Group captain

{{short description|Senior commissioned rank which originated in the Royal Air Force}}

Group captain (Gp Capt or G/C) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force.{{cite web |url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/organisation/commissionedranks.cfm |title=Ranks and Badges of the Royal Air Force |access-date=2007-12-01 |year=2007 |publisher=Royal Air Force |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606185144/http://www.raf.mod.uk/organisation/commissionedranks.cfm |archive-date=6 June 2011 |url-status=dead }} The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence.

Group captain is immediately senior to wing commander and immediately below air commodore. It is usually equivalent to the rank of captain in the navy and of colonel in other services.

The equivalent rank in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force, Women's Royal Air Force (until 1968) and Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (until 1980) was "group officer".

Canada

The rank was used in the Royal Canadian Air Force until the 1968 unification of the Canadian Forces, when army-type rank titles were adopted. Canadian group captains then became colonels. In official Canadian French usage, the rank title was {{lang|fr|colonel d'aviation}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.castlearchdale.net/id37.html |title=The RCAF |website=www.castlearchdale.net |access-date=22 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090603201652/http://www.castlearchdale.net/id37.html |archive-date=3 June 2009 |url-status=dead}}

India

United Kingdom

{{Infobox military rank

| name = Group captain

| image = UK-Air-OF5-Flag.svg

| image_size = 100px

| caption = Command flag

| image2 = British RAF OF-5.svg

| image_size2 = 50px

| caption2 = Shoulder and sleeve insignia

| image3 =

| image_size3 =

| caption3 =

| country = {{flag|United Kingdom}}

| service branch = {{air force|United Kingdom}}

| abbreviation = Gp Capt

| rank =

| NATO rank = OF-5

| Non-NATO rank =

| formation = {{start date|1918|04|01|df=y}}

| abolished =

| higher rank = Air commodore

| lower rank = Wing commander

| equivalents = {{unbulleted list|{{nowrap|Colonel (Army; Marines)}}|Captain (Navy)}}

}}

=History=

On 1 April 1918, the newly created RAF adopted its officer rank titles from the British Army, with Royal Naval Air Service captains and Royal Flying Corps colonels becoming colonels in the RAF. In response to the proposal that the RAF should use its own rank titles, it was suggested that the RAF might use the Royal Navy's officer ranks, with the word "air" inserted before the naval rank title. For example, the rank that later became group captain would have been "air captain". Although the Admiralty objected to this simple modification of their rank titles, it was agreed that the RAF might base many of its officer rank titles on naval officer ranks with differing pre-modifying terms. It was also suggested that RAF colonels might be entitled "bannerets" or "leaders". However, the rank title based on the Navy rank was preferred and as RAF colonels typically commanded groups the rank title group captain was chosen. The rank of group captain was introduced in August 1919{{cite book |last=Hobart |first=Malcolm C |date=2000 |title=Badges and Uniforms of the Royal Air Force |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ATMDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT29 |publisher=Leo Cooper |page=26 |isbn=0-85052-739-2}} and has been used continuously since then.

Although in the early years of the RAF groups were normally commanded by group captains, by the mid-1920s they were usually commanded by an air officer.

In the post-World War II period the commander of an RAF flying station or a major ground training station has typically been a group captain. More recently, expeditionary air wings have also been commanded by group captains.

=Insignia and command pennant=

The rank insignia is based on the four gold bands of captains in the Royal Navy, comprising four narrow light blue bands over slightly wider black bands. This is worn on both the lower sleeves of the tunic or on the shoulders of the flying suit or the casual uniform. Group captains are the first rank in the RAF hierarchy to wear gold braid on the peak of their cap, informally known as 'scrambled egg'; however, they still wear the standard RAF officer's cap badge.

The command pennant for a group captain is similar to the one for a wing commander except that there is one broad red band in the centre. Only the wing commander and group captain command pennants are triangular in shape.

