Pierre van Ryneveld

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use South African English Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

General Sir Helperus Andreas van Ryneveld Template:Post-nominals (2 May 1891Template:Snd2 December 1972), known as Sir Pierre van Ryneveld, was a South African military commander. He was the founding commander of the South African Air Force.

Military career

File:Middle East. C. 1941. Group portrait.jpg
Middle East. C. 1941. Group portrait of Air Marshal A. W. Tedder, Air Officer C-in-C of RAF Middle East (left), Lieutenant General Sir Pierre van Ryneveld, Chief of the General Staff South African Forces (centre), and Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Blamey, Deputy C-in-C Middle East

Van Ryneveld began his military career in the First World War, in which he served in the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, transferring in April 1915 to the Royal Flying Corps, later the Royal Air Force. For his service in the war, Van Ryneveld was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and Military Cross,[1] Mentioned in Despatches and presented with the Chevalier of the Legion of Honour from the French government.[2]

After the war, Van Ryneveld was called back to South Africa by the Prime Minister Jan Smuts in order to set up the South African Air Force (SAAF).[3] He flew back home, across Africa, in a Vickers Vimy – a pioneering feat for which he and his co-pilot Quintin Brand were both knighted.[4]Template:Efn

File:Vickers Vimy 1920 (Brand and van Ryneveld).jpg
(L-R) Lt Col van Ryneveld with First Lt Quintin Brand, February 1920, in front of Vickers Vimy Silver Queen, before their England to South Africa flight

Colonel van Ryneveld established the SAAF in 1920, and directed it until 1933, when he was promoted to Chief of the General Staff (CGS),[5] in command of the Union Defence Forces. However, for the next four years the SAAF remained under Van Ryneveld's direct control as no one was appointed as the Air Force's director until 1937.

In 1925, then Lt-Col van Ryneveld took part in the government's suppression of the Baster Council's rebellion.[6]

Van Ryneveld served as CGS for sixteen years, including the whole of the Second World War. He was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1945[1] and retired in 1949.[7]

Honours

Namesakes and legacy

The Pretoria suburb of Pierre van Ryneveld Park was named in his honour and the airport just north of Upington in the Northern Cape is also named after Van Ryneveld. Sir Pierre van Ryneveld High School is in Kempton Park, Gauteng. The SAAF's annual air power symposium, is known as the Sir Pierre Van Ryneveld Air Power Symposium.[8]

Notes

Template:Notelist

References

<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

  1. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".Script error: No such module "London Gazette util".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

External links

Template:Library resources box

  • Template:Internet Archive author
  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
Military offices
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Officer Commanding No. 45 Squadron RFC
April – August 1917 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Officer Commanding South African Military College
1929–1932 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
New title
South African Air Force established
 Director Air Services, South African Air Force
From 1933 to 1937 SAAF remained under van Ryneveld's direct control
1920–1933 Template:S-ttl/check 		Vacant
Title next held by
Francis Hoare in 1937
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Chief of the General Staff of the Union Defence Force
1933–1949 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by

Template:SA Defence Chiefs

Template:Authority control

Retrieved from "http://debianws.lexgopc.com/wiki143/index.php?title=Pierre_van_Ryneveld&oldid=1461104"