# Godfrey Paine

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Royal Navy Rear Admiral (1871–1932)

Rear-Admiral Sir Godfrey Paine KCB MVO Nickname Bloody Born (1871-11-21)21 November 1871[1] Died 23 March 1932(1932-03-23) (aged 60)[1] Buried at sea off Nab Tower, Portsmouth[1] Allegiance United Kingdom Branch Royal Navy (1885–1918) Royal Air Force (1918–1920) Service years 1885–1920 Rank Rear-Admiral Commands Inspector-General of the RAF (1918–1920) Master-General of Personnel (1918) Fifth Sea Lord (1917) Central Depot and Training Establishment (1915–1917) Central Flying School (1912–1915) HMS Actaeon (1911–1912) Third Destroyer Flotilla (1909–1911) HMS Diamond (1909–1911) HMS Albatross (1904–1905) Known for First commandant, Central Flying School[1] Conflicts First World War Awards Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Member of the Royal Victorian Order Commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy Gold and Silver Star of the Order of the Rising Sun (Japan) Navy Distinguished Service Medal (United States)[2]

[Rear-Admiral](/source/Rear_admiral_(Royal_Navy)) **Sir Godfrey Marshall Paine**, [KCB](/source/Knight_Commander_of_the_Order_of_the_Bath), [MVO](/source/Member_of_the_Royal_Victorian_Order) (21 November 1871 – 23 March 1932) was a senior officer in the [Royal Navy](/source/Royal_Navy) (RN) and the [Royal Air Force](/source/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](/source/First_World_War).

## Early life

Godfrey Marshall Paine was born on (1871-11-21)21 November 1871, the fourth son of James Paine[3] and his wife Henrietta Grace (née Allen).

## Royal Navy career

Paine joined the [Royal Navy](/source/Royal_Navy) in early 1885, becoming a [midshipman](/source/Midshipman) on 15 June 1887.[1] He was a [lieutenant](/source/Lieutenant_(navy)) on [HMS *Renown*](/source/HMS_Renown_(1895)), before becoming [first lieutenant](/source/First_lieutenant) on the [armoured cruiser](/source/Armoured_cruiser) [HMS *Hogue*](/source/HMS_Hogue_(1900)) on its commission in late 1902.[4][1] In 1903, Paine was promoted to [commander](/source/Commander) and later served as the executive officer on his old ship HMS *Renown*.[1]

In 1907, Paine was promoted [captain](/source/Captain_(Royal_Navy)) and in 1909, he was appointed the [Officer Commanding](/source/Commanding_officer) the [Third Destroyer Flotilla](/source/Third_Destroyer_Flotilla).[1] This appointment was followed by command of the torpedo schoolship [HMS *Actaeon*](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=HMS_Actaeon_(shore_establishment)&action=edit&redlink=1) in 1911.[1] It was while Paine was in command of *Actaeon* that he first became involved in [naval aviation](/source/Naval_aviation). The first four Royal Naval and Royal Marine officers who learnt to fly ([Longmore](/source/Arthur_Longmore), [Samson](/source/Charles_Rumney_Samson), [Gerrard](/source/Eugene_Gerrard), and Gregory) were borne on the books of *Actaeon*, and Paine took a keen interest in their progress.[5]

The [Central Flying School](/source/Central_Flying_School) staff at [Upavon Aerodrome](/source/RAF_Upavon) 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](/source/Central_Flying_School) (CFS) at [Upavon Aerodrome](/source/RAF_Upavon), so, before taking up this post, he learned to fly, being awarded [Pilot's Licence No. 217](/source/List_of_pilots_awarded_an_Aviator's_Certificate_by_the_Royal_Aero_Club_in_1912) on 15 May 1912 (at the age of 40).[1] Three years later in 1915, after the [Royal Naval Air Service](/source/Royal_Naval_Air_Service) had formally separated from the [Royal Flying Corps](/source/Royal_Flying_Corps), the Royal Navy established the [Central Depot and Training Establishment](/source/Central_Depot_and_Training_Establishment).[1] The new unit was based at [Cranwell](/source/RAF_Cranwell), and Paine was raised to the rank of [commodore, first class](/source/Commodore_(Royal_Navy)), and sent there as its first commander.[1] Just over a year later, in early 1917, Paine was appointed [Fifth Sea Lord](/source/Fifth_Sea_Lord),[1] making him responsible for all naval aviation.

