Role Airman Rank Air commodore | Years of service 1900–1931 Name Andrew Board Battles and wars World War I | |
Commands held 5 Squadron RFC7 Squadron RFCNo. 1 School of Technical Training RAFNo. 21 Group RAF Other work Deputy Lieutenant of Caernarvonshire Awards Order of St Michael and St George, Distinguished Service Order | ||
Air Commodore Andrew George Board (1878–1973) CMG DSO DL was an English soldier and airman. He was a pioneer aviator, first gaining a licence in 1910, who later became an Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force.
Contents
South Wales Borderers
Following a time in the militia Board was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the South Wales Borderers. In 1910 at his own expense he learned to fly at Hendon. On 29 November 1910 flying a Bleriot monoplane at Hendon he was awarded the Royal Aero Club Aviators Certificate No. 36.
In the 1911 Census he was listed as a Captain of the 2nd Battalion South Wales Borderersat at the Artillery Barracks Pretoria, South Africa.
Royal Flying Corps
By 1914 Board had become a flying instructor at the Central Flying School at Netheravon, Wiltshire. On 28 Sep 1914 he became the officer commanding 7 Squadron RFC at Netheravon before moving to the western front in April 1915 to command 5 Squadron RFC. He later commanded the 10th Wing RFC before taking over the control of a 20th (Reserve) Wing in Egypt.
With the formation of the Royal Air Force in 1918 Broad was awarded a permanent commission as a Lieutenant Colonel. He rose to the rank of Air Commodore before retiring in 1931. In 1939 he re-joined the RAF as a Group Captain before retiring again in 1941. In 1943 he became a Deputy Lieutenant in Caernarvon.
Honours and award
Family
Board was born in Westerham, Kent on 11 May 1878 the third son of Major John Board and his wife Mary, his father was a Magistrate. In 1932 he married Mrs Phyllis Agnew at St James's Picadilly on the 18 August 1932.