AM Sir Arthur Sheridan Barratt KCB, CMG, MC, DL
1939 - Principal RAF Liaison Officer to the French Air Force.
15 Jan 1940 - AOC in C, British Air Forces in France
Born 25 February 1891 in Peshawar, Peshawar District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Attended Clifton School and entered the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. He qualified for his RAeC Certificate 756 26 March 1914. Known affectionately as “Ugly” Barratt
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His career path was as follows :-
23 Dec 1910 - Officer, Royal Field Artillery
12 May 1914 - Attended No 6 Course, Central Flying School.
30 Jun 1914 - Appointed Flying Officer, RFC.
1915 - Pilot 3 Squadron. Western Front where they were engaged in reconnaissance duties. I believe at this time they were flying various types including the Morane Saulnier L Parasol aircraft and the BE2c The future English ace James McCudden VC served as a mechanic and occasional observer with 3 Squadron in the early part of the war.
Morane Saulnier L Parasol RFC
BE2
11 Jun 1915 - Flight Commander 3 Squadron
1 Mar 1916 - Officer Commanding 6 Squadron. Western Front. At this time the squadrons duties were mainly observation for the artillery engaged on counter battery work, spotting and corps reconnaissance. 6 Squadron were flying the ageing and inadequate BE2c during this period. Also the Bristol Scout.
Bristol Scout
15 Apr 1916 - Officer Commanding 49 Squadron which was formed at Dover on 15 April 1916 under the command of Major A S Barratt MC and spent its first 18 months as an aircrew training unit equipped with mostly BE2Cs and RE7s. Other documents record that the squadron also trained using Martinsydes.
2 Jun 1917 - Officer Commanding, 3rd (Corps) Wing RFC
1918 - Officer Commanding, 2nd (Corps) Wing
18 Jul 1919 - Staff Officer 1st Class (Head of T.1) Deputy Directorate of Training.
1 Aug 1919 - Awarded Permanent Commission as a Major
17 Jan 1921 - Assistant Commandant, RAF College - Cranwell
6 Apr 1923 - SOA, HQ No 3 Group
21 Jan 1924 - Attended Army Staff College, Camberley
14 Jan 1926 - Commandant, School of Army Co-operation.
9-22 Sep 1926 - Officer Commanding (Temporary), HO, No 22 Group
11 Apr 1927 - Air Staff Officer to GOC Shanghai/OC, RAF Units - Shanghai Defence Force.
An interesting posting. The Shanghai Defence Force, the largest peacetime dispatch of British troops in the Inter-war period, was billeted across the city. Aircraft flew from behind the recreation ground clubhouses and were kept in three large mat-shed hangars on the race course. Most aircraft involved were Fleet Air Arm
xx xxx 1927 - Supernumerary, RAF Depot.
27 Nov 1927 - Air Staff, HQ No 22 Group.
1 Jan 1929 - Chief Instructor, RAF Staff College.
2 Apr 1931 - Officer Commanding, No 1 (Indian) Group.
7 Sep 1932 - SASO, HQ RAF India.
12 Jan 1935 - Director of Staff Duties.
1 Jan 1936 - Commandant, RAF Staff College
xx xxx 1939 - Principal RAF Liaison Officer to the French Air Force.
15 Jan 1940 - AOC in C, British Air Forces in France which included AASF and 103 Squadron
Barratt and Playfair. France 1939/40
20 Nov 1940 - AOC in C, Army Co-operation Command
1 Jun 1943 - AOC in C, Technical Training Command
29 Oct 1945 - Inspector-General of the RAF
Retired 27 March 1947.
After a long and distinguished career Arthur Barratt died 4 November 1966 Hambledon, Winchester, Hampshire. He was privately cremated and his ashes passed to the family.
Compiled by David Fell. Photos from my archive and wiki
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