{{Short description|Royal Navy Rear Admiral (1871–1932)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}} {{Infobox military person |honorific_prefix = [[Rear admiral (Royal Navy)|Rear-Admiral]] |name = Sir Godfrey Paine |honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCB|MVO}} |image = Sir Godfrey Paine.jpg |image_upright = |alt = |caption = |nickname = Bloody |birth_date = {{Birth date|1871|11|21|df=y}}<ref name=RAFWeb/> |birth_place = |death_date = {{Death date and age|1932|03|23|1871|11|21|df=y}}<ref name=RAFWeb/> |death_place = |burial_place = [[Buried at sea|at sea]] off [[Nab Tower]], Portsmouth<ref name=RAFWeb/> |allegiance = United Kingdom |branch = [[Royal Navy]] (1885–1918)<br>[[Royal Air Force]] (1918–1920) |service_years = 1885–1920 |rank = [[Rear admiral (Royal Navy)|Rear-Admiral]] |unit = |commands = [[Inspector-General of the RAF]] (1918–1920)<br>[[Air Member for Personnel|Master-General of Personnel]] (1918)<br>[[Fifth Sea Lord]] (1917)<br>[[Central Depot and Training Establishment]] (1915–1917)<br>[[Central Flying School]] (1912–1915)<br>{{HMS|Actaeon|shore establishment|6}} (1911–1912)<br>[[Third Destroyer Flotilla]] (1909–1911)<br>{{HMS|Diamond|1904|6}} (1909–1911)<br>{{HMS|Albatross|1898|6}} (1904–1905) |known_for = First commandant, [[Central Flying School]]<ref name=RAFWeb/> |battles = [[First World War]] |awards = [[Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath]]<br>[[Member of the Royal Victorian Order]]<br>[[Order of the Crown of Italy|Commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy]]<br>[[Order of the Rising Sun|Gold and Silver Star of the Order of the Rising Sun]] (Japan)<br>[[Navy Distinguished Service Medal]] (United States)<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=31691|date=16 December 1919|page=15614|supp=y}}</ref> |memorials = |alma_mater = |relations = |other_work = }} [[Rear admiral (Royal Navy)|Rear-Admiral]] '''Sir Godfrey Marshall Paine''', {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|KCB|MVO}} (21 November 1871 – 23 March 1932) was a senior officer in the [[Royal Navy]] (RN) and the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) in the early part of the 20th century. He played a leading role in joint and naval flying training before and during the [[First World War]].
==Early life== Godfrey Marshall Paine was born on {{Birth date|1871|11|21|df=y}}, the fourth son of James Paine<ref>{{Cite web|author1=Denis Larionov|author2=Alexander Zhulin|url=http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/edward-walford/the-county-families-of-the-united-kingdom-or-royal-manual-of-the-titled-and-un-fla/page-277-the-county-families-of-the-united-kingdom-or-royal-manual-of-the-titled-and-un-fla.shtml|title=The county families of the United Kingdom; or, Royal manual of the titled and untitled aristocracy of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland .. (Volume ed.59, yr.1919) by Edward Walford online for free (page 277 of 415)|website=Ebooksread.com|access-date=5 March 2017}}</ref> and his wife Henrietta Grace (née Allen).
