# Augustus Orlebar

Air Vice Marshal Augustus Henry Orlebar, CBE, AFC & Bar (17 February 1897 – 4 August 1943) was a British Army and Royal Air Force officer who served in both world wars.
After being wounded during the Gallipoli campaign, Orlebar was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps and subsequently the Royal Air Force (RAF). He formally transferred to the RAF after the First World War and between the wars was involved in high speed flying, commanding the High Speed Flight RAF, competing in the Schneider Trophy, and holding the world air speed record.
By the outbreak of the Second World War Orlebar was in command of RAF Northolt. He briefly became Director of Flying Training in 1940 before going to HQ RAF Fighter Command. In July 1941 he became Air Officer Commanding, No. 10 (Fighter) Group, and in March 1943 Deputy Chief of Combined Operations. He fell ill, and died in hospital on 4 August 1943.

## Early life

Orlebar was the son of Augustus Scobell Orlebar and Hester Mary Orlebar, of Podington, Bedfordshire. The Orlebars were an old established family, having built Hinwick House almost 200 years earlier, after holding the manor since the mid-17th century. He was educated at Rugby School.

## First World War

Orlebar was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1/5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment (Territorial Force) on 15 January 1915. His battalion landed at Suvla Bay on 11 August 1915, pitching him into the Gallipoli campaign, He was promoted to temporary lieutenant on 21 September 1915, but was subsequently wounded in action by a sniper's bullet. He was then invalided to the United Kingdom and seconded to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) on recovery.
Orlebar trained as a pilot in 1916 and was appointed a flying officer in the military wing of the RFC on 17 September 1916 when he was formally seconded from his regimental duties to the RFC. His rank of lieutenant was confirmed on 21 October. He was posted to No. 19 Squadron RFC on the Western Front. On 13 March 1918 he shot down and severely wounded Ltn. Lothar von Richthofen (brother of Manfred von Richthofen), near Cambrai. He was wounded in turn himself by Albatros scouts over Ham on 23 March 1918. Before his return to combat, he also served as an instructor in Essex.
Orlebar was credited with two enemy aircraft destroyed whilst serving with No 19 and a further four as a flight commander in No 73 Squadron, before being wounded. He gained his final victory with No. 43 Squadron on 29 September, bringing his total to seven.

## Inter-war service

Orlebar served as a test pilot at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE), Martlesham Heath, between 1919 and 1925, being awarded the Air Force Cross in 1921 and the bar in 1929.

## Air racing

Orlebar was Officer Commanding and pilot with the High Speed Flight, the RAF's team for the Schneider Trophy seaplane races of 1927–1931. Britain, having won the 1927 race, became the subsequent host for the contests, which were based at RAF Calshot on the eastern entrance to Southampton Water.
In 1929 Orlebar set an air speed record of 357.7 mph in Supermarine S.6 N247.
The final contest was held in 1931, for a 3rd win gave the title to Britain in perpetuity. His report on the contest describes Flight Lieutenant George Stainforth's achievement of a new speed record at over 400 mph.

## Second World War

At the outbreak of the Second World War Orlebar was the Director of Flying Training before joining the Air Staff, HQ Fighter Command in October 1940. On 22 July 1941 he became Air Officer Commanding of No. 10 Group then the position of Deputy Chief of Combined Operations, at RAF Northolt from 2 March 1943. He died in hospital from natural causes after a short illness and is buried at his family church of Saint Mary's, Podington, Bedfordshire. He is commemorated on the War Memorial of the Church.

## Service career
### Decorations

Air Force Cross – 2 Jan 1922, Bar – 3 Jun 1930, Mentioned in Despatches – 24 Sep 1941.

### Ranks held

| Army |
| Second Lieutenant | 15 Jan 1915 |
| Lieutenant Temporary | 21 Sep 1915 |
| Lieutenant | 21 Oct 1916 [1 Jun 1916] |
| Captain Temporary | 20 Dec 1917 |
| RAF |
| Lieutenant | 1 Apr 1918 |
| Flight Lieutenant | 1 Aug 1919 [1 Apr 1918] |
| Squadron Leader | 1 Jul 1928 |
| Wing Commander | 1 Jan 1932 |
| Group Captain | 1 Jul 1937 |
| Air Commodore Temporary | 1 Feb 1940 |
| Acting Air Vice Marshal | 22 Jul 1941 – 1 Jan 1943 |
| Air Commodore War substantive | 22 Jul 1942 |
| Air Commodore | 1 Oct 1942 [22 Jul 1942] |
| Acting Air Vice Marshal | 1 Mar 1943 – 21 Jun 1943 |

### Service record
#### Army

| 15 Jan 1915 | 2nd Lt, 1/5th Territorial Btn. Bedfordshire Regiment (Gallipoli) |

#### Royal Flying Corps

| 17 Sep 1916 | Flying Officer, RFC |
| 1916 | Pilot, No. 19 Sqn. RFC | (BE12, Spad VII – Western Front) |
| 1917 | Pilot, No. 44 (Home Defence) Sqn. RFC | (Camel – Hainault farm) |
| 19 Aug 1917 | precedence backdated to 1 Jun 1916. |
| 20 Dec 1917 | Flight Commander, No. 73 Sqn. RFC | (Camel – Western Front) |

#### RAF

| 1918 | Instructor |
| Aug 1918 | Flight Commander, No. 43 Squadron RAF | (Camel, Snipe – Western Front) |
| 1 Jul 1919 | Pilot, Aeroplane Experimental Station, Martlesham Heath. |
| 1 Aug 1919 | Relinquishes his commission in the Bedfordshire Regiment (retaining rank of Lieutenant) |
| 28 Oct 1919 | Granted a Permanent Commission in the rank of Flight Lieutenant (effective from 1 Aug) |
| 16 Mar 1920 | Pilot, at the renamed Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment |
| 24 Jul 1923 | Flight Commander, No. 22 Sqn. Trials aircraft – Martlesham Heath |
| 4 May 1925 | Attended RAF Staff College |
| 12 Apr 1926 | Staff, HQ No. 22 Group |
| 21 Sep 1926 | supernumerary – awaiting disposal, HQ Iraq Command |
| 3 Sep 1927 | Staff, Deputy Directorate of Staff Duties. |
| 9 Jan 1929 | Test Pilot, Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment |
| 2 Dec 1929 | Officer Commanding, Flying Boat Development Flight. |
| 11 May 1931 | Officer Commanding, RAF High Speed Flight. |
| 2 Jan 1932 | Staff, HQ No. 1 Air Defence Group |
| 22 Sep 1933 | Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO), HQ Aden Command |
| 1 May 1936 | Staff, Directorate of Staff Duties |
| 12 Jan 1937 | Attended Imperial Defence College |
| 20 Dec 1937 | Officer Commanding, RAF Northolt |
| 15 Oct 1939 | Duty Air Commodore, HQ RAF Fighter Command |
| 29 Jul 1940 | Director of Flying Training |
| 15 Oct 1940 | Air Staff, HQ RAF Fighter Command |
| 22 Jul 1941 | AOC, No. 10 (Fighter) Group |
| 4 Nov 1942 |
| 2 Mar 1943 | Deputy Chief of Combined Operations |