Wing Commander Ronald Francis Redpath (7 July 1888 – 11 January 1970) was a Canadian fighter pilot who served in the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), later commanding the Canadian Air Force.
Early life Ronald Francis Redpath was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on 7 July 1888, to a merchant home.Redpath, Ronald Francis airforce.ca Retrieved: 19 March 2013.
First World War
After receiving his flying education at the Toronto flying school, Redpath joined the Royal Naval Air Service as Probationary Flight Sub‑Lieutenant, 22 November 1915 in Ottawa. He was among the original Canadians (along with Raymond Collishaw) to be trained. He was posted on 1 May 1916 to No.3 (Naval) Wing, Manstone. From there he was eventually posted to France. He is credited with ensuring that an early bombing raid did not mistakenly land in Switzerland.Gunn 2013, pp. 57-58. Redpath was awarded the French Croix de GuerreLondon Gazette editions November 1915-December 1917 naval-history.net Retrieved: 19 March 2013. along with (amongst others) Raymond Collishaw.
Post-war After the war, Redpath served as the second director of the Canadian Air Force. He succeeded Air Commodore Arthur Kellam Tylee, taking up post on 22 March 1921. However, his time of head of the Canadian Air Force was short-lived and he relinquished his post on 12 July that same year.
Redpath died on 11 January 1970 at the age of 81.
References
Notes
Bibliography
Gunn, Roger. Raymond Collishaw and the Black Flight. Dundurn, 2013. .
External links Air Force Naval History