Thomas Traill

Air Vice Marshal Thomas Cathcart Traill, (6 August 1899 – 1 October 1973) was an Argentine-born senior Royal Air Force officer. He began his military career as a midshipman in the Royal Navy, transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in 1917 and rose to the rank of captain during the First World War, becoming a flying ace credited with eight aerial victories. He remained in the newly formed Royal Air Force after the war; by the time he retired in 1954, he had risen to the rank of air vice marshal.

Early life Thomas Cathcart Traill was born on 6 August 1899 in Argentina.

Traill transferred to the Royal Flying Corps to train as a pilot, and after completion of training was commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant on probation on 11 October 1917. He was assigned to No. 20 Squadron RFC that day as a Bristol F.2 Fighter pilot.

List of aerial victories

+Sources No.Date/timeAircraftFoeResultLocationNotes 1 29 May 1918@ 1840 hours Bristol F.2 Fighterserial number C856 Fokker Triplane Driven down out of control West of Armentières, France Observer: Percy Griffith Jones 2 30 June 1918@ 0730 hours Bristol F.2 Fighters/n C938 Albatros D.V Driven down out of control North of Comines (in Belgium) Observer: Percy Griffith Jones 3 2 July 1918@ 0840 hours Bristol F.2 Fighters/n B1344 Fokker D.VII Destroyed Southeast of Gheluvelt Observer: Percy Griffith Jones 4 29 July 1918@ 1955 hours Bristol F.2 Fighters/n E2452 Fokker D.VII Driven down out of control Gheluwe Observer: Richard Gordon-Bennett 5 24 September 1918@ 1600 hours Bristol F.2 Fighters/n E2252 Fokker D.VII Driven down out of control West of Busigny, France Observer: Richard Gordon-Bennett 6 25 September 1918@ 1820 hours Bristol F.2 Fighters/n E2252 Fokker D.VII Destroyed Northeast of Saint-Quentin, France Observer: Richard Gordon-Bennett 7 29 September 1918@ 1025 hours Bristol F.2 Fighters/n E2370 Fokker D.VII Destroyed North of Saint-Quentin, France Observer: Leslie William Burbidge 8 23 October 1918@ 1520 hours Bristol F.2 Fighters/n E2403 Fokker D.VII Destroyed West of Aulnoye-Aymeries, France Observer: Leslie William Burbidge

Interwar period Traill remained in military service, becoming the assistant air attaché in Washington D. C. in 1919. During this period he was sent off to join a barn-storming flying circus in the Mid West to raise funds for the Victory Liberty Loan. This was run by the United States Army Air Service under the command of Major George Stratemeyer. They travelled by train from Texas to the Canada–US border, putting on twenty-eight flying displays. These displays took place at race courses, sports grounds or fields. Large crowds attended as the local city authorities frequently closed all schools and colleges, and encouraged businesses to close in order to raise the maximum amount for the war loan. He returned home to Britain the following year, being assigned to experimental work beginning 18 May 1920. He entered the University of Cambridge on 1 October 1922, receiving a Master of Arts in 1924. After that, he had various further domestic military assignments, as well as foreign service in Iraq, before he began attendance at the RAF Staff College on 23 January 1933. He was appointed to the command of No. 14 Squadron RAF on 16 August 1935, moving on to command RAF Helwan, Egypt on 10 May 1938. He was subsequently promoted to wing commander on 1 July 1938. On 26 September 1938, he was assigned to staff duty with the headquarters of No. 2 (Bomber) Group. A promotion to Group Captain followed on 1 December 1940. The following year would see him command RAF Middleton St. George before moving on to the post of senior air staff officer (SASO) at Headquarters, No. 242 Group. and was again Mentioned in Despatches on 8 June 1944. and was granted command of No. 83 Group RAF. He moved to command of No. 12 Group RAF on 5 May 1946. He was appointed an Officer of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath on 1 January 1948. One year later, he was confirmed as an air vice-marshal.

After a period as director-general of personnel that began on 25 April 1949, he was again appointed to command on 18 February 1952, this time as air officer commanding No. 19 (Reconnaissance) Group. having served for 40 years. He died on 1 October 1973,