Vyell Vyvyan

{{Short description|British Royal Navy officer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox military person |name= Sir Arthur Vyell Vyvyan |image= |image_size= |alt= |caption= |nickname= |birth_date= {{birth date|1875|03|12|df=yes}} |birth_place= [[Multan]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], British India |death_date= {{death date and age|1935|09|30|1875|03|12|df=yes}} |death_place= [[Marylebone]], London, England |burial_place= |allegiance= United Kingdom |branch= [[Royal Navy]] (1891–1918) [[Royal Air Force]] (1918–1925) |service_years= 1891–1925 |rank= [[Air Vice Marshal]] |unit= |commands= [[RAF Coastal Area]] (1919–24) [[RAF North-Western Area|RAF Northern Area]] (1919) {{HMS|Endymion|1891|6}} |battles= [[First World War]] |awards= [[Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath]] [[Distinguished Service Order]] [[Order of Saint Anna]] (Russia) [[Mentioned in Despatches]] (2) [[Officer of the Legion of Honour]] (France) [[Order of the Rising Sun|Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd Class]] (Japan) [[Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army)|Distinguished Service Medal]] (United States)<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=31691 |date=16 December 1919 |page=15614 |supp=y}}</ref> [[Order of the Redeemer|Grand Commander of the Order of the Redeemer]] (Greece) |relations= |other_work= }} [[Air Vice Marshal]] '''Sir Arthur Vyell Vyvyan''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100|sep=,|KCB|DSO}} (12 March 1875 – 30 September 1935) was an officer in the [[Royal Navy]] in the early 20th century, and later a senior officer in the newly created [[Royal Air Force]].

==Military career== Vyvyan joined the [[Royal Navy]] in 1891, where he was promoted to [[Lieutenant (Royal Navy)|lieutenant]] on 14 January 1896. In 1902 he was posted to the Sheerness Gunnery School senior staff, at {{HMS|Wildfire|shore establishment 1889|6}}.<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Naval & Military intelligence |date=17 September 1902 |page=5 |issue=36875}}</ref>

In 1916, while holding the rank of [[Captain (Royal Navy)|captain]], Vyvyan became involved in [[naval aviation]], serving as the Assistant to the Superintendent of Aircraft Construction before being appointed the Assistant to the Director of the Air Service.

With the impending establishment of the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF), Vyvyan was employed at the [[Air Ministry]] and was promoted to [[brigadier general (United Kingdom)|brigadier general]] in the RAF. Departing London just after the 1 April 1918 when the RAF was formally created, Vyvyan briefly returned to operational service as the senior RAF officer in the Mediterranean. In late April he was recalled to Great Britain and appointed the General Officer Commanding the RAF's [[Northern Area RAF|Northern Area]]. The following year he became [[Air Officer Commanding]] [[RAF Coastal Area|Coastal Area]], receiving a promotion to [[air vice marshal]] shortly after taking up post. He retired from the RAF in 1925.

A memorial to him lies within [[St James's Church, Piccadilly]]. [[File:A memorial to Vyell Vyvyan in St James's Church, Piccadilly.jpg|thumb|A memorial to Vyell Vyvyan in St James's Church, Piccadilly.]]

==Honours and awards== * [[Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath]] – 2 Jun 1923 (CB – 3 Jun 1918) * [[Distinguished Service Order]] – 14 Mar 1916 * [[Order of Saint Anna]] – Dec 1909 (Russia)<ref>National Archives ADM 196/89/161</ref> * [[Mentioned in Despatches]] – 14 Mar 1916, 3 Jun 1918 * Officer of the [[Legion of Honour]] – 11 Aug 1917 (France) * [[Order of the Rising Sun]], 3rd class – 8 Nov 1918 (Japan) * [[Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army)|Distinguished Service Medal]] (United States) – 16 Dec 1919 * Grand Commander of the [[Order of the Redeemer]] – 1920 (Greece)

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Vyvyan.htm Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Vice-Marshal Sir Vyell Vyvyan]

{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{s-bef|before=[[George Cayley (Royal Navy officer)|George Cayley]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[General Officer Commanding]] [[RAF North-Western Area|North-Western Area]] Redesignated GOC Northern Area in June 1919 Redesignated AOC Northern Area in August 1919|years=1919}} {{s-aft|after=[[Hugh Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding|Hugh Dowding]]}} |- {{s-new|reason=Command established}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Air Officer Commanding]] [[RAF Coastal Area|Coastal Area]]|years=1919–1924}} {{s-aft|after=[[Francis Scarlett (RAF officer)|Francis Scarlett]]}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vyvyan, Vyell}} [[Category:1875 births]] [[Category:1935 deaths]] [[Category:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order]] [[Category:Foreign recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (United States)]] [[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath]] [[Category:Officers of the Legion of Honour]] [[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd class]] [[Category:Royal Air Force air vice-marshals]] [[Category:Royal Navy officers]] [[Category:Military personnel of British India]] [[Category:Royal Navy personnel of World War I]] [[Category:Vivian family|Vyell]] [[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)]] [[Category:British people in British India]]