Roderick Carr: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 02:37, 27 November 2020

Revision as of 01:55, 28 November 2020

Line 38:

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>

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. Two months later, Sir Roderick became Air Marshal Commanding, HQ Base Air Forces South East Asia, and then BAFSEA was disbanded, and on 1 April 1946, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, [[Air Headquarters India]]<ref>http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Carr_CR.htm</ref> ("Chief of the Indian Air Force").

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