Commanders of the Order of Leopold (Belgium): Elmo Zumwalt, Hugh Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard, Frederick Sykes, John Slessor, Charles H. Corlett,

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 32. Chapters: Elmo Zumwalt, Hugh Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard, Frederick Sykes, John Slessor, Charles H. Corlett, John Salmond, Knut Haugland, John L. Hines, Robert Cailliau, David Manker Abshire, Leslie Norman Hollinghurst, Georges Thierry d'Argenlieu, Sir Christopher Peto, 3rd Baronet, Jean Baptiste Perrin, Roderic Hill, Edgard de Larminat, Frans Weisglas, Charles Laverock Lambe, Tadeusz Piskor, Emile de Cartier de Marchienne. Excerpt: Marshal of the Royal Air Force Hugh Montague Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard GCB OM GCVO DSO (3 February 1873 - 10 February 1956) was a British officer who was instrumental in establishing the Royal Air Force. He has been described as the Father of the Royal Air Force. During his formative years Trenchard struggled academically, failing many examinations and only just succeeding in meeting the minimum standard for commissioned service in the British Army. As a young infantry officer, Trenchard served in India and with the outbreak of the Boer War, he volunteered for service in South Africa. Whilst fighting the Boers, Trenchard was critically wounded and as a result of his injury, he lost a lung, was partially paralysed and returned to Great Britain. On medical advice Trenchard travelled to Switzerland to recuperate and boredom saw him taking up bobsleighing. After a heavy crash, Trenchard found that his paralysis was gone and that he could walk unaided. Following further recuperation, Trenchard returned to active service in South Africa. After the end of the Boer War, Trenchard saw service in Nigeria where he was involved in efforts to bring the interior under settled British rule and quell inter-tribal violence. During his time in West Africa, Trenchard commanded the Southern Nigeria Regiment for several years. In 1912, Trenchard learned to fly and he was subsequently appointed as second ...