Roderick Carr: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Royal Air Force Air Marshal (1891–1971)}}

{{For|the New Zealand businessman and university administrator|Rod Carr (administrator)}}

{{Use British English|date=August 2011}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}

{{Infobox military person

| name = Sir Roderick Carr

| image = Air Mshl Sir Roderick Carr.jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption= Sir Roderick Carr =

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1891|08|31|df=yes}}

| birth_place = [[Feilding]], New Zealand

| death_date = {{death date and age|1971|12|15|1891|08|31|df=yes}}

| death_place = [[RAF Hospital Uxbridge]], England

| placeofburial =

| allegiance = United Kingdom

| branch = [[Royal Navy]] (1914–181914–1918)<br/>[[Lithuanian Air Force]] (1919–1920)<br/>[[Royal Air Force]] (1918–471920–1947)

| serviceyears = 1914–1947

| rank = [[Air Marshal]]

| servicenumber =

| unit =

| commands= [[Chief of Air Staff (India)| = Commander in Chief, [[Air Headquarters India]] (1946)<br/>[[No. 4 Group RAF|No. 4 Group]] (1941–451941–1945)<br/>[[No. 61 Group RAF|No. 61 Group]] (1940)<br/>[[RAF Brize Norton]] (1939)

| battles = [[First World War]]<br/>[[Lithuanian Wars of Independence|Lithuanian War of Independence]]<br/>[[Second World War]]

| awards = [[Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire]]<br/>[[Companion of the Order of the Bath]]<br/>[[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Flying Cross]]<br/>[[Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)|Air Force Cross]]<br/>[[Mentioned in Despatches]]<br/>[[Order of St. Anna|Order of St. Anna, 2nd Class with Swords and Bow]] (Russia)<br/>[[Order of St. Vladimir|Order of St. Vladimir, 4th Class with Sword and Bow]] (Russia)<br/>[[LegionCommander of Honour|Commandeurthe deLegion laof Légion d'honneurHonour]] (France)<br/>[[Croix de guerre 1914–1918 (France)|Croix de guerre]] (France)

| relations =

| laterwork = Divisional Controller, [[Ministry of Civil Aviation (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Civil Aviation]]

}}

[[Air Marshal]] '''Sir Charles Roderick Carr''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|KBE|CB|DFC|AFC}} (31 August 1891 – 15 December 1971) was a senior [[Royal Air Force]] commander from New Zealand. He held high command in the [[Second World War]] and served as [[Chief of Air Staff (India)|Chief of the Indian Air Force]].

[[Air Marshal]] '''Sir Charles Roderick Carr''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|KBE|CB|DFC|AFC}} (31 August 1891 – 15 December 1971) was a senior [[Royal Air Force]] commander from New Zealand. He held high command in the [[Second World War]] and served as [[Chief of Air StaffOfficer (India)|Commanding-in-Chief ofin the Indian Air Force]]India.

==Military career==

Educated at Fielding School and [[Wellington College (New Zealand)|Wellington College, New Zealand]], Carr was commissioned as a temporary flight sub-lieutenant in the [[Royal Naval Air Service]] in July 1915.<ref name=odnb>{{cite web|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/74578|title=Carr, Sir (Charles) Roderick|publisher=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|accessdate=24 February 2016}}</ref> He saw action as a spotter at the [[Battle of Loos]] in October 1915 during the [[World War I|First World War]].<ref name=odnb/>

==Education and military career==

In 1919 Carr went to Russia to fight on the [[White movement|anti-Bolshevist]] side in the [[Russian Civil War|civil war]], where he won his [[Distinguished Flying Cross (British)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] for action against the enemy. The citation was as follows:<ref name=air>{{cite web|url=http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Carr_CR.htm|title=Air Marshal Sir Roderick Carr|publisher=Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation|accessdate=24 February 2016}}</ref>

Educated at Fieldinga Feilding public Schoolschool and [[Wellington College (New Zealand)|Wellington College, New Zealand]], Carr was commissioned as a temporary flight sub-lieutenant in the [[Royal Naval Air Service]] in July 1915.<ref name=odnb>{{cite webODNB|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/74578|title=Carr, Sir (Charles) Roderick|publisheryear=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography2004|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/74578|accessdate=24 February 2016}}</ref> He saw action as a spotter at the [[Battle of Loos]] in October 1915 during the [[World War I|First World War]].<ref name=odnb/>

