In diplomacy , an attaché ( French pronunciation: [ataʃe] ) is a person who is assigned ("to be attached") to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency. Although a loanword from French , in English the word is not modified according to gender .
31-688: Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir John Grandy , GCB , GCVO , KBE , DSO (8 February 1913 – 2 January 2004) was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force . He was the only officer who fought and commanded a squadron during the Battle of Britain to reach the post of Chief of the Air Staff . In the latter role he implemented the final stages of the RAF's withdrawal from
62-570: A five-star rank) on an air force blue background. The rank insignia and flag exists in some other air forces for equivalent ranks. The rank title differs slightly, often being a variation on marshal of the air force , usually with the name of the relevant air force in place of the words 'Royal Air Force'. A notable example of this practice is the rank of marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force . Unlike other MRAFs who only relinquished their appointments, Sir Peter Harding resigned from
93-537: A military attaché serves on the diplomatic staff of an embassy or consulate while retaining a military commission. A science attaché advises on issues pertaining to science and technology. A health attaché advises on global health issues and may serve multiple functions. A "diplomat who collects, analyzes, and acts on information concerning health in a foreign country or countries and provides critical links between public health and foreign affairs stakeholders." Earlier known more as Medical Attaché. Health attaches are
124-590: A month later to command No. 249 Squadron flying Hurricanes from RAF Church Fenton during the Battle of Britain . His squadron shot down more German aircraft than any other squadron during the Battle of Britain, one of his pilots winning the Victoria Cross . Gandy himself was shot down and hospitalised in September 1940. In December 1940 he joined the Air Staff at Headquarters RAF Fighter Command and then transferred to
155-517: A pilot officer on a probationary basis on 11 September 1931. After completing flying training, he was posted as a pilot to No. 54 Squadron flying Bulldogs from RAF Hornchurch in August 1932. He was confirmed in the rank of pilot officer on 11 September 1932 and promoted to flying officer on 11 June 1933. He became Adjutant of No. 604 (County of Middlesex) Squadron at RAF Hendon in April 1935 and attended
186-625: A squadron during the Battle of Britain to reach the post of Chief of the Air Staff. As Chief of the Air Staff he implemented the final stages of the RAF's withdrawal from the Persian Gulf and the Far East , oversaw the ordering and subsequent cancellation of the F-111 strike aircraft and handed over Britain's nuclear deterrent role to the Royal Navy . He retired on 31 March 1971 and was promoted to Marshal of
217-511: Is the highest rank in the Royal Air Force (RAF). In peacetime it was granted to RAF officers in the appointment of Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), and to retired Chiefs of the Air Staff (CAS), who were promoted to it on their last day of service. While surviving Marshals of the RAF retain the rank for life, the highest rank to which officers on active service are promoted is now air chief marshal . Although general promotions to Marshal of
248-524: The Persian Gulf and the Far East , oversaw the ordering and subsequent cancellation of the F-111 strike aircraft and handed over Britain's nuclear deterrent role to the Royal Navy . The son of Francis Grandy and his wife, Nell Grandy (née Lines), Grandy was educated at Northwood Preparatory School and the University College School in London , and was commissioned into the Royal Air Force as
279-527: The Royal Navy or a field marshal in the British Army . The rank was instituted in 1919 and the first officer to be promoted to MRAF was Sir Hugh Trenchard in 1927. Since that time, including Trenchard, there have been 27 men who have held the rank. Of those, 22 have been professional RAF officers and five have been senior members of the British Royal Family . King George V did not formally hold
310-623: The St Edward's Crown representing royal authority. Prior to 1953, the Tudor Crown (sometimes called the King's Crown) was used. The command flag of a marshal of the Royal Air Force has a broad red horizontal band in the centre with a thinner red band on each side of it. The vehicle star plate for a marshal of the Royal Air Force depicts five white stars (marshal of the Royal Air Force is equivalent to
