Godfrey Marshall Paine

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Rear-Admiral Sir Godfrey M. Paine as a Commodore, First Class, 1917.
© National Portrait Gallery, London.

Rear-Admiral SIR Godfrey Marshall Paine, K.C.B., M.V.O., Royal Navy (21 November, 1871 – 23 March, 1932) was an aviation pioneer in the Royal Navy, becoming the first commander of the Central Flying School, and the first and only Fifth Sea Lord during the First World War.

Early Life & Career

Paine was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 28 August, 1893.[1]

On the occasion of the visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales to India, on 15 May, 1906, Paine was appointed a Member of the Fourth Class of the Royal Victorian Order (M.V.O.), dated 11 March.[2]

Captain

Paine was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1907.[3] On 23 July, he was appointed to Victory for service on the Committee of Supply of Paint to the Fleet.[4]

In perhaps the most interesting notation the editor has ever read in a service record, on 9 February, 1909, Paine was given Admiralty permission "to proceed to Germany for cure of constitutional syphilis."[5] To judge from his later service, this course of treatment was successful in suppressing the disease.

On 3 June he was appointed to the third class protected cruiser Diamond, for command of the Third Destroyer Flotilla at the Nore.[6] On 31 August, 1911, he was appointed in command of Actæon, the torpedo school at Sheerness.[7] On 9 May, 1912, he obtained his Royal Aero Club pilot's certificate after qualifying on a Short biplane at the Royal Aero Club's grounds at Eastchurch.[8][9]

He was appointed Commandant of the Central Flying School on 15 May,[10] and took command on 17 May.[11]

Paine was appointed an Ordinary Member of the Third Class, or Companion, in the Civil Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.) on 1 January, 1914.[12]

Great War

On 10 December, 1915, he was appointed Commodore, First Class for command of the Royal Naval Air Service's Central Depôt and Training Establishment at Cranwell.[13]

He was appointed Director of Air Services on 18 January, 1917, and on 31 January also became Fifth Sea Lord on the Board of Admiralty.[14]

He was appointed Master General of Personnel on the Air Council on 3 January, 1918,[15] and later granted the temporary rank of Major-General in the Royal Air Force from that date.[16] He relinquished his seat on the Board of Admiralty on 10 January.[17] He transferred to the Royal Air Force with the rank of Major-General on 23 August.[18]

Post-War

The Air Ministry apparently approached the Admiralty about the possibility of Paine returning to the Navy on giving up the appointment of Inspector-General of the R.A.F. in March, 1920. The Admiralty apparently would not reinstate him. Until November, 1920, he wasn't considered as a Retired Officer of the Royal Navy. That month, however, the Admiralty informed the Air Ministry that he was considered to have retired from the Navy was a Captain on 22 August, 1918, and advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral on the Retired List on 2 January, 1919[19] He died on 23 March, 1932.

Bibliography

  • "Rear-Admiral Sir Godfrey Paine" (Obituaries). The Times. Thursday, 24 March, 1932. Issue 46090, col A, p. 17.

Service Record

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Edwyn S. Alexander-Sinclair 		Captain of H.M.S. Albatross
17 Jan, 1904[20] – Feb, 1905[Inference] 		Succeeded by
Arthur K. Waistell
Preceded by
? 		Captain (D), Third Destroyer Flotilla
2 Jun, 1909[21] 		Succeeded by
Robert K. Arbuthnot, Bart.
Preceded by
John R. Le H. Ward 		Captain of H.M.S. Diamond
3 Jun, 1909[22][23] – 6 Jun, 1911[24] 		Succeeded by
Edward G. Lowther-Crofton
Preceded by
Arthur B. F. Dawson 		Captain of H.M.S. Actæon
31 Aug, 1911[25] – 15 May, 1912[26] 		Succeeded by
Maurice D. Evans
Preceded by
New Command 		Commandant, Central Flying School
17 May, 1912[27] – 10 Dec, 1915[28] 		Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
? 		In Command, Cranwell Central Depot and Training Establishment
10 Dec, 1915 – 31 Jan, 1917 		Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Charles Lionel Vaughan-Lee
as Director of Air Services 		Fifth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Air Service
11 Jan, 1917[29] – 10 Jan, 1918[30] 		Succeeded by
Position Abolished

 

Footnotes

  1. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 26444. p. 5433. 26 September, 1893.
  2. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27913. p. 3325. 15 May, 1906.
  3. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 28034. p. 4433. 28 June, 1907.
  4. ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 9 July, 1907. Issue 38380, col D, p. 12.
  5. ↑ Paine Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/211. f. 228.
  6. ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 2 June, 1909. Issue 38975, col B, p. 9.
  7. ↑ Paine Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/211. f. 228.
  8. ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Saturday, 11 May, 1912. Issue 39896, col F, p. 6.
  9. ↑ Paine Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/211. f. 228.
  10. ↑ The Navy List. (November, 1914). p. 374a.
  11. ↑ Paine Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/211. f. 228.
  12. ↑ The Edinburgh Gazette: no. 12630. p. 7. 2 January, 1914.
  13. ↑ Paine Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/211. f. 228.
  14. ↑ Paine Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/211. f. 228.
  15. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 30457. p. 273. 4 January, 1918.
  16. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 30591. p. 3636. 12 February, 1918.
  17. ↑ Paine Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/211. f. 228.
  18. ↑ Paine Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/89 f. 9.
  19. ↑ Paine Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/211. f. 228.
  20. ↑ The Navy List. (October, 1904). p. 273.
  21. ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 2 June, 1909. Issue 38975, col B, p. 9.
  22. ↑ Paine Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/211. f. 228.
  23. ↑ The Navy List. (April, 1911). p. 301.
  24. ↑ Paine Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/211. f. 228.
  25. ↑ Paine Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/211. f. 228.
  26. ↑ Paine Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/211. f. 228.
  27. ↑ Paine Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/211. f. 228.
  28. ↑ Paine Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/211. f. 228.
  29. ↑ The Naval Staff of the Admiralty. p. 126, or 31 January, according to Paine Service Record, The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 228.
  30. ↑ Paine Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 228.

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