Owen Tudor Boyd - Revision history

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	==Education and pre-war==		==Education and pre-war==
	Born in [[Marylebone]],<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/998/998234/998234.html\|title=The Home of CricketArchive\|website=cricketarchive.com}}</ref> Boyd was educated at the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]]. On 20 January 1909, he was commissioned on the 'unattached list for the Indian Army' and attached to a British Army regiment in India before being appointed to the [[British Indian Army\|Indian Army]] in March 1910. Boyd was posted to the Indian Army's [[5th Cavalry (Indian Army)\|5th Cavalry]].<ref name="Air of Authority Biography">{{cite web\|url=http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Boyd.htm\|title=Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation : Air Marshal O T Boyd\|access-date=29 November ~~2022~~}}</ref> He was promoted Lieutenant on 20 April 1911.<ref>Indian Army List January 1915</ref>		Born in [[Marylebone]],<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/998/998234/998234.html\|title=The Home of CricketArchive\|website=cricketarchive.com}}</ref> Boyd was educated at the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]]. On 20 January 1909, he was commissioned on the 'unattached list for the Indian Army' and attached to a British Army regiment in India before being appointed to the [[British Indian Army\|Indian Army]] in March 1910. Boyd was posted to the Indian Army's [[5th Cavalry (Indian Army)\|5th Cavalry]].<ref name="Air of Authority Biography">{{cite web\|url=http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Boyd.htm\|title=Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation : Air Marshal O T Boyd\|access-date=29 November 2008}}</ref> He was promoted Lieutenant on 20 April 1911.<ref>Indian Army List January 1915</ref>

	==First World War==		==First World War==
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	On his way to Egypt, Boyd was to stop in Malta. However, the aircraft in which he and his staff were passengers was forced down over enemy-controlled [[Sicily]] by a group of Italian fighter aircraft. There is some controversy over his capture as Boyd was indoctrinated into "[[Ultra]]" intelligence and the advantage gained from breaking some German codes, which led to fears he could reveal this secret.<ref>''Wilfrid Freeman: The Genius behind Allied Survival and Air Supremacy, 1939 to 1945'' by Anthony Furse</ref> Secondly one history book refers to "the reported circumstance is a navigation error and consequent fuel shortage".<ref>''Royal Air Force 1939–45'' by Denis Richards; Vol. 1, Chap IX, p270</ref>		On his way to Egypt, Boyd was to stop in Malta. However, the aircraft in which he and his staff were passengers was forced down over enemy-controlled [[Sicily]] by a group of Italian fighter aircraft. There is some controversy over his capture as Boyd was indoctrinated into "[[Ultra]]" intelligence and the advantage gained from breaking some German codes, which led to fears he could reveal this secret.<ref>''Wilfrid Freeman: The Genius behind Allied Survival and Air Supremacy, 1939 to 1945'' by Anthony Furse</ref> Secondly one history book refers to "the reported circumstance is a navigation error and consequent fuel shortage".<ref>''Royal Air Force 1939–45'' by Denis Richards; Vol. 1, Chap IX, p270</ref>

	After destroying his confidential papers by setting his own aircraft on fire, Boyd became a [[prisoner of war]] (POW). He spent much of the war in the [[Vincigliata\|Castle Vincigliata]] (''Castello di Vincigliata'') camp near [[Florence]], Italy.<ref>{{cite journal \| date =2 December 1940 \| title = Prize Catch \| journal = Time Magazine \| url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,772477,00.html \| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101014062458/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,772477,00.html \| url-status = dead \| archive-date = 14 October 2010 \| access-date =14 September ~~2022~~}}</ref>		After destroying his confidential papers by setting his own aircraft on fire, Boyd became a [[prisoner of war]] (POW). He spent much of the war in the [[Vincigliata\|Castle Vincigliata]] (''Castello di Vincigliata'') camp near [[Florence]], Italy.<ref>{{cite journal \| date =2 December 1940 \| title = Prize Catch \| journal = Time Magazine \| url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,772477,00.html \| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101014062458/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,772477,00.html \| url-status = dead \| archive-date = 14 October 2010 \| access-date =14 September 2007}}</ref>

