Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Penrose Martyn Sanders, GCB, KBE (17 March 1898 – 8 February 1974), was a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War and a senior Royal Air Force commander during the Second World War and the immediate post-war years.
RAF career
Born the son of a clergyman Henry Martyn Sanders and his wife Maud Mary (née Dixon), Sanders was educated at Haileybury before undergoing officer training at Sandhurst.[3] Sanders was commissioned into the Northumberland Fusiliers in April 1916[4] but transferred to the Royal Flying Corps a few weeks later.[3] He served as a pilot in No 5 Squadron RFC and in May 1917, was wounded in a dogfight with German aircraft.[3] As a result, he lost his arm but managed to land his aircraft.[3] Due to his disability, Sanders was assigned to junior staff officer duties for the remainder of the war. On 1 April 1918, Sanders was transferred to the Royal Air Force along with his fellow Flying Corps officers.[3]
Sanders remained in the RAF after the war and made steady progress through the ranks. He served in a variety of staff and instructional roles, notably on the air staff of Aden Command in 1932 and 1933.[3] He was promoted to group captain just before the outbreak of the Second World War.[3]
During the Second World War, he first served on the staff of the RAF staff College where he was responsible for planning the first wartime course.[3] In 1940, Sanders was appointed the Director of Ground Defence at the Air Ministry and his work was partly responsible for the establishment of the RAF Regiment in 1942.[3] In late 1942 Sanders was appointed Assistant Chief of Staff (Air) at Allied Force Headquarters and in January 1943 he took up the post at Air Officer Administration at Bomber Command.[3]
After the war, Sanders served as the Commandant of the RAF staff College at Bracknell before spending much of 1948 as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of British Air Forces of Occupation.[3] He then served as Vice Chief of the Air Staff and Deputy Chief of the Air Staff.[3] In May 1952, Sanders became Commander-in-Chief of the RAF's Middle East Air Force before his final tour as Commandant of the Imperial Defence College.[3] He retired on 29 January 1956.[3]
References
- ^ "No. 36464". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 April 1944. p. 1674.
- ^ "No. 38016". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 July 1947. p. 3265.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Sanders
- ^ "No. 29537". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 April 1916. p. 3683.
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