List of Royal Australian Air Force air marshals


The following is a list of Australians who have attained air marshal rank within the Royal Australian Air Force ; that is, service personnel who have held the rank of air chief marshal, air marshal or air vice marshal. The Royal Australian Air Force was established in 1921 as a separate branch of the Australian military forces. The service was modelled after the Royal Air Force—formed three years earlier—and adopted the same ranking system. Richard Williams, regarded as the "father" of the Royal Australian Air Force, was the service's first member to obtain air-officer rank on being promoted to air commodore in 1927; he went on to become the first air vice marshal and air marshal. In 1965, Sir Frederick Scherger became the first officer to be advanced to air chief marshal, one of only four members of the Royal Australian Air Force to obtain this rank as of June 2014. A further twenty-one individuals have reached air marshal in the RAAF and 127 air vice marshal; seven officers have retired with the honorary rank of air vice marshal.

Air chief marshals

The rank of air chief marshal is the most senior rank within the Royal Australian Air Force to which, excluding ceremonial appointments, any officer has ever been promoted. Only the five-star rank of Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force is higher, but it has only been held in a ceremonial capacity. As there are currently no appointments in the Australian Defence Force at the five-star level, there is no prospect of a RAAF officer achieving the rank in a professional capacity. Additionally, Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force is generally considered to be a marshal rank as opposed to an air marshal rank and so the only two individuals ever to hold the rank, King George VI and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, are not listed in a separate section. With the current structure of the ADF, the rank of air chief marshal is only held when an officer of the RAAF is appointed as Chief of the Defence Force. As of June 2018, only four officers have obtained the rank of air chief marshal in the RAAF, the first being Sir Frederick Scherger in 1965 who was also the first non-Army officer in the Australian military to reach four-star rank. Mark Binskin is the recently promoted of the four, having been advanced to air chief marshal in June 2014.
Air chief marshals of the Royal Australian Air Force are as follows:
NameBornDiedSenior command and notes
1960Chief of the Defence Force, Vice Chief of the Defence Force, Chief of Air Force, Air Commander Australia
1947Chief of the Defence Force, Chief of Air Force
19232014Chief of the Defence Force Staff, Chief of the Air Staff, Commander, RAAF Forces Vietnam
19041984Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, Chief of the Air Staff

Air marshals

is the highest permanent rank in the Royal Australian Air Force. The rank of air marshal is always held by the Chief of Air Force, though is also held when a RAAF officer is appointed as Vice Chief of the Defence Force, Chief of Joint Operations or Chief of Joint Capabilities. Richard Williams was the officer to attain the rank of air marshal in the RAAF on promotion in 1940. Regarded as the 'father' of the Royal Australian Air Force, Williams was its first and longest serving Chief, being appointed to the post during three different periods and serving for a total of thirteen years. The current Chief of Joint Capabilities, Warren McDonald, is the most recent officer to obtain the rank of air marshal on promotion in January 2019.
Air marshals of the Royal Australian Air Force are as follows:
NameBornDiedSenior command and notes
1958Chief of Air Force, Deputy Chief of Air Force
1960Chief of Air Force, Deputy Chief of the Air Force
1925Chief of the Air Staff
1941Chief of Air Force
1935Chief of the Air Staff, Vice Chief of the Defence Force
1936Chief of Air Force, Air Commander Australia. Brother of General Peter Gration
19071998Chief of the Air Staff, Air Officer Commanding Operational Command
19141978Governor of Queensland, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Officer Commanding Operational Command
1954Chief of Capability Development Group, Program Manager, New Air Combat Capability
*1962Chief of Air Force, Chief of Joint Operations, Head Force Design, Head Capability Systems, Air Commander Australia, Commander Air Combat Group
18961992Director of Coordination, Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation, Chief of the Air Staff
18991989Chief of the Air Staff, Air Officer Commanding Home Command
*1963Chief of Joint Capabilities, Deputy Chief of Air Force
1941Chief of Air Force
19121984Chief of the Air Staff, Air Officer Commanding Operational Command
1930Chief of the Air Staff
19182014Chief of the Air Staff
1943Vice Chief of the Defence Force
19221999Governor of New South Wales, Chief of the Air Staff
1952Chief of Air Force, Air Commander Australia
18901980Director-General of Civil Aviation, Air Officer Commanding Overseas Headquarters, Chief of the Air Staff

