131:
99:
119:
363:
87:
346:. Crossing back across the Atlantic once more in 1934, Croil was appointed Senior Air Officer with the RCAF, making him the head of the RCAF. In 1938, Croil succeeded in ensuring the RCAF's separation from the Army, and his post was upgraded to
681:
1009:
1004:
1014:
1024:
386:, then-Minister of Defence for Air. Power was replaced two months later following Croil's resignation. Croil then served as the Inspector-General of the Royal Canadian Air Force until 1944.
674:
989:
276:
as a private soldier. He was soon commissioned, serving as a machine gun officer in the 5th
Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders. In January 1915, he received an acting promotion to
667:
260:
where he gained employment as an assistant superintendent with the
Mahawale Tea and Rubber Estate until 1914, where he maintained machinery and supervised workers.
979:
218:. Croil resigned as CAS in 1940 and then served as Inspector-General of the RCAF until his retirement in 1944, when the post of Inspector General was abolished.
856:
177:
984:
690:
342:
in
Ontario, which, at that time, was one of the very few RCAF training bases. Returning to Britain for further advanced training, Croil attended the
296:
277:
1029:
351:
319:
at the time of its establishment in 1924. Although the RCAF was described as an air force and had a separate rank structure in line with the
30:
1019:
999:
994:
846:
539:
928:
912:
836:
199:
181:
615:
586:
347:
211:
370:
inspecting No. 110 (City of
Toronto) Squadron, R.C.A.F. The aircraft in the background is Westland 'Lysander' II 417. : Hon.
534:
464:
245:, Quebec, where he attended Westmount Academy from 1903 to 1907. From 1907 to 1911, Croil lived in Scotland, studying at
790:
307:
Croil became a member of the
Canadian Air Board in June 1920 and played a key role in the establishment of air bases at
390:
367:
195:
479:
861:
332:
246:
249:
in
Aberdeen. Remaining in Great Britain, Croil studied Civil Engineering and was chartered as an engineer 1912.
866:
644:
343:
316:
230:. His parents, Thomas Croil and Christian Mitchell, were Scottish immigrants to the United States. Croil was a
215:
135:
287:
and undertook a two-month period of flying training. On successfully completing the course and receiving his
312:
719:
408:
382:
Croil remained as Chief of the Air Staff until 1940 when he was forced to resign after a falling out with
785:
744:
734:
625:
419:
974:
969:
805:
502:
375:
227:
871:
759:
739:
724:
714:
704:
579:
383:
308:
292:
284:
273:
203:
490:
535:
Air Force
Association of Canada – Air Marshal George Mitchell Croil, CBE, AFC, MiD and Cde (Fr)
841:
826:
640:
659:
529:
437:
362:
831:
810:
468:
328:
320:
29:
892:
795:
754:
729:
288:
235:
92:
963:
943:
887:
371:
324:
938:
933:
851:
749:
709:
231:
167:
124:
461:
374:, Air Marshal G.M. Croil, Rt. Hon. W.L. Mackenzie King, W/C W.D. Van Vliet, Hon.
902:
561:
339:
327:. The following year, in 1925, Croil was posted to Britain where he served as a
269:
207:
189:
163:
153:
948:
907:
897:
800:
253:
73:
56:
52:
242:
241:
When Croil was 11 years old, his family moved to Canada and settled in
338:
Returning to Canada by 1928, Croil was appointed
Station Commander of
315:
in
Alberta. He went on to become one of the founding officers of the
257:
130:
104:
291:
in July 1916, Croil was seconded from the Gordon
Highlanders to the
361:
238:, who, like Croil, was a pioneer of military aviation in the US.
663:
202:(June 5, 1893 – April 8, 1959) was an American-born Canadian
331:
with the RAF. Croil also took a course of training at the
1010:
Canadian Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
1005:
Royal Canadian Air Force air marshals of World War II
698:
Officers Commanding / Directors / Senior Air Officers
323:
of Great Britain, it was under the authority of the
921:
880:
819:
773:
697:
173:
159:
149:
141:
110:
80:
63:
39:
20:
1015:Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
1025:Graduates of the Royal College of Defence Studies
540:Canadian Air Force – Half a Century of Croil Hall
598:Service head upgraded to Chief of the Air Staff
530:Juno Beach Centre – Air Vice-Marshal G.M. Croil
350:as a result. He also reported directly to the
675:
8:
433:
431:
429:
427:
178:Commander of the Order of the British Empire
280:and took up duties as a company commander.
