Sir Roderick Carr | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1891-08-31)31 August 1891 Feilding, New Zealand |
| Died | 15 December 1971(1971-12-15) (aged 80) RAF Hospital Uxbridge, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Navy (1914–1918) Lithuanian Air Force (1919–1920) Royal Air Force (1920–1947) |
| Years of service | 1914–1947 |
| Rank | Air Marshal |
| Commands | Commander in Chief,Air Headquarters India (1946) No. 4 Group (1941–1945) No. 61 Group (1940) RAF Brize Norton (1939) |
| Battles / wars | First World War Lithuanian War of Independence Second World War |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companion of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Flying Cross Air Force Cross Mentioned in Despatches Order of St. Anna, 2nd Class with Swords and Bow (Russia) Order of St. Vladimir, 4th Class with Sword and Bow (Russia) Commander of the Legion of Honour (France) Croix de guerre (France) |
| Other work | Divisional Controller,Ministry of Civil Aviation |
Air MarshalSir Charles Roderick Carr,KBE, CB, DFC, AFC (31 August 1891 – 15 December 1971) was a seniorRoyal Air Force commander from New Zealand. He held high command in theSecond World War and served as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief in India.
Educated at a Feilding public school andWellington College, New Zealand, Carr was commissioned as a temporary flight sub-lieutenant in theRoyal Naval Air Service in July 1915.[1] He saw action as a spotter at theBattle of Loos in October 1915 during theFirst World War.[1]
In 1919, Carr went to Russia to fight on theanti-Bolshevist side in thecivil war, where he was awarded aDistinguished Flying Cross for action against the enemy. The citation was as follows:[2]
On the 17th June, 1919, this officer flew a scout machine over the enemy aerodrome at Puchega, at an average height of only 50 feet, for thirty minutes. During this time he succeeded in setting fire to aNieuport enemy machine, to a hangar which contained three aeroplanes (all of which were destroyed), drove all the personnel off the aerodrome, and killed some of the mechanics.
Between 28 November 1919 and 18 February 1920, Carr served as chief of theLithuanian Air Force (Aviacijos dalis).[3]
In 1921, Carr was a member of SirErnest Shackleton's finalAntarctic expedition. On his return, he was granted an RAF short service commission in the rank offlying officer.[2]
In 1927, Carr and Flight Lieutenant L.E.M. Gillman attempted a non-stop flight to India, in a specially modifiedHawker Horsley aircraft carrying much extra fuel and taking off at a weight of over 14,000 pounds (6,400 kg). Carr and Gillman took off fromRAF Cranwell on 20 May 1927, but ran out of fuelen route,ditching in thePersian Gulf nearBandar Abbas, Iran. Despite this they had covered a distance of 3,420 mi (5,500 km), which was sufficient to set a newworld distance record, but which was beaten in turn within a few hours byCharles Lindbergh's solo Atlantic flight between New York and Paris in theSpirit of St. Louis, covering 3,590 mi (5,780 km).[4]
During theSecond World War, Carr served inBomber Command asAir Officer CommandingNo. 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, Carr 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.[5]
His war services were recognised with the award of Commander of theLegion of Honour and theCroix de Guerre by the President of France.[6] In the1941 New Year Honours, Carr was appointed aCommander of the Order of the British Empire,[7] and he was promoted to Knight Commander of the same order in July 1945.[8] He was made aCompanion of the Order of the Bath in the1943 King's Birthday Honours.[9]
In retirement, he lived inBampton, Oxfordshire.[1] He died atRAF Hospital Uxbridge.[1]
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Commander in Chief,Air Headquarters India 1946 | Succeeded byas Commander in Chief, RAF India |
| Preceded by | Air Officer CommandingNo. 4 Group 1941–1945 | Succeeded by |
| Heraldic offices | ||
| Preceded by | King of Arms of the Order of the British Empire 1947–1968 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