	When Italy capitulated in September 1943, Boyd and two British Army generals ([[Philip Neame]] and [[Richard O'Connor]], both captured in [[North Africa]] in 1941), with help from the [[Italian resistance movement]], escaped while being transferred from Vincigliata. After spending time in the Italian countryside and a failed rendezvous with a [[submarine]], they arrived by boat at [[Termoli]], then went on to [[Bari]] where they were welcomed as guests by [[General (United Kingdom)\|General]] [[Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis\|Sir Harold Alexander]], commanding the [[Allied Armies in Italy\|Allied Armies]] fighting on the [[Italian Campaign (World War II)\|Italian Front]], on 21 December 1943. Their escape was led by a Lieutenant Colonel Pat Spooner, who had escaped once before and returned to German-controlled Italy.<ref>{{Cite news \|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11221105/Lieutenant-Colonel-Pat-Spooner-obituary.html\| title=Lieutenant-Colonel Pat Spooner - obituary \|date=10 November 2014\|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]}}</ref>		When Italy capitulated in September 1943, Boyd and two British Army generals ([[Philip Neame]] and [[Richard O'Connor]], both captured in [[North Africa]] in 1941), with help from the [[Italian resistance movement]], escaped while being transferred from Vincigliata. After spending time in the Italian countryside and a failed rendezvous with a [[submarine]], they arrived by boat at [[Termoli]], then went on to [[Bari]] where they were welcomed as guests by [[General (United Kingdom)\|General]] [[Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis\|Sir Harold Alexander]], commanding the [[Allied Armies in Italy\|Allied Armies]] fighting on the [[Italian Campaign (World War II)\|Italian Front]], on 21 December 1943. Their escape was led by a Lieutenant Colonel Pat Spooner, who had escaped once before and returned to German-controlled Italy.<ref>{{Cite news \|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11221105/Lieutenant-Colonel-Pat-Spooner-obituary.html\| title=Lieutenant-Colonel Pat Spooner - obituary \|date=10 November 2014\|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]}}</ref>
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	==External links==		==External links==
	*[http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Boyd.htm Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Marshal O T Boyd]		*[http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Boyd.htm Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Marshal O T Boyd]
	*{{cite web\|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,772477,00.html\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101014062458/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,772477,00.html\|url-status=dead\|archive-date=14 October 2010\|title=Prize Catch.\|work=Time Magazine\|date=2 December 1940\|access-date=15 July ~~2022~~}}		*{{cite web\|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,772477,00.html\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101014062458/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,772477,00.html\|url-status=dead\|archive-date=14 October 2010\|title=Prize Catch.\|work=Time Magazine\|date=2 December 1940\|access-date=15 July 2009}}
	*{{cite web\|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,803165,00.html\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080910021701/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,803165,00.html\|url-status=dead\|archive-date=10 September 2008\|title=Generals Free.\|work=Time Magazine\|date=31 January 1944\|access-date=15 July ~~2022~~}}		*{{cite web\|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,803165,00.html\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080910021701/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,803165,00.html\|url-status=dead\|archive-date=10 September 2008\|title=Generals Free.\|work=Time Magazine\|date=31 January 1944\|access-date=15 July 2009}}

	{{s-start}}		{{s-start}}

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{{Short description|Royal Air Force air marshal (1889–1944)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Owen Tudor Boyd
| image =
| caption =
| nickname =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1889|08|30|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[London]], England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1944|08|05|1889|08|30|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[London]], England
| placeofburial =
| allegiance = United Kingdom
| branch = [[British Army]] (1909–18) [[Royal Air Force]] (1918–44)
| serviceyears = 1909–1944
| rank = [[Air marshal]]
| unit =
| commands = [[No. 93 Group RAF|No. 93 Group]] (1944) [[RAF Balloon Command]] (1938–40) [[No. 1 Group RAF|No. 1 Group]] (1935–36) [[British Forces Aden|RAF Aden]] (1931–34) {{nowrap|[[School of Army Co-operation]] (1923–25)}} [[No. 24 Squadron RAF|No. 24 Squadron]] (1922–23) [[No. 72 Squadron RAF|No. 72 Squadron]] (1918) [[No. 66 Squadron RAF|No. 66 Squadron]] (1917)
| battles = [[First World War]] [[Second World War]]
| awards = [[Companion of the Order of the Bath]] [[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]] [[Military Cross]] [[Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)|Air Force Cross]] [[Mentioned in Despatches]] (2)
| relations =
| laterwork =
}}
[[Air Marshal]] '''Owen Tudor Boyd''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|CB|OBE|MC|AFC}} (30 August 1889 – 5 August 1944) was a British aviator and military officer. He served with the [[Royal Flying Corps]] during the [[First World War]] before transferring to the newly formed [[Royal Air Force]] in 1918, with which he served during the interwar period and into the [[Second World War]].