990:People educated at Robert Gordon's College
922:Commanders of the Royal Canadian Air Force
691:Commanders of the Royal Canadian Air Force
682:
668:
660:
544:
28:
17:
401:
283:In May 1916, Croil was detached to the
980:British Army personnel of World War I
457:
455:
453:
451:
449:
447:
445:
7:
507:Royal Canadian Air Force Association
226:Croil was born on June 5, 1893, in
610:RCAF became an independent service
14:
985:Military personnel from Milwaukee
389:Croil died on April 8, 1959, in
210:who went on to become the first
129:
117:
97:
85:
1:
1030:American emigrants to Canada
352:Minister of National Defence
1020:Gordon Highlanders soldiers
1000:Royal Flying Corps officers
995:Gordon Highlanders officers
391:Vancouver, British Columbia
358:World War II and later life
295:with the temporary rank of
34:Croil in full dress uniform
1046:
333:RAF Staff College, Andover
76:, British Columbia, Canada
638:
632:
622:
613:
604:
584:
576:
568:
558:
552:
547:
27:
645:Royal Canadian Air Force
503:"CROIL, George Mitchell"
344:Imperial Defence College
317:Royal Canadian Air Force
272:, Croil enlisted in the
216:Royal Canadian Air Force
136:Royal Canadian Air Force
881:Chiefs of the Air Staff
820:Commanders, Air Command
774:Chiefs of the Air Staff
252:In 1912 Croil moved to
247:Robert Gordon's College
616:Chief of the Air Staff
379:
348:Chief of the Air Staff
212:Chief of the Air Staff
560:Station Commander of
365:
268:With the outbreak of
193:George Mitchell Croil
142:Years of service
234:of US Major General
228:Milwaukee, Wisconsin
872:Allan DeQuetteville
409:Godfrey of the RCAF
384:Charles Gavan Power
368:W.L. Mackenzie King
340:RCAF Station Borden
595:Title discontinued
587:Senior Air Officer
467:2012-01-18 at the
380:
378:, 13 January 1940.
293:Royal Flying Corps
285:Royal Flying Corps
274:Gordon Highlanders
204:Royal Flying Corps
957:
956:
847:Donald McNaughton
658:
657:
641:Inspector-General
623:Succeeded by
599:
569:Succeeded by
548:Military offices
187:
186:
1037:
862:David Huddleston
684:
677:
670:
661:
633:Preceded by
597:
577:Preceded by
553:Preceded by
545:
518:
517:
515:
513:
499:
493:
488:
482:
477:
471:
459:
440:
435:
422:
417:
411:
406:
303:Interwar service
134:
133:
123:
121:
120:
112:
103:
101:
100:
91:
89:
88:
70:
49:
47:
32:
18:
1045:
1044:
1040:
1039:
1038:
1036:
1035:
1034:
960:
959:
958:
953:
929:André Deschamps
917:
913:André Deschamps
876:
857:Fred Sutherland
832:Allan MacKenzie
815:
811:Clarence Dunlap
769:
693:
688:
653:Post abolished
648:
636:
628:
619:
611:
608:
596:
590:
582:
572:
565:
556:
526:
521:
511:
509:
501:
500:
496:
489:
485:
478:
474:
469:Wayback Machine
460:
443:
436:
425:
418:
414:
407:
403:
399:
360:
329:liaison officer
321:Royal Air Force
305:
266:
224:
182:Air Force Cross
180:
166:
128:
127:
118:
116:
98:
96:
95:
86:
84:
72:
68:
51:
45:
43:
35:
23:
12:
11:
5:
1043:
1041:
1033:
1032:
1027:
1022:
1017:
1012:
1007:
1002:
997:
992:
987:
982:
977:
972:
962:
961:
955:
954:
952:
951:
946:
941:
936:
931:
925:
923:
919:
918:
916:
915:
910:
905:
900:
895:
893:Lloyd Campbell
890:
884:
882:
878:
877:
875:
874:
869:
867:Scott Clements
864:
859:
854:
849:
844:
839:
834:
829:
823:
821:
817:
816:
814:
813:
808:
803:
798:
796:Wilfred Curtis
793:
788:
786:Lloyd Breadner
783:
777:
775:
771:
770:
768:
767:
762:
760:George Johnson
757:
755:Lindsay Gordon
752:
747:
745:Lloyd Breadner
742:
737:
735:William Barker
732:
730:Lindsay Gordon
727:
722:
720:Ronald Redpath
717:
712:
707:
701:
699:
695:
694:
689:
687:
686:
679:
672:
664:
656:
655:
650:
637:
634:
630:
629:
624:
621:
612:
