James Robb (RAF officer)

Sir James Milne Robb
Air Vice Marshal James Robb
Born	(1895-01-26)26 January 1895 Hexham, Northumberland
Died	18 December 1968(1968-12-18) (aged 73) Bognor Regis, Sussex
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	British Army (1914–18) Royal Air Force (1918–51)
Years of service	1914–51
Rank	Air Chief Marshal
Commands	Inspector-General of the RAF (1951) RAF Fighter Command (1945–47) No. 15 Group RAF (1941–42) No. 2 Group RAF (1940–41) Central Flying School (1936–40) No. 3 Squadron RAF (1926–27) No. 30 Squadron RAF (1924–26)
Battles / wars	First World War: Battle of Arras Hundred Days Offensive Iraqi revolt against the British Second World War: Battle of France Battle of Britain Operation Torch Tunisia Campaign Allied invasion of Sicily Allied invasion of Italy Operation Overlord Siegfried Line Campaign Battle of the Bulge Western Allied invasion of Germany
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order Distinguished Flying Cross Air Force Cross Mentioned in Despatches (3) Distinguished Service Medal (United States) Officer of the Legion of Merit (United States) Commander of the Legion of Honour (France) Grand Cross of the Order of the White Lion (Czechoslovakia) War Cross 1939–1945 (Czechoslovakia)

Air Chief Marshal Sir James Milne Robb, GCB, KBE, DSO, DFC, AFC (26 January 1895 – 18 December 1968) was a senior Royal Air Force commander. After early service in the First World War with the Northumberland Fusiliers, Robb joined the Royal Flying Corps and became a flying ace credited with seven aerial victories. He was granted a permanent commission in the Royal Air Force in 1919 and commanded No. 30 Squadron RAF in the Iraqi revolt against the British. In 1939, Robb travelled to Canada to help establish the Empire Air Training Scheme, a massive training program that provided the Royal Air Force with trained aircrew from Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Southern Rhodesia. He commanded No. 2 Group RAF of RAF Bomber Command and No. 15 Group RAF of RAF Coastal Command.

Robb became Deputy Chief of Combined Operations under Lord Louis Mountbatten in 1942. During Operation Torch he was air advisor to the Supreme Allied Commander, Lieutenant General Dwight Eisenhower and in February 1943, Eisenhower appointed him Deputy Commander of the Northwest African Air Forces. When Eisenhower became Supreme Allied Commander in Europe in January 1944, he brought Robb to his Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force as Deputy Chief of Staff (Air). Robb became Commander-in-Chief of Fighter Command in 1945 and learned to fly the Gloster Meteor, the RAF's first operational jet aircraft. He became Vice-Chief of the Air Staff in 1947, and then Commander in Chief of the Western Union's air forces in 1948. In 1951 he became Inspector General of the RAF.