Lloyd Samuel Breadner

Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox military person Air Chief Marshal<ref group="note">This rank was used by the 20th century Royal Canadian Air Force and replaced with the rank of General in 1968 with the unification of the Canadian Forces, a rank which has been retained in the 21st century Royal Canadian Air Force. See Category:Canadian Forces Air Command generals Royal Canadian Air Force generals for such officers. Breadner was one of only two Canadian Air Chief Marshals, the other being Frank Robert Miller.</ref> Lloyd Samuel Breadner, CB, DSC (14 July 1894 – 14 March 1952) was a Canadian military pilot and Chief of the Air Staff during World War II.

Early career

Breadner obtained his pilot's certificate at Wright Flying School and was commissioned in the British Royal Naval Air Service on 28 December 1915. During World War I, he served on the Western Front as a fighter pilot in the No. 3 (Naval) Squadron. He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant (RNAS) on 31 December 1916. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross on 23 May 1917. The citation read: Template:Blockquote Squadron Commander Lloyd Breadner and 3 (Naval) Squadron were posted to RAF Walmer during the Winter of 1917/1918. He was released from the RAF<ref group="note">The RNAS had been joined with the Royal Flying Corps in 1918</ref> with the rank of major<ref group="note">The RAF used Army-style ranks until mid-1919.</ref> in March 1919.

Command

He was commissioned and promoted to Squadron Leader in 1920 and transferred to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) on its formation in 1924. He became Controller of Civil Aviation in 1922, and later commanded Camp Borden from 15 January 1924, to 23 September 1925. He was promoted to Wing Commander on 1 April 1924. After attending RAF Staff College, he was the Director of the RCAF from 15 February 1928, to 29 April 1932. From 1932 until 1935, he commanded Trenton and then attended the Imperial Defence College. He was promoted to Group Captain on 1 February 1936, and to Air Commodore on 4 August 1938.Template:Fact

Breadner (fifth from left) at the Quebec Conference of 1943.

He became Chief of Air Staff on 29 May 1940, and having been promoted to Air Marshal on 19 November 1941, became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief RCAF Overseas in January 1944. Breadner was promoted on his retirement on 25 November 1945, to Air Chief Marshal, the first Canadian to hold this rank.Template:Fact

On 30 November 1944, while he was Chief of Air Staff, his son, Flying Officer Donald Lloyd Breadner, was killed after an air gunnery exercise, while flying a de Havilland Mosquito from RCAF Station Debert, in Nova Scotia. He was the only son of Breadner and his wife, Mary Evelyn. They also had three daughters.<ref>"Donald Lloyd Breadner," Canadian Virtual War Memorial, http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/collections/virtualmem/Detail/2687294?DONALD%20LLOYD%20BREADNER</ref>

Awards

• 23 May 1917: Distinguished Service Cross
• 1 January 1943: Companion, Order of the Bath
• 25 October 1943: Military Cross, First Class (Belgium)
• 25 August 1944: Grand Officers Cross of Polonia Restituta (Poland)Template:Clarify
• 5 October 1946: Order of the White Lion, Class II (Czechoslovakia)
• 20 December 1946: Legion of Merit (Degree of Commander)
• 12 September 1947: Commander of the Legion of Honour (France)
• 12 June 1948: King Haakon VII's Cross of Liberty (Norway)

References and notes

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

External links

• Juno Beach Centre profile Template:Webarchive
• The Aerodrome
• Canada's 25 Most Renowned Military Leaders Template:Webarchive

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