## Royal Air Force career

With the establishment of the [Royal Air Force](/source/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](/source/Major-general_(United_Kingdom)) (a rank of the RAF at that time) and appointed to the [Air Council](/source/Air_Council) as Master-General of Personnel.[1] With the introduction of RAF-specific ranks in 1919, Paine was regraded to [air vice marshal](/source/Air_vice_marshal). His last military appointment was as [Inspector-General of the RAF](/source/Inspector-General_of_the_RAF).[1] On his retirement from the RAF on 12 May 1920,[1] Paine was granted the rank of retired [rear admiral](/source/Rear_admiral_(Royal_Navy)).

## Post-military life

Following his retired from the military, Paine subsequently became Chairman of Totalisators Ltd. He died 23 March 1932(1932-03-23) (aged 60), and was [buried at sea](/source/Buried_at_sea) off [Nab Tower](/source/Nab_Tower), Portsmouth.[1]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-RAFWeb_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-RAFWeb_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-RAFWeb_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-RAFWeb_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-RAFWeb_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-RAFWeb_1-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-RAFWeb_1-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-RAFWeb_1-7) [***i***](#cite_ref-RAFWeb_1-8) [***j***](#cite_ref-RAFWeb_1-9) [***k***](#cite_ref-RAFWeb_1-10) [***l***](#cite_ref-RAFWeb_1-11) [***m***](#cite_ref-RAFWeb_1-12) [***n***](#cite_ref-RAFWeb_1-13) [***o***](#cite_ref-RAFWeb_1-14) [***p***](#cite_ref-RAFWeb_1-15) [***q***](#cite_ref-RAFWeb_1-16) Barrass, M.B. (26 August 2019). ["Sir Godfrey Paine"](https://rafweb.org/Biographies/Paine.htm). *RAFWeb.org*. Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 29 August 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["No. 31691"](https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31691/supplement/15614). *[The London Gazette](/source/The_London_Gazette)* (Supplement). 16 December 1919. p. 15614.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Denis Larionov; Alexander Zhulin. ["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)"](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). *Ebooksread.com*. Retrieved 5 March 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** "Naval & Military intelligence". *The Times*. No. 36835. London. 1 August 1902. p. 8.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["air force • naval air • buenos aires • 1932 • 0312 • Flight Archive"](http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1932/1932%20-%200312.html). *FlightFlobal.com*. Retrieved 5 March 2017.

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Godfrey Paine](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Godfrey_Paine).

Military offices New title School established Commandant of the Central Flying School 1912–1915 Succeeded by Duncan Pitcher New title Establishment founded Commodore of the Central Depot and Training Establishment 1915–1917 Succeeded by John Luce Preceded by Sir Charles Vaughan-Lee As Director of Air Services Fifth Sea Lord 1917 In abeyance Title next held by Sir Alexander Ramsay New title Air Council established RAF Master-General of Personnel 1918 Succeeded by Sir Sefton Brancker New title RAF established Inspector-General of the RAF 1918–1920 Vacant Title next held by Sir Robert Brooke-Popham

v t e Royal Air Force generals RAF generals between 1 April 1918 and 31 July 1919 Lieutenant-Generals David Henderson John de Mestre Hutchison Major-Generals Edward Ashmore Sefton Brancker George Cayley Edward Ellington Philip Game Frederick Gordon Frederick Heath-Caldwell John Higgins Mark Kerr Charles Lambe Charles Longcroft Godfrey Paine Geoffrey Salmond John Salmond Frederick Sykes Hugh Trenchard Tom Webb-Bowen Brigadier-Generals William Alexander John Becke Amyas Borton Harold Briggs Robert Brooke-Popham Charles Burnett Walter Caddell Lionel Charlton Christopher Courtney Alfred Critchley Hugh Dowding Francis Leycester Festing Eugene Gerrard Percy Groves Robert Marsland Groves John Hearson Thomas Higgins Cuthbert Hoare Felton Holt Guy Livingston Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt Norman MacEwen Edward Maitland Edward Masterman Cyril Newall Duncan Pitcher Francis Scarlett John Miles Steel Oliver Swann Harry Viener Vyell Vyvyan James George Weir Kenneth Wigram

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