File:UK-Air-OF5.svg|An RAF group captain's sleeve/shoulder insignia

File:File-UK-Air-OF5-mess-insignia.svg|An RAF group captain's sleeve mess insignia

File:RAF-Gp Capt-OF-5.png|An RAF group captain's sleeve as it appears on the No. 1 dress

File:RAF Reims 2025 1563992.jpg

Gallery

File:British RAF OF-5.svg|(Royal Australian Air Force){{cite web |title=Badges of rank |url=https://www.defence.gov.au/images/Badges_of_rank.pdf |website=defence.gov.au |publisher=Department of Defence (Australia) |access-date=31 May 2021}}

File:British RAF OF-5.svg|(Bangladesh Air Force){{cite web |title=OFFICER'S RANKS |url=http://www.joinbangladeshairforce.mil.bd/index.php/main_controll/ranks_structure_baf?1=1&pagemenu=ranks_structure_baf&submenu=1&leafsub=0 |website=joinbangladeshairforce.mil.bd |access-date=11 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219212643/http://www.joinbangladeshairforce.mil.bd/index.php/main_controll/ranks_structure_baf?1=1&pagemenu=ranks_structure_baf&submenu=1&leafsub=0 |archive-date=19 February 2020}}

File:12.Ghana Air Force-COL.svg|(Ghana Air Force){{cite web |title=Rank Structure |url=http://gafonline.mil.gh/airforce/index.php/subhome/rank-structure |website=gafonline.mil.gh |publisher=Ghana Air Force |access-date=3 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121080703/http://gafonline.mil.gh/airforce/index.php/subhome/rank-structure |archive-date=21 January 2018 |date=2018 |url-status=dead}}

File:British RAF OF-5.svg|(Indian Air Force){{cite web |title=For Officers |url=http://www.careerairforce.nic.in/life_airforce/lifeair_cargraph_officers.html |website=careerairforce.nic.in |publisher=Indian Air Force |access-date=23 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225210317/http://www.careerairforce.nic.in/life_airforce/lifeair_cargraph_officers.html |archive-date=25 February 2012}}

File:12-Namibia Air Force-GPCAPT.svg|(Namibian Air Force){{cite magazine |title=Government Notice |magazine=Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia |date=20 August 2010 |volume=4547 |pages=99–102 |url=http://www.lac.org.na/laws/2010/4547.pdf |access-date=20 December 2021}}

File:Nigeria-AirForce-OF-5.svg|(Nigerian Air Force){{cite book |last1=Smaldone |first1=Joseph P. |editor1-last=Metz |editor1-first=Helen Chapin |editor-link=Helen Chapin Metz |title=Nigeria: a country study |series=Area Handbook |date=1992 |publisher=Library of Congress |location=Washington, D.C. |lccn=92009026 |pages=296–297 |edition=5th |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/frdcstdy.nigeriacountryst00metz_0/?sp=340 |access-date=21 October 2021 |chapter=National Security|isbn=978-0-8444-0738-8 }}

File:Pak-air-force-OF-5.svg|(Pakistan Air Force)

File:British RAF OF-5.svg|(Sri Lanka Air Force){{cite web |title=Commissioned Officers |url=http://www.airforce.lk/ranks.php |website=airforce.lk |publisher=Sri Lanka Air Force |access-date=24 September 2021}}

File:British RAF OF-5.svg|(Royal Air Force){{cite web |title=RAF Ranks |url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/raf-ranks/ |website=raf.mod.uk/ |publisher=Royal Air Force |access-date=21 September 2021}}

File:TaT-Air Guard-OF-5.png|(Trinidad and Tobago Air Guard){{cite web |title=Rank Chart (Commissioned Officers) |url=http://69.0.195.188/HQ/Our-Organisation/Ranks-Chart-(Commissioned-Officers).aspx |website=69.0.195.188 |publisher=Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force |access-date=27 May 2021 }}{{Dead link|date=June 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

File:Canadian Air Command (1984-2014) OF-5.svg|(Air Force of Zimbabwe){{cite web |title=Ranks and Badges in the AFZ |url=http://www.afz.gov.zw/?page_id=1115 |website=afz.gov.zw |publisher=Air Force of Zimbabwe |access-date=29 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220609134525/http://www.afz.gov.zw/?page_id=1115 |archive-date=9 June 2022}}