==Education and pre-war==
Born in [[Marylebone]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/998/998234/998234.html|title=The Home of CricketArchive|website=cricketarchive.com}}</ref> Boyd was educated at the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]]. On 20 January 1909, he was commissioned on the 'unattached list for the Indian Army' and attached to a British Army regiment in India before being appointed to the [[British Indian Army|Indian Army]] in March 1910. Boyd was posted to the Indian Army's [[5th Cavalry (Indian Army)|5th Cavalry]].<ref name="Air of Authority Biography">{{cite web|url=http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Boyd.htm|title=Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation : Air Marshal O T Boyd|access-date=29 November 2022}}</ref> He was promoted Lieutenant on 20 April 1911.<ref>Indian Army List January 1915</ref>

==First World War==
He was promoted temporary Captain, Indian Army, to date from the 1 September 1915 in the London Gazette of 28 July 1916.
From 25 April 1916, Boyd saw service in the First World War as a flying officer with the [[Royal Flying Corps]]. Later in 1916, he was a pilot on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] with No. 27 Squadron; on 9 July, he was promoted to flight commander.<ref name="Air of Authority Biography" /> He was awarded the Military Cross in the London Gazette of 18 August 1916.

Boyd stayed on the Western Front and continued to earn promotion. On 26 October, he was made [[officer commanding]] of a squadron and on 19 January 1917, took command of [[No. 66 Squadron RAF|No. 66 Squadron]].<ref name="Air of Authority Biography" />

In June 1917, he was moved to a [[military staff|staff]] appointment and on 2 December, he was made a staff officer, 2nd Class, RFC (captain – graded as [[brigade major]]).<ref name="Air of Authority Biography" />

By 7 July 1918, Boyd was in [[Mesopotamia]] as officer commanding [[No. 72 Squadron RAF|No. 72 Squadron]].<ref name="Air of Authority Biography" />

==Interwar years==
From 18 January 1919, Boyd was an officer commanding and a staff officer (acting lieutenant colonel). On 1 August, he was awarded a permanent commission as a major. By 21 January 1920, he was a staff officer with the Mesopotamian Wing Headquarters. He was also involved as a staff officer with the Directorate of Operations and Intelligence.<ref name="Air of Authority Biography" />

On 23 October 1922, Boyd was once again commanding a squadron, this time [[No. XXIV Squadron RAF|No. 24 Squadron]].<ref name="Air of Authority Biography" />

On 26 February 1923, he was made the Commandant of the School of Army Co-operation. Starting 21 January 1926, he attended the [[Army Staff College]], [[Camberley]]. By 21 January 1928, he was on the directing staff of the college.<ref name="Air of Authority Biography" />

On 4 January 1930, Boyd became the deputy director of staff duties.<ref name="Air of Authority Biography" />

On 7 August 1931, Boyd was the officer commanding, [[British Forces Aden|RAF Aden]]. By 16 April 1934, he was [[Secretary of State for Air]] for the Headquarters Fighting Area. By 24 October 1935, he was [[air officer commanding]], Central Area.<ref name="Air of Authority Biography" />

On 1 May 1936, Boyd was promoted to [[air commodore]] of [[No. 1 Group RAF]]. He was appointed director of personal services at the Air Ministry in December 1936.<ref name="Air of Authority Biography" />

==Second World War==
[[File:Barrage ballons.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Women's Auxiliary Air Force]] barrage balloon crews at [[RAF Cardington]].]]
In 1938, as an [[air vice marshal]], Boyd became [[commander-in-chief]] [[RAF Balloon Command]]. On 1 December 1940, he was replaced by Air Marshal Sir [[Leslie Gossage]] at [[RAF Balloon Command]]. Boyd was then promoted to [[air marshal]] and appointed deputy to the [[air officer]] [[Commander-in-Chief|commanding-in-chief]] (AOC-in-C) [[Middle East]].<ref name="Air of Authority Biography" />

