User:Greenshed/sandbox/Military career of George VI

The Military career of George VI started in 1909 when, as Prince Albert, he attended the Royal Naval College, Osborne, as a naval cadet.

From 1909, Albert attended the Royal Naval College, Osborne, as a naval cadet. In 1911, he came bottom of the class in the final examination, but despite this he progressed to the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. When his grandfather, Edward VII, died in 1910, Albert's father became King George V. Prince Edward was created Prince of Wales, and Albert was second in line to the throne.

Albert spent the first six months of 1913 on the training ship HMS Cumberland (1902) in the West Indies and on the east coast of Canada. He was rated as a midshipman aboard HMS Collingwood (1908) on 15 September 1913, and spent three months in the Mediterranean. His fellow officers gave him the nickname "Mr. Johnson". One year after his commission, he began service in the First World War. He was mentioned in despatches for his action as a turret officer aboard Collingwood in the Battle of Jutland (31 May – 1 June 1916), an indecisive engagement with the German navy that was the largest naval action of the war. He did not see further combat, largely because of ill health caused by a duodenal ulcer, for which he had an operation in November 1917.

In February 1918, he was appointed Officer in Charge of Boys at the Royal Naval Air Service's training establishment at Cranwell. With the establishment of the Royal Air Force two months later and the reassignment of Cranwell from Admiralty to Air Ministry responsibility, Albert transferred from the Royal Navy to the Royal Air Force. He was appointed Officer Commanding Number 4 Squadron of the Boys' Wing at Cranwell until August 1918, before reporting to the RAF's Cadet School at St Leonards-on-Sea where he completed a fortnight's training and took command of a squadron on the Cadet Wing. He was the first member of the royal family to be certified as a fully qualified pilot.

Albert was greatly desirous of serving on the Continent while the war was still in progress and was very pleased to be posted to General Trenchard's staff. On 23 October he flew across the Channel to Autigny. For the closing weeks of the war, he served on the staff of the RAF's Independent Air Force at its headquarters in Nancy, France. Following the disbanding of the Independent Air Force in November 1918, he remained on the Continent for two months as a staff officer with the Royal Air Force until posted back to Britain. He accompanied the Belgian monarch King Albert on his triumphal reentry into Brussels on 22 November. Prince Albert qualified as an RAF pilot on 31 July 1919 and gained a promotion to squadron leader on the following day.

Albert's active duty with the RAF came to end by no later than October 1919 when he went up to Trinity College, Cambridge to study for a year.

British ranks

 * 15 September 1913 – 1916: Midshipman, HMS Collingwood
 * 15 May 1916 – 1918: Sub-Lieutenant, Royal Navy
 * 1916 – 1918: Acting Lieutenant, HMS Collingwood
 * 1918 – 31 December 1920: Lieutenant, Royal Navy
 * 29 December 1918 – 1919: Captain and Staff Officer (3rd Class, Air), Royal Air Force
 * 1 August – 1 November 1919: Flight Lieutenant, Royal Air Force
 * 1 November 1919 – 1 June 1920: Squadron Leader, Royal Air Force
 * 31 December 1920 – 1925: Commander, Royal Navy
 * 1 June 1920 – 30 June 1921: Wing Commander, Royal Air Force
 * 30 June 1921 – 3 June 1932: Group Captain, Royal Air Force
 * 1925 – 1932: Captain, Royal Navy
 * 1932 – 1936: Rear-Admiral, Royal Navy
 * 3 June 1932 – 1 January 1936: Air Vice-Marshal, Royal Air Force
 * 1936 – 1936: Vice-Admiral, Royal Navy
 * 1 January – 21 January 1936: Air Marshal, Royal Air Force
 * 1936 – 11 December 1936: Admiral, Royal Navy
 * 21 January – 11 December 1936: Air Chief Marshal, Royal Air Force
 * 1936 – 11 December 1936: General, British Army
 * 11 December 1936 – 6 February 1952: Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces
 * 11 December 1936 – 6 February 1952: Admiral of the Fleet, Royal Navy
 * 11 December 1936 – 6 February 1952: Marshal of the Royal Air Force
 * 11 December 1936 – 6 February 1952: Field Marshal, British Army