{{quote|On the 17th June, 1919, this officer flew a scout machine over the enemy aerodrome at [[Puchega]], at an average height of only 50 feet, for thirty minutes. During this time he succeeded in setting fire to a [[Nieuport]] enemy machine, to a hangar which contained three aeroplanes (all of which were destroyed), drove all the personnel off the aerodrome, and killed some of the mechanics.}}

In 1919, Carr went to Russia to fight on the [[White movement|anti-Bolshevist]] side in the [[Russian Civil War|civil war]], where he wonwas awarded hisa [[Distinguished Flying Cross (British)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] for action against the enemy. The citation was as follows:<ref name=air>{{cite web|url=http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Carr_CR.htm|title=Air Marshal Sir Roderick Carr|publisher=Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation|accessdate=24 February 2016}}</ref>

In 1921 Carr was a part of [[Ernest Shackleton]]'s final [[Antarctic]] expedition. On his return, he was granted an RAF short service commission in the rank of [[flying officer]].<ref name=air/>

{{quoteblockquote|On the 17th June, 1919, this officer flew a scout machine over the enemy aerodrome at [[Puchega]], at an average height of only 50 feet, for thirty minutes. During this time he succeeded in setting fire to a [[Nieuport]] enemy machine, to a hangar which contained three aeroplanes (all of which were destroyed), drove all the personnel off the aerodrome, and killed some of the mechanics.}}

In 1927, Carr and Flight Lieutenant L.E.M. Gillman attempted a non-stop flight to India, in a specially modified [[Hawker Horsley]] aircraft carrying much extra fuel and taking off at a weight of over 14,000&nbsp;lb (6,350&nbsp;kg). Carr and Gillman took off from [[RAF Cranwell]] on 20 May 1927, but ran out of fuel ''en route'', [[water landing|ditching]] in the [[Persian Gulf]] near [[Bandar Abbas]], Iran. Despite this they had covered a distance of 3,420&nbsp;mi (5,506&nbsp;km), which was sufficient to set a new [[Flight distance record|world distance record]], but which was beaten in turn within a few hours by [[Charles Lindbergh]]'s solo Atlantic flight between New York and Paris in the ''[[Spirit of St. Louis]]'', covering 3,590&nbsp;mi (5,780&nbsp;km).<ref name="Mason Hawker p12-3">Mason, Francis K. ''Hawker Aircraft since 1920''. London:Putnam, Third edition, 1991. {{ISBN|0-85177-839-9}}., pp.&nbsp;12–13.</ref>

Between 28 November 1919 and 18 February 1920, Carr served as chief of the [[Lithuanian Air Force]] (Aviacijos dalis).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.plienosparnai.lt/page.php?214 | title=Carr Charles Roderick - Lietuvos Aviacijos Istorija 1919 - 1940 M }}</ref>

During the [[Second World War]], Carr served in [[RAF Bomber Command|Bomber Command]] as [[Air Officer Commanding]] [[No. 4 Group RAF]] for the majority of the war. Carr was promoted and appointed Deputy Chief of Staff (Air) at the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Force in the final stages of the North West Europe Campaign. His war services were recognised with the award of Commander of the [[Legion of Honour]] and the [[Croix de guerre 1939–1945|Croix de Guerre]] by the President of France.<ref>M. Brewer, 'New Zealand and the Legion d'honneur: Officiers, Commandeurs and Dignites', The Volunteers: The Journal of the New Zealand Military Historical Society, 35(3), March 2010, p.&nbsp;137.</ref> Sir Roderick later became Air Officer Commanding, India Command ("Chief of the [[Indian Air Force]]").