609:
602:
601:
592:
583:
578:
574:
573:
570:
567:
557:
554:
550:
549:
543:
542:
537:
532:
525:
524:External links
522:
520:
519:
494:
491:London Gazette
483:
472:
441:
423:
412:
400:
398:
395:
359:
356:
304:
301:
265:
262:
236:Billy Mitchell
223:
220:
185:
184:
175:
171:
170:
161:
157:
156:
151:
147:
146:
143:
139:
138:
114:
108:
107:
93:British Empire
82:
78:
77:
71:(aged 65)
65:
61:
60:
41:
37:
36:
33:
25:
24:
21:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1042:
1031:
1028:
1026:
1023:
1021:
1018:
1016:
1013:
1011:
1008:
1006:
1003:
1001:
998:
996:
993:
991:
988:
986:
983:
981:
978:
976:
973:
971:
968:
967:
965:
950:
947:
945:
944:Al Meinzinger
942:
940:
937:
935:
932:
930:
927:
926:
924:
920:
914:
911:
909:
906:
904:
901:
899:
896:
894:
891:
889:
888:David Kinsman
886:
885:
883:
879:
873:
870:
868:
865:
863:
860:
858:
855:
853:
850:
848:
845:
843:
840:
838:
837:Kenneth Lewis
835:
833:
830:
828:
825:
824:
822:
818:
812:
809:
807:
806:Hugh Campbell
804:
802:
799:
797:
794:
792:
791:Robert Leckie
789:
787:
784:
782:
779:
778:
776:
772:
766:
763:
761:
758:
756:
753:
751:
748:
746:
743:
741:
738:
736:
733:
731:
728:
726:
723:
721:
718:
716:
713:
711:
708:
706:
705:Ernest Janney
703:
702:
700:
696:
692:
685:
680:
678:
673:
671:
666:
665:
662:
654:
651:
647:
646:
642:
631:
627:
618:
617:
607:
603:
600:
593:
589:
588:
581:
575:
564:
563:
551:
546:
541:
538:
536:
533:
531:
528:
527:
523:
508:
504:
498:
495:
492:
487:
484:
481:
480:Flight Global
476:
473:
470:
466:
463:
458:
456:
454:
452:
450:
448:
446:
442:
439:
434:
432:
430:
428:
424:
421:
420:Flight Global
416:
413:
410:
405:
402:
396:
394:
392:
387:
385:
377:
376:Norman Rogers
373:
369:
364:
357:
355:
353:
349:
345:
341:
336:
334:
330:
326:
325:Canadian Army
322:
318:
314:
310:
302:
300:
298:
294:
290:
289:pilot's wings
286:
281:
279:
275:
271:
263:
261:
259:
255:
250:
248:
244:
239:
237:
233:
229:
221:
219:
217:
213:
209:
206:pilot during
205:
201:
197:
194:
191:
183:
179:
176:
172:
169:
165:
162:
158:
155:
152:
148:
144:
140:
137:
132:
126:
115:
109:
106:
94:
83:
79:
75:
67:April 8, 1959
66:
62:
58:
54:
42:
38:
31:
26:
19:
16:
939:Michael Hood
934:Yvan Blondin
852:Larry Ashley
827:William Carr
781:George Croil
780:
765:George Croil
764:
750:Albert Cuffe
715:Arthur Tylee
710:Billy Bishop
652:
639:
626:L S Breadner
614:
605:
594:
585:
559:
512:28 September
510:. Retrieved
506:
497:
486:
475:
415:
404:
388:
381:
337:
306:
282:
267:
251:
240:
232:first cousin
225:
192:
188:
168:World War II
160:Battles/wars
125:British Army
69:(1959-04-08)
50:June 5, 1893
22:George Croil
15:
975:1959 deaths
970:1893 births
903:Steve Lucas
842:Paul Manson
740:James Scott
725:James Scott
580:G O Johnson
562:Camp Borden
372:T.A. Crerar
270:World War I
264:World War I
208:World War I
190:Air Marshal
164:World War I
154:Air Marshal
964:Categories
949:Eric Kenny
908:Angus Watt
898:Ken Pennie
801:Roy Slemon
649:1940–1944
620:1938–1940
591:1934–1938
566:1928–1932
438:Juno Beach
397:References
313:High River
222:Early life
81:Allegiance
46:1893-06-05
606:New title
366:Rt. Hon.
254:Ratnapura
145:1914–1944
74:Vancouver
57:Wisconsin
53:Milwaukee
465:Archived
243:Montreal
111:Service/
643:of the
635:Unknown
571:Unknown
555:Unknown
297:captain
278:captain
214:of the
309:Morley
258:Ceylon
174:Awards
122:
113:branch
105:Canada
102:
90:
59:, U.S.
514:2021
462:RCAF
311:and
150:Rank
64:Died
40:Born
200:AFC
196:CBE
966::
505:.
444:^
426:^
393:.
354:.
335:.
299:.
256:,
198:,
55:,
683:e
676:t
669:v
516:.
48:)
44:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
