{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}} {{Infobox military person |name= Eugene Louis Gerrard |image= |caption= |nickname= |birth_date= {{birth date|1881|07|14|df=yes}} |death_date= {{death date and age|1963|02|07|1881|07|14|df=yes}} |birth_place= |death_place= |burial_place= |allegiance= United Kingdom
|service_years= 1900–29 |rank= [[Air Commodore]] |branch= [[Royal Marines]] (1900–18)<br />[[Royal Air Force]] (1918–29) |unit= |commands= [[No. 1 Group RAF|No. 1 Air Defence Group]] (1927–29)<br />[[RAF Palestine Cammand|Palestine Command]] (1924–27)<br />[[No. 1 Group RAF|No. 1 Group]] (1922–24)<br />[[Mediterranean Group RAF|Mediterranean Group]] (1920–21)<br />South-West Group RNAS (1917–18)<br />RNAS Eastbourne (1916–17)<br />[[No. 2 Squadron RNAS]] (1914–15)<br />[[No. 1 Squadron RNAS]] (1914) |battles= [[First World War]] |awards= Companion of the [[Order of St Michael and St George]]<br />[[Distinguished Service Order]]<br />[[Order of Leopold (Belgium)|Commander of the Order of Leopold]] (Belgium) |relations= |other_work= }} [[Air Commodore]] '''Eugene Louis Gerrard''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|CMG|DSO}} (14 July 1881 – 7 February 1963) was a British officer in the [[Royal Marines]] and [[Royal Air Force]].
Gerrard was commissioned into the [[Royal Marine Light Infantry]] in 1900 and served on {{HMS|Hermione|1893|6}}, {{HMS|Defiance|shore establishment 1884|6}}, {{HMS|Spartiate|1898|6}}, {{HMS|Dido|1896|6}}, {{HMS|Prince of Wales|1902|}} and {{HMS|Vindictive|1897|6}}.
In 1911, Gerrard was one of the first four officers chosen by the [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]] for flying training conducted under the auspices of the [[Royal Aero Club]] – he was awarded certificate #76. Gerrard then served as a squadron commander in the newly formed [[Royal Flying Corps]] and was posted as a flight commander to the [[Central Flying School]]. Whilst at the Central Flying School, Gerrard set two records for flying at high altitude with passengers. On the first occasion, he flew to 10,000 feet with Major [[Hugh Trenchard]]. Later, Gerrard flew to 8,400 feet with two passengers.
Following the outbreak of the [[First World War]], Gerrard took up command of [[No. 201 Squadron RAF|No. 1 Squadron]] of the [[Royal Naval Air Service]]. One of his first acts was to attack the [[Düsseldorf]] Airship Sheds in a [[Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2|B.E.2a]]. Later in the war, Gerrard was appointed as the commander of an RNAS wing in the eastern Mediterranean where he gained the [[Distinguished Service Order]] for his leadership.
After the war he transferred to the newly formed Royal Air Force.
==References== * [http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Gerrard.htm Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Commodore E L Gerrard]
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} |- {{s-bef|before=[[Oliver Swann]]}} {{s-ttl|title=Officer Commanding [[Mediterranean Group RAF|Mediterranean Group]]|years=1920–1921}} {{s-aft|after=[[Charles Rumney Samson]]}} |- {{s-bef|before=[[Hugh Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding|Hugh Dowding]]}} {{s-ttl|title=Officer Commanding [[No. 1 Group RAF|No. 1 Group]]|years=1922–1924}} {{s-aft|after=[[Robert Gordon (RAF officer)|Robert Gordon]]}} |- {{s-bef|before=[[Henry Hugh Tudor|Sir Henry Tudor]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Air Officer Commanding]] [[RAF Palestine Command|Palestine Command]]<br /><small>Command renamed HQ Transjordan and Palestine in 1926</small>||years=1924–1927}} {{s-vac|unknown}} |- {{s-vac|last=[[Philip Herbert (RAF officer)|Philip Herbert]] in 1926|reason=No. 1 Group recreated from the Air Defence Group<br />previously commanded by [[John Hearson]]}} {{s-ttl|title=Air Officer Commanding [[No. 1 Group RAF|No. 1 Air Defence Group]]|years=1927–1929}} {{s-aft|after=[[William Foster MacNeece Foster|William Foster]]}} |- {{s-end}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gerrard, Eugene}} [[Category:Royal Marines officers]] [[Category:Royal Air Force generals of World War I]] [[Category:1881 births]] [[Category:1963 deaths]] [[Category:Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George]] [[Category:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order]] [[Category:19th-century Royal Marines personnel]]