In 1921, Carr was a partmember of Sir [[Ernest Shackleton]]'s final [[Antarctic]] expedition. On his return, he was granted an RAF short service commission in the rank of [[flying officer]].<ref name="air" />

In 1927, Carr and Flight Lieutenant L.E.M. Gillman attempted a non-stop flight to India, in a specially modified [[Hawker Horsley]] aircraft carrying much extra fuel and taking off at a weight of over {{convert|14,000&nbsp;|lb (6,350&nbsp;|kg)}}. Carr and Gillman took off from [[RAF Cranwell]] on 20 May 1927, but ran out of fuel ''en route'', [[water landing|ditching]] in the [[Persian Gulf]] near [[Bandar Abbas]], Iran. Despite this they had covered a distance of {{convert|3,420&nbsp;|mi (5,506&nbsp;|km)|abbr=on}}, which was sufficient to set a new [[Flight distance record|world distance record]], but which was beaten in turn within a few hours by [[Charles Lindbergh]]'s solo Atlantic flight between New York and Paris in the ''[[Spirit of St. Louis]]'', covering {{convert|3,590&nbsp;|mi (5,780&nbsp;|km)|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Mason Hawker p12-3">Mason, Francis K. ''Hawker Aircraft since 1920''. London:Putnam, Third edition, 1991. {{ISBN|0-85177-839-9}}., pp.&nbsp;12–13.</ref>

During the [[Second World War]], Carr served in [[RAF Bomber Command|Bomber Command]] as [[Air Officer Commanding]] [[No. 4 Group RAF]] for the majority of the war. Carr was promoted and appointed Deputy Chief of Staff (Air) at the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Force in June 1945, in the final stages of the North West Europe Campaign. HisTwo warmonths serviceslater, wereCarr recognisedbecame withAir theMarshal awardCommanding, ofHQ CommanderBase ofAir theForces [[LegionSouth ofEast Honour]] and the [[Croix de guerre 1939–1945|Croix de Guerre]] by the President of France.<ref>M. BrewerAsia, 'New Zealand and thethen LegionBAFSEA d'honneur:was Officiersdisbanded, Commandeurs and Dignites',on The1 Volunteers:April The Journal of the New Zealand Military Historical Society1946, 35(3), March 2010, p.&nbsp;137.</ref> Sir Roderick later became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, India Command ("Chief of the [[IndianAir AirHeadquarters ForceIndia]]").<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Carr_CR.htm|title=C R Carr_P}}</ref>

His war services were recognised with the award of Commander of the [[Legion of Honour]] and the [[Croix de guerre 1939–1945|Croix de Guerre]] by the President of France.<ref>M. Brewer, 'New Zealand and the Legion d'honneur: Officiers, Commandeurs and Dignites', The Volunteers: The Journal of the New Zealand Military Historical Society, 35(3), March 2010, p.&nbsp;137.</ref> In the [[1941 New Year Honours (New Zealand)|1941 New Year Honours]], Carr was appointed a [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]],<ref>{{London Gazette |date=1 January 1941 |supp=y |issue=35029 |page=11}}</ref> and he was promoted to Knight Commander of the same order in July 1945.<ref>{{London Gazette |date=5 July 1945 |supp=y |issue=37161 |page=3489}}</ref> He was made a [[Companion of the Order of the Bath]] in the [[1943 Birthday Honours|1943 King's Birthday Honours]].<ref>{{London Gazette |date=2 June 1943 |supp=y |issue=36033 |page=2420}}</ref>

In retirement, he lived in [[Bampton, Oxfordshire]].<ref name=odnb/> He died at [[RAF Hospital Uxbridge]].<ref name=odnb/>

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==

{{Commons category|Roderick Carr}}

*[http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/commanders/group.html RAF biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040914081723/http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/commanders/group.html |date=14 September 2004 }}

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[[Category:Royal Air Force personnel of World War II]]

[[Category:Royal Air Force air marshals]]

[[Category:New Zealand Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire]]

[[Category:New Zealand Companions of the Order of the Bath]]

[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)]]

[[Category:New Zealand recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)]]

[[Category:CommandeursCommanders of the LégionLegion d'honneurof Honour]]

[[Category:New Zealand recipients of the LégionLegion d'honneurof Honour]]

[[Category:New Zealand knights]]

[[Category:Royal Air Force personnel of the Russian Civil War]]

[[Category:Royal Flying Corps officers]]

[[Category:ExplorersBritish explorers of Antarctica]]

[[Category:New Zealand knightsexplorers of Antarctica]]

[[Category:Royal Navy officers of World War I]]

[[Category:New Zealand military personnelaviators]]

[[Category:People from Feilding]]

[[Category:New Zealand aviation record holders]]

[[Category:British military personnel of the Russian Civil War]]