Arthur Barratt

Sir Arthur Barratt
Born	25 February 1891 Peshawar, British India
Died	4 November 1966
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army  Royal Air Force
Years of service	1910 - 1947
Rank	Air Chief Marshal
Commands held	No. 6 Squadron No. 49 Squadron 3rd (Corps) Wing School of Army Co-operation No. 1 (Indian) Group RAF Staff College, Andover British Air Forces in France Army Cooperation Command Technical Training Command
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George Military Cross
Other work	Gentleman Usher to the Sword of State

Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Sheridan Barratt KCB CMG MC (25 February 1891 – 4 November 1966) was an officer in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I and a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during World War II.

RAF career

Barratt was commissioned into the Royal Field Artillery in 1910 and transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in 1914.^[1] He served in World War I commanding No. 6 Squadron and then No. 49 Squadron before taking over 3rd (Corps) Wing.^[1] After the War he became Assistant Commandant at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell and then Staff Officer for Administration at Headquarters No. 3 Group.^[1] He was made Commandant at the School of Army Co-operation in 1926 and Air Staff Officer to the General Officer Commanding Shanghai in April 1927 before joining the Air Staff at Headquarters No. 22 Group in November 1927.^[1] He went on to be Chief Instructor at the RAF Staff College, Andover in 1929, Air Officer Commanding No. 1 (Indian) Group in 1931 and Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters RAF India in 1932.^[1] After that he was Director of Staff Duties at the Air Ministry in 1935 and then returned to the RAF Staff College, Andover as Commandant in 1936.^[1]

He served in World War II as Principal RAF Liaison Officer to the French Air Force and then Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief British Air Forces in France.^[1] When he heard that on 14 May 1940, forty of the seventy-one British bombers that had taken off did not return, he is said to have cried.^[2] He continued his war service as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Army Co-operation Command in November 1940 and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Technical Training Command in 1943.^[1] His last appointment was as Inspector-General of the RAF in 1945 in which capacity he took part in the Victory Parade in June 1946^[3] before retiring in 1947.^[1]

Honours and awards

• Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath - 11 July 1940 (CB - 11 May 1937)
• Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George - 3 June 1919
• Military Cross - 14 January 1916
• Officer of the Order of the Crown (Belgium) - 1918 (Chevalier - 15 July 1919)
• Mentioned in Despatches - 1 January 1916, 15 May 1917, 20 May 1918, 11 July 1919, 20 December 1940, 17 October 1941
• Croix de Guerre with Palms (France) - 15 July 1919
• Croix de Guerre (Belgium) - 25 July 1918
• Grand Commander of the Legion of Honour (France) - 1940
• Croix de Guerre (France) - 1940
• Commanders Cross with Star of the Polonia Restituta (Poland) - 12 June 1945
• Deputy Lieutenant (Hampshire) - 31 July 1956

References