Godfrey Paine

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Godfrey Marshall Paine
21 November 1871 – 23 March 1932
Paine in the uniform of the Royal Navy
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy, Royal Air Force
Years of service	1885–1920
Rank	Rear Admiral (Air Vice-Marshal before retirement)
Battles/wars	World War I

Rear Admiral Sir Godfrey Marshall Paine KCB MVO (21 November 1871 – 23 March 1932) was a senior commander in the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Air Force in the early part of the 20th century.

The Central Flying School staff in January 1913. Paine is in the front row, shown third from the left.

In 1912, Paine was appointed as the first commandant of the Central Flying School at RAF Upavon. Three years later in 1915, after the Royal Naval Air Service has broken away from the Royal Flying Corps, the Royal Navy established the Central Depot and Training Establishment. The new unit was based at Cranwell and Paine was raised to the rank of Commodore and sent there as its first commander. Just over a year later, in early 1917, Paine was appointed Fifth Sea Lord and Director of Naval Aviation.

With the impending establishment of the Royal Air Force in 1918, Paine was appointed to the Air Council as Master-General of Personnel. Paine's last appointment was as Inspector-General of the RAF, and he retired on 12 May 1920.

With the establishment of the RAF in 1918, Paine was promoted to major-general (a rank of the RAF at that time). With the introduction of RAF-specific ranks in 1919, Paine was regraded to air vice-marshal and on his retirement from the RAF, Paine reverted to the equivalent naval rank (rear admiral). Excluding those with honorary ranks such as royalty, Paine is possibly the only person to have held flag, general and air officer ranks.

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Godfrey Paine

• Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - RAdm Sir Godfrey Paine