Notable group captains

Sir Douglas Bader {{postnominals|country=GBR|sep=,|CBE|DSO1|DFC1|DL|FRAeS}}{{spaced endash}}World War II fighter pilot and double amputee
Clive Robertson "Killer" Caldwell {{post-nominals|country=GBR|sep=,|DSO|DFC1}}, Cross of Valor (Poland){{spaced endash}}Australia's highest-scoring fighter ace, also the highest-scoring P-40 pilot from any air force and the highest-scoring Allied pilot in North Africa. Became one of a small group of pilots throughout history to become an "ace in a day".
Leonard Cheshire {{post-nominals|country=GBR|VC}}{{spaced endash}}World War II bomber pilot and charity worker
Walter Churchill {{post-nominals|country=GBR|sep=,|DSO|DFC}}{{spaced endash}}World War II ace fighter pilot, who also evaluated various makes of fighter aircraft for the RAF, and played a key role in getting Spitfire aircraft to the defence of Malta
Hugh Dundas{{spaced endash}}World War II fighter pilot and the youngest person to hold this rank, aged 24 years{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}
Thomas Loel Guinness{{spaced endash}}World War II fighter pilot, politician and businessman
Hamish Mahaddie {{postnominals|country=GBR|sep=,|DSO|DFC|AFC1|FRAeS}}{{spaced endash}}Scotsman who flew in Bomber Command and became a key member of the Pathfinder Force as chief procurer of aircrew talent, often referred to as Don Bennett's "horse thief"
Sailor Malan DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar – Royal Air Force flying ace who led No. 74 Squadron RAF during the Battle of Britain, authored the "Ten Simple Rules for Fighter Pilots" and under whose leadership No. 74 Squadron RAF changed outmoded RAF tactics and formations, changes later adopted by all of Fighter Command. In the 1969 cinema film Battle of Britain, the character of the ''Squadron Leader” nicknamed Skipper played by Robert Shaw was based on Malan
Herbert Massey{{spaced endash}}as a POW was Senior British Officer (SBO) at Stalag Luft III. He was portrayed in the movie The Great Escape (1963) as Group Captain Ramsey, and played by James Donald. Massey was crippled and walked with a stick, as did his character in the movie
Virendera Singh Pathania, VrC, VM Indian Air force fighter pilot reputed for making first confirmed kill in aerial dogfight during Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.
Percy Charles Pickard {{post-nominals|country=GBR|sep=,|DSO2|DFC}}{{spaced endash}}World War II bomber pilot and captain of "F for Freddie"
Alan Rawlinson {{postnominals|country=AUS|size=100%|sep=,|OBE|DFC1|AFC}},{{spaced endash}}Australian RAAF World War II fighter ace and later commissioned into RAF{{cite web|url=https://www.awm.gov.au/people/P10680017/#timeline |title=Group Captain Alan Charles Rawlinson |publisher=Australian War Memorial |access-date=1 February 2023}}
Stanisław Skarżyński{{spaced endash}}World War II bomber pilot. Commanding Officer RAF Lindholme. Polish Air Force. Transatlantic World Record Holder. Awarded Blériot Medal 1936
James Stagg{{spaced endash}}RAF meteorologist involved in the planning of the D-Day invasion
Clare Stevenson Director WAAAF
Peter Townsend{{spaced endash}}World War II pilot and suitor of Princess Margaret
John Allman Hemingway{{spaced endash}}World War II pilot and the last surviving airman of the Battle of Britain

= Honorary =

Sally Bridgeland – Non executive director, adviser and trustee. Investment consultant, actuary, and former CEO of the BP Pension Fund
Bruce Dickinson{{spaced endash}}Frontman of Iron Maiden. Honorary Gp. Capt. of 601 (County of London) Squadron RAF{{cite web|url=https://www.forces.net/news/iron-maiden-lead-singer-bruce-dickinson-made-honorary-group-captain-raf|title=Iron Maiden Lead Singer Bruce Dickinson Made Honorary Group Captain in RAF|date=8 January 2020 }}
Sir Christopher Andrew Hoy {{post-nominals|country=GBR|sep=,|MBE}}{{spaced endash}}Honorary Gp. Capt. as former Ambassador to the Royal Air Force Air Cadets
Sachin Tendulkar{{spaced endash}}Honorary Indian Air Force group captain for his achievements in cricket
Carol Vorderman {{post-nominals|country=GBR|sep=,|MBE}}{{spaced endash}}Honorary Gp. Capt. as current Ambassador to the Royal Air Force Air Cadets

=Fictional characters=

Ian Gilmore, a fictional character in Doctor Who
Group Captain Tennant James, a fictional character in Doctor Who
Captain Jack Harkness, a fictional character in Doctor Who and its spin-off Torchwood
Group Captain Lionel Mandrake, a fictional character and exchange officer in the film Dr. Strangelove, played by Peter Sellers
Group Captain Rodney Crittendon, a fictional character in the television show Hogan's Heroes, played by Bernard Fox (Crittendon was titled on the show as the equivalent rank of colonel to avoid confusion with the American audience.)