Air vice marshals



The first Royal Australian Air Force air vice marshal was Richard Williams in 1935; he was followed by Stanley Goble—Williams' successor all three times he held the position of Chief of the Air Staff—two years later. Frank McNamara, the first Australian aviator to be decorated with the Victoria Cross, also resides among the ranks of RAAF air vice marshals. McNamara was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1917 during the First World War while serving with the Australian Flying Corps, the Australian Army's air branch and predecessor of the RAAF; he was made an air vice marshal in 1942. As of February 2017, four women have reached air vice marshal rank: Julie Hammer, the first female to obtain one-star rank in the ADF on promotion to air commodore in 1999, was the first to achieve two-star rank when advanced to air vice marshal in 2003; Margaret Staib was promoted on appointment as Commander Joint Logistics in 2010; Tracy Smart made air vice marshal on appointment as Commander Joint Health in 2015; and Cath Roberts was promoted on being made Head Aerospace Systems Division in 2016.
Air vice marshals of the Royal Australian Air Force are as follows:
NameBornDiedSenior command and notes
19021971Air Member for Supply and Equipment
19221990Air Officer Commanding Operational Command
+18911975Air Officer Commanding Eastern Area, Air Officer Commanding Central Area, Chief of the Air Staff
1953Head Defence Health Services, Director-General Defence Health Services
19242018Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
1953Surgeon General Australian Defence Force Reserves
1942Commandant, Australian Defence Force Academy, Air Commander Australia
1956Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
18981978Air Officer Commanding Eastern Area, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, Air Officer Commanding North-Western Area
1937Commandant, Australian Defence Force Academy
18921968Federal Member for Indi, Air Officer Commanding RAAF Command, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
19362001Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
1930Director-General Policy and Plans
19121985Air Officer Commanding Home Command, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
19252010Chief of Supply
+19031978Air Officer Commanding Overseas Headquarters, Air Officer Commanding North-Western Area, Air Officer Commanding Eastern Area
*19??Australian Military Representative to NATO and the European Union
1948Head, Capability Systems Division, Commander Five Power Defence Arrangements
19131995Air Member for Supply and Equipment
*19??Head of Australian Defence Staff, Washington, D.C.
+18951966Air Member for Personnel, Air Officer Commanding North-Western Area, Air Officer Commanding Southern Area
1932Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
1939Air Officer Commanding Logistics Command
19222004Chief of Air Force Technical Services
1947Head Aerospace Systems Division
1922Chief of Air Force Materiel
1941Assistant Chief of the Defence Force
19031993Air Member for Supply and Equipment
1949Air Commander Australia
19011985Director-General RAAF Medical Services, Director Medical Services
1957Program Manager for the Joint Strike Fighter Division, Program Manager, Airborne Early Warning and Control
19291985Chief of Air Force Technical Services
19171980Australian Defence Representative in Washington D.C.
1963Head of ICT Operations and Strategic J6
1949Director-General Defence Force Cadets, Director-General Reserves
19161982Air Officer Commanding Operational Command, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
19482017Advisor to Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games Coordination Task Force, Deputy Chief of Air Force, Air Officer Commanding Training Command
1957Deputy Chief of Joint Operations, Commander Joint Task Force 633
19262015Director, Australian War Memorial
19302001Chief of Air Force Materiel
+19151982Senior Air Staff Officer Operational Command, Senior Air Staff Officer Far East Air Force
18911948Chief of the Air Staff
*19??Head Joint Strike Fighter, Head Aerospace Systems
1937Director-General Technical Plans
1952Chief Executive Officer, Defence Materiel Organisation
1955National President, Engineers Australia, Commandant, Australian Defence Force Academy. First female to be promoted air commodore and air vice marshal in RAAF; first female promoted to two-star rank in ADF.
1963Head One Defence Implementation, Head Force Structure Review, Head Joint Capability Coordination, Deputy Chief of Air Force
*Commander Integrated Area Defence System, Malaysia
19161981Director Joint Service Plans
19141976Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
1932Chief of Logistics Development
19212002Judge Advocate-General RAAF
19091970Air Officer Commanding Training Command, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, Air Officer Commanding Western Area