On his way to Egypt, Boyd was to stop in Malta. However, the aircraft in which he and his staff were passengers was forced down over enemy-controlled [[Sicily]] by a group of Italian fighter aircraft. There is some controversy over his capture as Boyd was indoctrinated into "[[Ultra]]" intelligence and the advantage gained from breaking some German codes, which led to fears he could reveal this secret.<ref>''Wilfrid Freeman: The Genius behind Allied Survival and Air Supremacy, 1939 to 1945'' by Anthony Furse</ref> Secondly one history book refers to "the reported circumstance is a navigation error and consequent fuel shortage".<ref>''Royal Air Force 1939–45'' by Denis Richards; Vol. 1, Chap IX, p270</ref>

After destroying his confidential papers by setting his own aircraft on fire, Boyd became a [[prisoner of war]] (POW). He spent much of the war in the [[Vincigliata|Castle Vincigliata]] (''Castello di Vincigliata'') camp near [[Florence]], Italy.<ref>{{cite journal | date =2 December 1940 | title = Prize Catch | journal = Time Magazine | url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,772477,00.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101014062458/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,772477,00.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 14 October 2010 | access-date =14 September 2022}}</ref>

When Italy capitulated in September 1943, Boyd and two British Army generals ([[Philip Neame]] and [[Richard O'Connor]], both captured in [[North Africa]] in 1941), with help from the [[Italian resistance movement]], escaped while being transferred from Vincigliata. After spending time in the Italian countryside and a failed rendezvous with a [[submarine]], they arrived by boat at [[Termoli]], then went on to [[Bari]] where they were welcomed as guests by [[General (United Kingdom)|General]] [[Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis|Sir Harold Alexander]], commanding the [[Allied Armies in Italy|Allied Armies]] fighting on the [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italian Front]], on 21 December 1943. Their escape was led by a Lieutenant Colonel Pat Spooner, who had escaped once before and returned to German-controlled Italy.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11221105/Lieutenant-Colonel-Pat-Spooner-obituary.html| title=Lieutenant-Colonel Pat Spooner - obituary |date=10 November 2014|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]}}</ref>

Of all of [[RAF Bomber Command]]'s wartime group commanders, Boyd spent the shortest time in command of his appointed group. In late July 1944, he was divorced. Little more than a week later, on 5 August, he was dead from a [[Myocardial infarction|heart attack]].<ref name="Air of Authority Biography" />

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Boyd.htm Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Marshal O T Boyd]
*{{cite web|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,772477,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101014062458/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,772477,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 October 2010|title=Prize Catch.|work=Time Magazine|date=2 December 1940|access-date=15 July 2022}}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,803165,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080910021701/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,803165,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 September 2008|title=Generals Free.|work=Time Magazine|date=31 January 1944|access-date=15 July 2022}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Cuthbert MacLean]] As Air Officer Commanding Aden Command}}
{{s-ttl|title=Officer Commanding [[RAF Aden]]|years=1931–1934}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Charles Portal, 1st Viscount Portal of Hungerford|Charles Portal]] As Officer Commanding Aden Command}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Hazelton Nicholl]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Air Officer Commanding Central Area|years=1935–1936}}
{{s-non|reason=Formation renamed as No. 1 Group}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=J C Quinnell Quinnel's command was redesignated No. 6 Group in 1936}}
{{s-ttl|title=Air Officer Commanding [[No. 1 Group RAF|No. 1 Group]]|years=1936}}
{{s-aft|after=S W Smith}}
|-
{{s-new|reason=Command established}}
{{s-ttl|title=Air Officer Commanding [[RAF Balloon Command|Balloon Command]]|years=1938–1940}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Leslie Gossage|Sir Leslie Gossage]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Alan Ritchie (RAF officer)|Alan Ritchie]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Air Officer Commanding [[No. 93 Group RAF|No. 93 Group]]|years=1944}}
{{s-aft|after=[[George Hodson (RAF officer)|George Hodson]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boyd, Owen}}
[[Category:1889 births]]
[[Category:1944 deaths]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:British escapees]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Escapees from Italian detention]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)]]
[[Category:Military personnel from London]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Military Cross]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force air marshals of World War II]]
[[Category:Royal Flying Corps officers]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst]]
[[Category:World War II prisoners of war held by Italy]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley]]
[[Category:British Indian Army officers]]
[[Category:People from Marylebone]]
[[Category:British people in colonial India]]