1922 Encyclopædia Britannica/Trenchard, Sir Hugh Montague

TRENCHARD, SIR HUGH MONTAGUE, Bart. (1873- ), British air marshal, was born Feb. 3, 1873 and joined the army in 1893. He served through the S. African War, was danger- ously wounded, and was promoted brevet major. He was then for seven years with the W. African Frontier Force and during that time took part in three campaigns, receiving the D.S.O. in 1906. After returning home in 1910 he joined the Royal Flying Corps and he became assistant commandant at Upavon in 1912. On the outbreak of war in 1914 he was at first left in charge of the central depot at Farnborough, but before the end of the year he was summoned to the front and he shortly afterwards became head of the military wing of the air forces under Sir J. French; this appointment he filled with signal success for nearly three years. He was promoted brevet lieutenant-colonel and brevet colonel in 1915, and advanced to the rank of major-general at the beginning of 1917. On the formation of the Air Ministry at the end of that year he was brought home to become chief of the staff, but he resigned the position in the following April; he was however a few weeks later given command of the "Independent Force," which carried out extensive raids into German territory during the closing months of the struggle. He had been made a K.C.B. in 1918, and on the final distribution of honours for the war he was given a baronetcy and received a grant of £10,000. He was gazetted air vice-marshal on the introduction of the new designations of rank in the air service, and in 1919 he was pro- moted air marshal and became chief of the air staff.