Amyas Borton Air Vice - Marshal Amyas Eden Borton CB , CMG , DSO , AFC ( 20 September 1886 – 15 August 1969 ) was a pilot and commander in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I and a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during the 1920s . He saw active service on the Western Front , in Palestine and in Iraq . In the latter part of his career , Borton was the second Commandant of the RAF College at Cranwell before becoming the Air Officer Commanding the RAF ' s Inland Area . Early life and infantry service . Amyas Borton was born on 20 September 1886 , the younger son of Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Borton who was from Cheveney in Kent . His elder brother , called Arthur Borton like their father , was known as " Bosky " whereas Amyas was known as " Biffy " . He was commissioned into the Black Watch Militia in January 1904 . In 1906 , while remaining in the Black Watch , Borton transferred to the Regular Army . Borton learned to fly whilst on leave from his regiment in 1911 , gaining Royal Aero Club certificate no . 170 on 9 January 1912 . World War I . England and the Western Front . Two months before the start of World War I Borton was seconded to the Military Wing of the Royal Flying Corps , serving as a pilot on No . 5 Squadron at Netheravon . Following the start of the War in June , Borton flew with his Squadron to France . It is recognized that while serving on the Western Front , Borton invented the slang term " archie " for anti - aircraft fire . The usage came about because Borton was probably the first pilot to shout the words " Archibald , certainly not " ( from a popular music - hall song written by George Robey ) as he flew between the exploding German shells . In November Borton was promoted to captain and made a flight commander and posted to a different squadron which resulted in his return to England to take up duties at Brooklands . Amyas was joined by his brother at Brooklands who was an RFC observer at that time . In April 1915 Borton returned to France as a flight commander on No . 8 Squadron . On 7 June , while engaged in aerial combat , Borton received a bullet wound to the head and neck . Although the injury was severe , Borton and his observer Captain Anthony Marshall managed to bandage the wound . Despite severe loss of blood , Borton kept control of his aircraft , completing the reconnaissance sortie and landing safely . He was later awarded the DSO for his actions . Borton ' s recovery was prolonged . In early July , he was still judged to be " not yet out of danger " and it was not until late October 1915 that he returned to duty , being promoted to major and made the officer commanding of No . 10 ( Training ) Squadron which was in England at that time . Just over two months later he was given a new squadron , being appointed officer commanding No . 27 Squadron on 27 December . Initially based at Hounslow Heath Aerodrome , Middlesex and later on the Western Front , Borton remained in command until the end of July 1916 . During this time members of Borton ' s squadron flew missions delivering secret agents behind enemy lines . On 1 August 1916 , Borton was recalled to England and promoted to lieutenant colonel . Back in England he was appointed Officer Commanding of a new training wing at Felton near Bristol . Palestine . By mid December 1916 , Borton had received his orders for Palestine , although he was able to spend Christmas and the New Year with his father and other family members at Cheveney . Borton departed Plymouth on 10 January on the troop ship " the Devon " , arriving in Alexandria 28 January . Borton took up his new post as Officer Commanding the Fifth Wing RFC on 5 February 1917 succeeding Lieutenant - Colonel Joubert de la Ferté . Borton ' s new command comprised two squadrons at the time and had a total of 42 aircraft . The Fifth Wing played an important role in the First and Second Battle of Gaza while Borton was in command . In October 1917 , Borton was moved sideways to head the newly created Fortieth Wing which was based in the Middle East . Having set up the Fortieth Wing , on 14 December Borton was promoted to brigadier - general and given command the Palestine Brigade which consisted of the Fifth and Fortieth wings . As Officer Commanding the Palestine Brigade , Borton was General Allenby ' s air commander although he also reported to the General Officer Commanding the Royal Flying Corps in the Middle East , Major - General Salmond . Borton played an important role in Palestine Campaign during his time in command . In late July and early August 1918 , Borton along with Major Archibald McLaren flew a Handley Page 0 / 400 biplane bomber from Manston , England to Alexandria in Egypt . The aircraft later played a key role in the Battle of Megiddo when it was used to bomb the Turkish Headquarters and telephone exchange in Al - Fuleh . Later in the Battle , the aircraft of Borton ' s Palestine Brigade destroyed the Turkish Seventh Army which marked the end of any Turkish power west of the Jordan . Inter - war years . After the war Borton remained in the newly established RAF and was granted a permanent commission as a lieutenant - colonel . When the RAF introduced its own rank titles in 1919 , he was regraded as a wing commander ( the equivalent rank to his substantive former rank of lieutenant - colonel ) . However , Borton was rapidly promoted to group captain and by the end of 1919 he was the officer in charge of administration at the RAF ' s command headquarters at Halton . At the start of 1921 , Borton returned to the Middle East , this time as the Officer Commanding the newly established Mesopotamian Group which was the air element of the Army - led British forces in the British Mandate of Mesopotamia . Borton instigated air control measures as a means of pacifying the region . After the Kingdom of Iraq was established under British oversight , Borton ' s command was renamed the Iraq Group in October 1921 . In October 1922 , the British Armed Forces in Iraq were reorganized as Iraq Command under Air Vice - Marshal John Salmond . Borton remained in Iraq into 1923 , working for Salmond . From 1923 to 1926 , Borton was the second officer to hold the appointment of Commandant of the RAF College and the air officer commanding RAF Cranwell . Several months after becoming Commandant , Borton married Muriel Agnes Slater at the Savoy Chapel in London . On 1 November 1926 , Borton was appointed Director of Personal Services at the Air Ministry in succession to Air Vice - Marshal Longcroft . Borton remained Director of Personal Services until 1 July 1929 when he was succeeded by Air Commodore Peregrine Fellowes . Borton took up his final appointment as Air Officer Commanding Inland Area on 1 November 1929 , continuing in post until he retired from the RAF on 23 August 1933 in the rank of air vice - marshal . Further reading .