War.

Earlier years

Saul was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1891. He was a bank official with the Royal Bank of Ireland before joining the Army.^[2] At the start of the First World War he was a second lieutenant in the Royal Army Service Corps but by 1916 he was a Flying Officer (Observer) with No. 16 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps.^[3] During the war he rose to command No. 4 Squadron and after the armistice he commanded No. 7 Squadron and then No. 12 Squadron.^[3] In 1925 he was given command of No. 2 Squadron.^[3] A keen sportsman Saul played rugby and hockey for the RAF; in both 1928 and 1932 he was the RAF tennis champion.^[3] In September 1933 Saul was appointed the Officer Commanding No. 203 Squadron operating from Basra in Iraq and in 1935 Saul led a flight of flying boats, from his squadron, on a long-distance journey from Plymouth to Basra.^[3]

Second World War and beyond

During the Second World War Saul was Air Officer Commanding No. 13 Group from 1939, Air Officer Commanding No. 12 Group from 1940 and then Air Officer Commanding Air Defences Eastern Mediterranean from 1943.^[3]

Saul retired from the RAF on 29 June 1944 and then served as the Chairman of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration's mission in the Balkans.^[3] He next acted as the vice-chairman of the International Transport Commission in Rome.^[3] After Saul left Rome in 1951, he took up employment as the manager of the University of Toronto bookshop until finally retiring in 1959.^[3] Richard Saul died on 30 November 1965 after being hit by a car two days earlier.

Notes

References

Military offices
Preceded by L. Jenkins	Officer Commanding No. 4 Squadron 1917–1919	Succeeded by H. B. Prior
Preceded by L. F. Forbes	Officer Commanding No. 2 Squadron 1925–1927	Succeeded by W. Sowrey
Preceded by William Welsh	Officer Commanding No. 203 Squadron 1933–1936	Succeeded by William Callaway
Preceded by Edward Rice	Officer Commanding RAF Calshot 1936–1937	Succeeded by Arthur Coningham
New title	Air Officer Commanding No. 13 (Fighter) Group 1939–1940	Succeeded by John Andrews
Preceded by Trafford Leigh-Mallory	Air Officer Commanding No. 12 (Fighter) Group 1940–1942	Succeeded by John Andrews
Preceded by Wilfred McClaughry	Air Officer Commanding Air Headquarters Egypt Became AOC Air Defences Eastern Mediterranean on 4 March 1943 1943–1944	Succeeded by Thomas Langford-Sainsbury As AOC Air Headquarters Eastern Mediterranean

[1] Richard Saul – History of the Battle of Britain

[2] "War Memorial Royal Bank of Ireland Great War Memorial in Dublin 02, Royal Bank of Ireland, Dublin 2, Dublin City 02".

[air-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Vice-Marshal R E Saul

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