341-858: The Air Staff in the Operations Directorate at Headquarters Fighter Command in May 1952 and went on to be Commandant of the Central Fighter Establishment in December 1954. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1956 Birthday Honours and promoted to air commodore on 1 January 1956. He attended Imperial Defence College in early 1957 and then became Commander of Operation Grapple (the Hydrogen Bomb testing programme) in September 1957. He
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#1732855555443372-478: The Air Staff were Lord Douglas of Kirtleside and Sir Arthur Harris . Both held high command during the Second World War . Harris was Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Bomber Command and Douglas was Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Fighter Command , Middle East Command and Coastal Command . Prior to the creation of the RAF's officer rank titles in 1919, it was proposed that by analogy with field marshal ,
403-677: The Instructors' Course at the Central Flying School in January 1936. He was promoted to flight lieutenant on 11 June 1936 and was posted to the University of London Air Squadron as Adjutant in January 1937. Grandy served in the Second World War , initially as Squadron Commander at No. 13 Flying Training School. In April 1940 he was given command of No. 219 Squadron flying Blenheims from RAF Catterick on night patrol duties and then went on
434-519: The Order of the British Empire in the 1961 Birthday Honours and confirmed in the rank of air marshal on 1 January 1962. On return to the United Kingdom, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief Bomber Command on 1 September 1963 and, having been advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 1964 Birthday Honours , he went on to become Commander-in-Chief, Far East Command during
465-636: The RAF in 1994. Consequently, his name was removed from the Air Force List, but it was later reinstated. Attach%C3%A9 An attaché is normally an official, who serves either as a diplomat or as a member of the support staff, under the authority of an ambassador or other head of a diplomatic mission , mostly in intergovernmental organizations or international non-governmental organisations or agencies . Attachés monitor various issues related to their area of specialty (see examples below) that may require some action. To this end, attachés may undertake
496-530: The Royal Air Force on 1 April 1971. Grandy served as Governor of Gibraltar from 3 October 1973 to 30 May 1978 and then as Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle from 11 August 1978 to 9 February 1988. He was appointed a Knight of the Venerable Order of Saint John on 31 January 1974 and a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in the 1988 New Year Honours . He was also Chairman of
527-592: The Royal Air Force have been discontinued since the British defence cuts of the 1990s, further promotions to the rank may still be made in wartime, for members of the Royal Family and certain very senior RAF air officers in peacetime at the discretion of the monarch; all such promotions in peacetime are only honorary, however. In 2012, the then Prince of Wales was promoted to the rank in recognition of his support for his mother, Queen Elizabeth II , in her capacity as head of
558-592: The Staff at No. 52 Operational Training Unit. He was promoted to wing commander on a temporary basis on 1 March 1941 and in November 1941 he was sent to RAF Duxford where he was given command of flying operations. In February 1942, he was given overall command of RAF Duxford and he oversaw the establishment there of the RAF's first Typhoon Wing . He was promoted to wing commander on a war substantive basis on 12 August 1942 and mentioned in despatches on 1 January 1943. Grandy
589-689: The Trustees of the Imperial War Museum . He died, following a stroke , at Wexham Park Hospital in Slough on 2 January 2004. In 1937 he married Cecile Rankin (daughter of Sir Robert Rankin ); they had two sons. His interests included golf and his membership of the Royal Yacht Squadron . ^ Ben Bathurst Marshal of the Royal Air Force Marshal of the Royal Air Force ( MRAF )
620-402: The armed forces (commander-in-chief), while in 2014 Lord Stirrup , who had served as Chief of the Air Staff and Chief of the Defence Staff for over seven years, was also promoted. Marshal of the Royal Air Force is a five-star rank and unlike the air marshal ranks, can properly be considered a marshal rank. MRAF has a NATO ranking code of OF-10, equivalent to an admiral of the fleet in
651-400: The fleet and is worn on both the lower sleeves of the tunic or on the shoulders of the flying suit or the service working dress uniform. Marshals of the Royal Air Force wear shoulder boards with their service dress at ceremonial events. These shoulder boards show the air officer 's eagle surrounded by a wreath, two crossed marshal 's batons and, since the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II ,
