Geoffrey Salmond - Royal Air Force Service

Royal Air Force Service

Salmond was awarded a permanent commission in the Royal Air Force as a major-general in August 1919 (shortly afterwards redesignated as a air vice marshal). On 23 February 1922 Salmond returned to Great Britain to take up the post of Director-General of Supply and Research at the Air Ministry. The following year, his post was renamed Air Member for Supply and Research and he remained as the head of Supply and Research for the RAF until late 1926. He was advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 1926 Birthday Honours.

Salmond's next appointment was as Air Officer Commanding India in December 1926. He travelled to India by aircraft, making him the first officer to travel to an overseas command by air. He was promoted to air marshal on 1 July 1929. In September 1931, Salmond returned from India to take up command of the Air Defence of Great Britain organization which was responsible for British air defences, including both fighters and bombers. He was promoted to air chief marshal several months later on 1 January 1933.

On 1 April 1933, Air Chief Marshal Salmond took over from his brother John as Chief of the Air Staff. At this stage he was already suffering from incurable cancer although it is unclear whether Salmond or his brother knew this at the time. Days later (5 April) arrangements were announced for Sir John Salmond to resume the RAF's senior post temporarily. However, Geoffrey Salmond never recovered and he died on 27 April 1933. Sir John Salmond resumed his duties as Chief of the Air Staff for several more weeks after Sir Geoffrey Salmond's death.