Donald Hardman

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James Donald Innes Hardman
21 December 1899 – March 2, 1982 (aged 82)

Air Marshal Donald Hardman as RAAF Chief of the Air Staff
Place of birth Lancashire, England
Allegiance Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
Service/branch Flag of the Royal Air Force Royal Air Force
Years of service 1916–1958
Rank Air Chief Marshal
Unit No. 31 Squadron (1922–1926)
No. 216 Squadron (1931–1935)
Commands held No. 232 Group (1945–1946)
Staff College, Bracknell (1949–1951)
Home Command (1951–1952)
RAAF (1952–1954)
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Malayan Emergency
Korean War
Awards Knight Grand Cross of the British Empire
Knight Commander of the Bath
Distinguished Flying Cross

Air Chief Marshal Sir James Donald Innes Hardman GBE, KCB, DFC (21 December 1899 – 2 March 1982) was a senior Royal Air Force commander. He began his flying career as a fighter pilot in World War I, achieving nine victories to become an ace. During World War II Hardman held staff and operational posts. He was Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal Australian Air Force from 1952 to 1954, after which he served as a member of the British Air Council until his retirement in 1958.

Contents

[edit] World War I

Born in Oldham, Lancashire,[1] Hardman was educated at Malvern and Hertford Colleges. He began his military career in the Artists' Rifles in 1916, and joined the Royal Flying Corps early in 1917. Hardman gained his commission in May but was prevented from seeing combat immediately because of his age. He was eventually posted to No. 19 Squadron in February 1918, flying Sopwith Dolphins. Hardman scored two kills in one sortie on 30 October 1918, an action that earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross. He finished the war a flight commander and temporary Captain, with a total of nine victories.[2]

[edit] Inter-war years

When the war ended, Hardman left the Royal Air Force to study at Oxford, but rejoined in 1921. He was granted a short service commission as a Flying Officer and posted to No. 31 Squadron in India, gaining his permanent commission in 1925.[3] He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant in 1927.[4] Hardman served as both pilot and armament officer with various units in the late 1920s and early 1930s, and completed courses at Army and Air Force staff colleges. He was promoted Squadron Leader in February 1936[5] and Wing Commander in January 1939.[2]

[edit] World War II

On the outbreak of World War II Hardman was sent to France with the Air Component of the British Expeditionary Force, preparing airfields on the Western Front for the arrival of RAF units. He was appointed an OBE in July 1940,[2][6] and Mentioned in Despatches in January 1941.[7] He was promoted temporary Group Captain in March 1941.[8] Hardman served as Director of Military Cooperation at the Air Ministry in 1944, before being posted to Air Command South East Asia (ACSEA) as Commander, Combat Cargo Task Force, at the end of the year.[9] In mid-1945 he became Air Officer Commanding No. 232 (Transport) Group, and was made a Companion of the Bath (CB).[10] He finished the war with the temporary rank of Air Commodore,[2][11] and a substantive Group Captain.[12]

[edit] Post-war career

Hardman was promoted to acting Air Vice Marshal on 1 October 1945.[13] He remained in South-East Asia following the end of World War II, taking over as Air Officer in Charge of Administration for ACSEA in January 1946. He served in a number of senior posts in the RAF after his return to Britain including Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Operations) in 1947-49, Commandant of RAF Staff College, Bracknell, in 1949-51 and Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Home Command in 1951-52.[9] Hardman's wartime rank of Air Commodore became substantive in October 1946,[14] followed by substantive promotion to Air Vice Marshal in July 1948,[15] and acting Air Marshal in October 1951.[2][16]

In January 1952 Hardman was appointed Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) of the Royal Australian Air Force, succeeding Air Marshal George Jones, whose ten years in the position was the longest continuous term of any RAAF chief. The decision by Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies to appoint an RAF officer caused resentment in the Air Force, compounded when he stated his reason as being that there was "no RAAF officer of sufficient age, or operation experience, to take the post of Chief of the Air Staff", ignoring the wartime records of such figures as Frederick Scherger and John McCauley. The Daily Mirror in Sydney was one of a number of media outlets to voice a "stern protest" over the matter. RAF CAS Sir John Slessor, responsible for fulfilling the Australian Government's request for a suitable officer, considered Hardman the "outstanding candidate" for the Australian post, trying to avoid "the follies of some years ago", referring to Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Burnett's controversial tenure as CAS on secondment from Britain in the early years of World War II.[17]

