Lloyd Samuel Breadner | |
|---|---|
 Air Marshal Breadner in March 1945 | |
| Born | (1894-07-14)14 July 1894 Carleton Place,Ontario, Canada |
| Died | 14 March 1952(1952-03-14) (aged 57) Boston,Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Allegiance | Canada |
| Branch | Royal Flying Corps Royal Air Force Royal Canadian Air Force |
| Years of service | 1915 – 1945 |
| Rank | Air Chief Marshal |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Companion of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Cross |
Air Chief Marshal[note 1]Lloyd Samuel Breadner,CB,DSC (14 July 1894 – 14 March 1952) was aCanadian military pilot andChief of the Air Staff duringWorld War II.
Breadner obtained his pilot's certificate at Wright Flying School and was commissioned in the BritishRoyal Naval Air Service on 28 December 1915. DuringWorld War I, he served on theWestern Front as afighter pilot in theNo. 3 (Naval) Squadron. He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant (RNAS) on 31 December 1916. He was awarded theDistinguished Service Cross on 23 May 1917. The citation read:
For conspicuous gallantry and skill in leading his patrol against hostile formations. He brought down three hostile machines and forced several others to land. On the 6th April, 1917, he drove down a hostile machine which was wrecked while attempting to land in a ploughed field. On the morning of the 11th April, 1917, he destroyed a hostile machine which fell in flames, brought down another in a spinning nose dive with one wing folded up, and forced a third to land.
— London Gazette[1]
Squadron Commander Lloyd Breadner and 3 (Naval) Squadron were posted to RAF Walmer during the Winter of 1917/1918.He was released from theRAF[note 2] with the rank ofmajor[note 3] in March 1919.
He was commissioned and promoted toSquadron Leader in 1920 and transferred to theRoyal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) on its formation in 1924. He became Controller of Civil Aviation in 1922, and later commandedCamp Borden from 15 January 1924, to 23 September 1925. He was promoted toWing Commander on 1 April 1924. After attendingRAF Staff College, he was theDirector of the RCAF from 15 February 1928, to 29 April 1932. From 1932 until 1935, he commandedTrenton and then attended theImperial Defence College. He was promoted toGroup Captain on 1 February 1936, and toAir Commodore on 4 August 1938.[citation needed]
He becameChief of Air Staff on 29 May 1940, and having been promoted toAir Marshal on 19 November 1941, becameAir Officer Commanding-in-ChiefRCAF Overseas in January 1944. Breadner was promoted on his retirement on 25 November 1945, toAir Chief Marshal, the first Canadian to hold this rank.[citation needed]
On 30 November 1944, while he was Chief of Air Staff, his son, Flying Officer Donald Lloyd Breadner, was killed after an air gunnery exercise, while flying a de Havilland Mosquito fromRCAF Station Debert, in Nova Scotia. He was the only son of Breadner and his wife, Mary Evelyn. They also had three daughters.[2]
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Director of the RCAF 1928 – 1932 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chief of the Air Staff (RCAF) 1940 – 1943 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Air Officer Commanding-in-ChiefRCAF Overseas 1944 – 1945 | Succeeded by |