Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force

For other countries which use this rank, see Marshal of the air force.

Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force
The MRAAF insignia
Country Australia
Service branch Royal Australian Air Force
AbbreviationMRAAF
RankFive-star
NATO rank codeOF-10
Non-NATO rankO-11
Formation2 June 1938 (1938-06-02) (honorary)
Next lower rankAir chief marshal
Equivalent ranks

Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force (MRAAF) is the highest rank of the Royal Australian Air Force, and is currently held by Charles III, King of Australia. The rank was created as a direct equivalent of the British Royal Air Force rank of Marshal of the Royal Air Force.[1] It is considered a five-star rank.

It has been awarded only three times, each time as an honorary rank to a senior member of the Royal Family. On 2 June 1938, King George VI assumed the rank which he held until his death in 1952. Two years later, the Duke of Edinburgh was granted the rank. He was present at the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Royal Australian Air Force in March 1971 as a Marshal of the RAAF;[2][3] and continued to hold the rank[4] until his death in 2021. Most recently it was granted to King Charles III during a visit to Australia in October 2024.

Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force is a higher rank than air chief marshal. Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force is a direct equivalent of admiral of the fleet in the Royal Australian Navy and field marshal in the Australian Army.

The insignia is four light blue bands (each on a slightly wider black band) over a light blue band on a black broad band.

Marshals of the Royal Australian Air Force

Appointed Name
 Born
 Died
 Notes
2 June 1938 King George VI 14 December 1895 6 February 1952 King of Australia[5]
1 April 1954 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh 10 June 1921 9 April 2021 Consort to HM Queen Elizabeth II of Australia[2][6]
19 October 2024 KingKing Charles III 14 November 1948 Living King of Australia[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ "ORDER". Commonwealth Of Australia Gazette. No. 107. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 19 December 1963. p. 4581. Retrieved 6 June 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ a b Allison, Ronald; Riddell, Sarah (1991). The Royal encyclopedia. Macmillan Press. p. 30.
  3. ^ "DUKE OF EDINBURGH AT CELEBRATIONS". RAAF News. Australia, Australia. 1 January 1971. p. 1. Retrieved 24 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 17 June 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ "Government Gazette Notices". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. No. 34. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 2 June 1938. p. 1651. Retrieved 6 June 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "Government Gazette Notices". Commonwealth Of Australia Gazette. No. 20. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 1 April 1954. p. 967. Retrieved 6 June 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ https://www.defence.gov.au/news-events/releases/2024-10-19/australian-defence-force-honorary-ranks-his-majesty-king