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#1732855555443682-534: The highest rank title should be air marshal . It was later decided to use the rank of air marshal as an equivalent rank to lieutenant general and "marshal of the air" was put forward as the highest RAF rank. This new rank title was opposed by the then Chief of the Imperial General Staff , Sir Henry Wilson , who considered that the title was "ridiculous". However, the Chief of the Air Staff , Sir Hugh Trenchard
713-640: The latter stages of the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation on 28 May 1965. He was promoted to air chief marshal on 1 April 1965. Advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the 1967 New Year Honours and appointed an honorary Commander of the Malaysian Order of the Defender of the Realm , Grandy became Chief of the Air Staff on 1 April that year. He was the only officer who fought and commanded
744-642: The missing link for global diplomacy. The title is also used in reference to diplomacy and in the hierarchical administration of the Catholic Church , specifically in the Roman Curia , in cases where a priest, usually in the diplomatic corps of the Holy See or else released for service to the Holy See , serves in a nunciature in a given country or to an international or intergovernmental organization . Especially in
775-429: The new title was deemed more appropriate. It has also been reported that King George V was not happy with the title of marshal of the air, feeling it might imply attributes which should properly be reserved for God . The rank insignia consists of four narrow light blue bands (each on a slightly wider black band) above a light blue band on a broad black band. This insignia is derived from the sleeve lace of an admiral of
806-646: The planning for events to be attended, decisions which will be taken, managing arrangements and agendas, conducting research, and acting as a representative of the interests of their state when necessary, to the types of organizations mentioned above, and also to national academies and to industry. Sometimes an attaché has special responsibilities or expertise. Examples include a cultural attaché , customs attaché, police officer attaché, labor attaché, legal attaché, liaison officer attaché, military/defense attaché , press attaché , agricultural attaché , commercial attaché, maritime attaché and science attaché . Typically,
837-467: The rank of marshal of the RAF; rather he assumed the title of Chief of the Royal Air Force. In this capacity from time to time he wore RAF uniform with the rank insignia of a marshal of the RAF. He first publicly wore such uniform in 1935, the year before his death. Excluding monarchs and other members of the Royal Family, the only two RAF officers ever to have held the rank without serving as Chief of
868-635: Was awarded the Distinguished Service Order on 19 October 1945. After the war Grandy became Deputy Director of Operational Training at the Air Ministry from 1946 and became Air Attaché in Brussels in January 1949. He was promoted to group captain on a substantive basis on 1 January 1950, before becoming Officer Commanding the Northern Sector of Fighter Command in November 1950. He joined
899-656: Was given command of No. 210 Group RAF defending the Port of Tripoli in February 1943 and then went to Egypt to command No. 73 Operational Training Unit at RAF Abu Suwayr in September 1943. Having been promoted to the temporary rank of group captain on 1 July 1944, he became Officer Commanding No. 341 Wing fighting the Japanese in the Far East in February 1945. He became Senior Air Staff Officer at Headquarters No. 232 Group in September 1945 and
930-533: Was promoted to acting air vice marshal on 6 December 1957 and became Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operations) in October 1958. He was confirmed in the rank of air vice marshal on 1 July 1958. Promoted to acting air marshal on 7 January 1961, Grandy became Commander-in-Chief of RAF Germany as well as Commander of the Second Tactical Air Force in January 1961. He was appointed a Knight Commander of
961-455: Was unmoved and the title was adopted. Though never held by a Royal Air Force officer, the rank title of marshal of the air lasted until April 1925, when it was changed to marshal of the Royal Air Force. Questioned in the House of Commons , Secretary of State for Air Sir Samuel Hoare stated that the reason for the change in title was that marshal of the air was "somewhat indefinite in character" and