Commander Integrated Area Defence System, Malaysia
19181999Air Officer Commanding Operational Command
19011985No. 9 Operational Group RAAF
19122006Air Member for Technical Services
1949Head Business Information Systems
19162006Air Member for Supply and Equipment
19282005Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
19212018Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
18881958Director-General Medical Services RAAF
1960Commander Integrated Area Defence System, Commander Joint Task Force 633
*Air Commander Australia, Commander Joint Task Force 633
1923Air Member for Personnel
1946Air Commander Australia
1928Air Officer Commanding Operational Command
19301999Director-General Natural Disasters Organisation
1960Commander Integrated Area Defence System, Malaysia
+19151977Air Officer Commanding Support Command, Commander, RAAF Forces Vietnam
18951951Air Member for Supply and Equipment
19111991Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, Air Officer Commanding Training Command
1950Deputy Chief of Air Force, Commander Integrated Area Defence System, Malaysia, Commander Air Lift Group
+18941961Air Officer Commanding British Forces Aden, Air Officer Commanding Overseas Headquarters. First Australian aviator to receive the Victoria Cross.
19151994Director-General Medical Services RAAF
*Deputy Chief of Air Force, Head Force Integration, Commander Air Warfare Centre
19352016Surgeon-General Australian Defence Force, Director General Air Force Health Services
1943Surgeon-General Australian Defence Force, Director General Air Force Health Services
1954Head, Aerospace Systems Division
19201995Director-General RAAF Medical Services
1937Assistant Chief of the Defence Force , Assistant Chief of the Air Staff
19202004Air Officer Commanding Support Command, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, Commander, RAAF Forces Vietnam
1938Judge Advocate-General Australian Defence Force, Judge Advocate General RAAF
1946Air Commander Australia
19211995Chief of Air Force Technical Services
1939Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
1944Air Officer Commanding Training Command
Commander Operation Sovereign Borders
1959Program Manager, New Air Combat Capability, Head of Australian Defence Staff, Washington D.C., Commander Air Combat Group
19242006Director-General Air Force Operations and PLans
19231985Chief of Air Force Personnel
1932Director-General Air Force Manpower
1959Head of Military Strategic Commitments, Commander Air Force Training Group
1956Head Capability Systems, Commander Air Lift Group
1955Head Capability Systems, Air Commander Australia, Commander Air Combat Group
1935Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, Air Commander Australia
1933Air Officer Commanding Logistics Command
19372016Director-General Air Force Health Services
19311986Air Officer Commanding Operational Command
1941Deputy Chief of Air Force, Air Officer Commanding Training Command
1938Commander Tactical Fighter Group
19282011Air Officer Commanding Operational Command
*Head Force Design, Air Commander Australia
*Head of Air Force Capability, Head Aerospace Systems Division
19211995Air Officer Commanding Operational Command, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, Commander, RAAF Forces Vietnam
1943Head of Capability Development, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
1937Director-General RAAF Tactical Fighter Project
1955Head Aerospace Systems Division
1934Air Officer Commanding Support Command
1942Surgeon-General Australian Defence Force
1930Chief of Air Force Operations and Plans
1959Air Commander Australia
Commander Joint Health
1945Air Officer Commanding Support Command
1953Head Strategic Reform and Governance
1951Commander Joint Logistics, Deputy Chief of Air Force
1962CEO of Airservices Australia, Commander Joint Logistics, Commandant, Australian Defence Force Academy
19222017Director-General Air Force Health Services
19171992Director-General Operational Requirements
1931Chief of Air Force Technical Services
1963Head Aerospace Systems
1939Assistant Chief of the Defence Force
1946Deputy Chief of Air Force, Air Commander Australia
19161987Air Officer Commanding Operational Command, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff
19261998Air Officer Commanding Support Command
1946Commander Australian Theatre
19151985Director-General Medical Services RAAF
1935Director-General Air Force Operations
Deputy Chief of the Air Force, Air Commander Australia
19011984Air Member for Technical Services
19051968Air Officer Commanding Support Command, Air Officer Commanding Home Command
Commander Northern Command
1941Air Officer Commanding Logistics Command
1945Assistant Chief of the Defence Force
19261998Chief of Supply
+18921987Air Officer Commanding Overseas Headquarters