Philip Babington
{{Short description|Royal Air Force Air Marshal (1894-1965)}}
{{ about||the soldier and MP|Philip Babington (died 1690)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Sir Philip Babington
| image = Smuts with Air Council WWII IWM CH 7798.jpg
| image_size = 300px
| caption = Air Marshal Babington, standing seventh from left, as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Flying Training Command, with the Air Council, Second World War
| nickname =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1894|02|25|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Marylebone, London, England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1965|2|25|1894|2|25|df=yes}}
| death_place = Tonbridge, Kent, England
| placeofburial =
| allegiance = United Kingdom
| branch = British Army (1914–18)
Royal Air Force (1918–45)
| serviceyears = 1914–45
| rank = Air Marshal
| unit =
| commands = Flying Training Command (1942–45)
Air Member for Personnel (1940–42)
RAF Sealand (1925–28)
No. 19 Squadron (1924–25)
No. 56 Squadron (1920–21)
No. 39 Squadron (1919)
No. 37 Squadron (1919)
50th Wing (1918–19)
No. 141 Squadron (1918)
No. 46 Squadron (1916–17)
| battles = First World War
Second World War
| awards = Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Military Cross
Air Force Cross
Mentioned in Despatches (2)
Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta (Poland)
| relations =
| laterwork =
}}
Air Marshal Sir Philip Babington, {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|KCB|MC|AFC}} (25 February 1894 – 25 February 1965) was a Royal Air Force officer who served as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Flying Training Command from 1942 to 1945 during the Second World War.
He was the younger brother of John Tremayne Babington.{{cite web|url=http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/BabingtonP.htm|title=Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - Air Marshal Air Marshal Sir Philip Babington|accessdate=14 August 2017}}
Education
His education was at Eton College.Hammerton, Sir John ABC of the RAF London 1941 p.49
RAF career
Babington was commissioned into the Hampshire Regiment in 1914 at the start of the First World War and then transferred to the Royal Flying Corps. He was appointed Officer Commanding No. 46 Squadron on the Western Front in July 1916 until December 1917, he was also Station Commander RFC Suttons Farm in August 1917 when 46 Squadron were rotated from frontline operations to defend London from aerial attack.{{Cite web|url=https://46squadron.org/the-great-war/|title=The Great War – No 46 Squadron RFC and RAF}} Babington went on to become Officer Commanding No. 141 Squadron at Biggin Hill in January 1918 before taking command of the 50th Wing later that year.
After the War he served as Officer Commanding No. 37 Squadron (later renumbered No. 39 Squadron), Officer Commanding No. 56 Squadron and Officer Commanding No. 19 Squadron. He was made Station Commander at RAF Sealand in 1925, Senior Personnel Staff Officer at Headquarters Inland Area in 1928 and Assistant Commandant at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell in 1931 before becoming Director of Postings at the Air Ministry in 1936.
He served in the Second World War as Air Member for Personnel from 1940 and as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Flying Training Command from 1942 before retiring in 1944.
In retirement he joined a committee to consider the future of the court-martial system.[https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1946/nov/19/court-martial-inquiry Court-martial Inquiry] Hansard, 19 November 1946
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External references
- {{Lives of WWI | id= 5173743 | name= Philip Babington }}
{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=Sir Leslie Gossage}}
{{s-ttl|title=Air Member for Personnel|years=1940–1942}}
{{s-aft|after=Sir Bertine Sutton}}
|-
{{S-bef|before=Sir William Welsh}}
{{S-ttl|title=Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Flying Training Command|years=1942–1945}}
{{S-aft|after=Sir Arthur Coningham}}
{{S-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Babington, Philip}}
Category:British Army personnel of World War I
Category:Commanders with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta
Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath
Category:Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
Category:Recipients of the Military Cross
Category:Royal Air Force air marshals of World War II
Category:Royal Flying Corps officers
Category:Royal Hampshire Regiment officers