==Royal Navy career== Paine joined the [[Royal Navy]] in early 1885, becoming a [[midshipman]] on 15 June 1887.<ref name=RAFWeb>{{Cite web|last=Barrass|first=M.B.|date=26 August 2019|title=Sir Godfrey Paine|url=https://rafweb.org/Biographies/Paine.htm|website=RAFWeb.org|publisher=Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation|access-date=29 August 2023}}</ref> He was a [[Lieutenant (navy)|lieutenant]] on {{HMS|Renown|1895|6}}, before becoming [[first lieutenant]] on the [[armoured cruiser]] {{HMS|Hogue|1900|6}} on its commission in late 1902.<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times|title=Naval & Military intelligence|date=1 August 1902|page=8|issue=36835}}</ref><ref name=RAFWeb/> In 1903, Paine was promoted to [[commander]] and later served as the executive officer on his old ship HMS ''Renown''.<ref name=RAFWeb/>
In 1907, Paine was promoted [[Captain (Royal Navy)|captain]] and in 1909, he was appointed the [[Commanding officer|Officer Commanding]] the [[Third Destroyer Flotilla]].<ref name=RAFWeb/> This appointment was followed by command of the torpedo schoolship {{HMS|Actaeon|shore establishment|6}} in 1911.<ref name=RAFWeb/> It was while Paine was in command of ''Actaeon'' that he first became involved in [[naval aviation]]. The first four Royal Naval and Royal Marine officers who learnt to fly ([[Arthur Longmore|Longmore]], [[Charles Rumney Samson|Samson]], [[Eugene Gerrard|Gerrard]], and Gregory) were borne on the books of ''Actaeon'', and Paine took a keen interest in their progress.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1932/1932%20-%200312.html|title=air force • naval air • buenos aires • 1932 • 0312 • Flight Archive|website=FlightFlobal.com|access-date=5 March 2017}}</ref>
[[File:Central Flying School staff in January 1913.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The [[Central Flying School]] staff at [[RAF Upavon|Upavon Aerodrome]] in January 1913. Paine is in the front row, shown third from the left.]] In 1912, Paine was appointed as the first commandant of the [[Central Flying School]] (CFS) at [[RAF Upavon|Upavon Aerodrome]], so, before taking up this post, he learned to fly, being awarded [[List of pilots awarded an Aviator's Certificate by the Royal Aero Club in 1912|Pilot's Licence No. 217]] on 15 May 1912 (at the age of 40).<ref name=RAFWeb/> Three years later in 1915, after the [[Royal Naval Air Service]] had formally separated from the [[Royal Flying Corps]], the Royal Navy established the [[Central Depot and Training Establishment]].<ref name=RAFWeb/> The new unit was based at [[RAF Cranwell|Cranwell]], and Paine was raised to the rank of [[Commodore (Royal Navy)|commodore, first class]], and sent there as its first commander.<ref name=RAFWeb/> Just over a year later, in early 1917, Paine was appointed [[Fifth Sea Lord]],<ref name=RAFWeb/> making him responsible for all naval aviation.
==Royal Air Force career== With the establishment of the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) in 1918, the posts of Fifth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Air Service were abolished and the Navy's aircraft and aviators were transferred to the RAF. Paine was promoted to [[Major-general (United Kingdom)|major general]] (a rank of the RAF at that time) and appointed to the [[Air Council]] as Master-General of Personnel.<ref name=RAFWeb/> With the introduction of RAF-specific ranks in 1919, Paine was regraded to [[air vice marshal]]. His last military appointment was as [[Inspector-General of the RAF]].<ref name=RAFWeb/> On his retirement from the RAF on 12 May 1920,<ref name=RAFWeb/> Paine was granted the rank of retired [[Rear admiral (Royal Navy)|rear admiral]].
==Post-military life== Following his retired from the military, Paine subsequently became Chairman of Totalisators Ltd. He died {{Death date and age|1932|03|23|1871|11|21|df=y}}, and was [[buried at sea]] off [[Nab Tower]], Portsmouth.<ref name=RAFWeb/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}}
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} |- {{s-new|reason=School established}} {{s-ttl|title=Commandant of the [[Central Flying School]]|years=1912–1915}} {{s-aft|after=[[Duncan Pitcher]]}} |- {{s-new|reason=Establishment founded}} {{s-ttl|title=Commodore of the [[Central Depot and Training Establishment]]|years=1915–1917}} {{s-aft|after=[[John Luce (Royal Navy officer)|John Luce]]}} |- {{s-bef|before=[[Charles Vaughan-Lee|Sir Charles Vaughan-Lee]]<br><small>As [[Air Department|Director of Air Services]]</small>}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Fifth Sea Lord]] |years=1917}} {{s-vac|next=[[Alexander Ramsay (Royal Navy officer)|Sir Alexander Ramsay]]|1=abeyance}} |- {{s-new|reason=Air Council established}} {{s-ttl|title=RAF [[Air Member for Personnel|Master-General of Personnel]]|years=1918}} {{s-aft|after=[[Sefton Brancker|Sir Sefton Brancker]]}} |- {{s-new|reason=RAF established}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Inspector-General of the RAF]] |years=1918–1920}} {{s-vac|next=[[Robert Brooke-Popham|Sir Robert Brooke-Popham]]}} {{end}}
{{RAF generals}} {{Portal bar|Aviation|United Kingdom|Biography}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paine, Godfrey}} [[Category:1871 births]] [[Category:1932 deaths]] [[Category:Foreign recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (United States)]] [[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath]] [[Category:Lords of the Admiralty]] [[Category:Members of the Royal Victorian Order]] [[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun]] [[Category:Royal Air Force air vice-marshals]] [[Category:Royal Air Force generals of World War I]] [[Category:Royal Navy rear admirals]] [[Category:Royal Naval Air Service aviators]] [[Category:Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal]]