Air Marshal Hardman (left) as Air Member for Supply and Organisation, with Air Marshal Sir Claude Pelly (centre), and Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten (right) at a ceremonial parade for No. 78 Wing RAAF on its departure from garrison duty on Malta, 1954
Air Marshal Hardman (left) as Air Member for Supply and Organisation, with Air Marshal Sir Claude Pelly (centre), and Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten (right) at a ceremonial parade for No. 78 Wing RAAF on its departure from garrison duty on Malta, 1954

Hardman changed the structure of the Air Force from one based on geographical area to one based on function, creating Home (operational), Maintenance (support), and Training Commands.[18] The functional system of command has been described by historian Alan Stephens as Hardman's "major legacy to the RAAF".[17] While doing away with Jones' area command system, Hardman carried on his predecessor's support for the local aircraft industry.[19] He also formed a policy agreement with Navy Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Sir John Collins, covering joint responsibility and cooperation for maritime warfare.[20] Under Hardman's tenure, No. 78 Fighter Wing was reformed and deployed to Malta on garrison duty.[21] He was made a Knight Commander of the Bath in the Queen's Birthday Honours of June 1952,[22] and raised to substantive Air Marshal the following month.[2][23] In contrast to the initial disquiet at his appointment, upon his departure from Australia Hardman was described by The Age as "the outstanding CAS in the RAAF's history" and a "brilliant organiser".[17]

Hardman served on the British Air Council as Air Member for Supply and Organisation from 1954 to 1958. He was promoted Air Chief Marshal on 1 April 1955.[2] On 11 July 1956 he presented a Squadron Standard to his old unit, No. 19 Squadron.[24] Hardman was made a Knight Grand Cross of the British Empire on 1 January 1958, and retired from the RAF later that month.[2]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ James Hardman at The Aerodrome. Retrieved 30 January 2008.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Air Chief Marshal Sir Donald Hardman at Air of Authority. Retrieved on 21 January 2008.
  3. ^ London Gazette: no. 33094, page 6776, 20 October 1925. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  4. ^ London Gazette: no. 33290, page 4239, 1 July 1927. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  5. ^ London Gazette: no. 34252, page 737, 4 February 1936. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  6. ^ London Gazette: no. 34893, page 4253, 9 July 1940. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  7. ^ London Gazette: no. 35029, page 33, 31 December 1940. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  8. ^ London Gazette: no. 35102, page 1448, 11 March 1941. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  9. ^ a b Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives at King's College London. Retrieved 29 January 2008.
  10. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37161, page 3491, 3 July 1945. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  11. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 36780, page 5073, 3 November 1944. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  12. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 36902, page 507, 19 January 1945. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  13. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37336, page 5385, 2 November 1945. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  14. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 37758, page 5080, 11 October 1946. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  15. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 38344, page 3895, 2 July 1948. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  16. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 39520, page 2169, 18 April 1952. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  17. ^ a b c Stephens, Going Solo, pp.73-74
  18. ^ Helson, "10 Years at the Top", pp.293–294
  19. ^ Stephens, Going Solo, pp.188-190
  20. ^ Stephens, Going Solo, p.397
  21. ^ Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, pp.221-222
  22. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 39555, page 3009, 30 May 1952. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  23. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 39586, page 3581, 27 June 1952. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  24. ^ No 16 - 20 Squadron Histories at Air of Authority. Retrieved on 21 January 2008.

[edit] References

  • Barrass, Malcolm (2001–2008). Air Chief Marshal Sir Donald Hardman. Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation.
  • Helson, Peter (2006). "Ten Years at the Top". . University of New South Wales
  • Stephens, Alan (1995). Going Solo: The Royal Australian Air Force 1946–1971. Canberra: Aust. Govt. Pub. Service. ISBN 0644428031. 
  • Stephens, Alan [2001] (2006). The Royal Australian Air Force: A History. London: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195555414. 


Military offices
Preceded by
Air Marshal Sir George Jones		 Chief of the Air Staff (RAAF)
1952–1954		 Succeeded by
Air Marshal Sir John McCauley