Robert Marsland Groves

Air Commodore Robert Marsland Groves (3 January 1880 - 27 May 1920) was a Royal Navy officer involved with naval aviation during World War I. He was awarded his Aviator's Certificate no. 969 on 15 November 1914. After transferring to the Royal Air Force in 1918, he served as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff and held high command in the Middle East. He was killed in a flying accident in 1920 aged 40 whilst serving in Egypt.

Early life
Robert Marsland Groves was born on 3 January 1880 at Stretford in Lancashire, England, the son of James Grimble Groves, the brewer and Conservative MP. Robert Groves was educated at Rossall School.

Naval service
He joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman in the 1890s, rising to sub-lieutenant by the summer of 1899 and then Lieutenant 15 February 1900. In the early years of the 20th century Groves was an officer on HMS Vernon.

Groves was promoted to commander on 22 June 1911 and the following year on 26 November 1912, he was appointed Flag Commander to the Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean on HMS Inflexible. He served in World War I as Assistant Director of the Air Department at the Admiralty and then as Officer Commanding No. 1 Squadron RNAS before returning to the Admiralty to be Assistant Secretary of the Air Board.

Royal Air Force
After the War he became Deputy Chief of the Air Staff and Director of Operations and Intelligence. He went on to be Acting Air Officer Commanding RAF Middle East Area in 1919 and Air Officer Commanding Egyptian Group in 1920.

Grove died aged 40 on 27 May 1920 in Egypt from injuries received in an aircraft crash, he was buried at the Cairo New British Protestant Cemetery.

Awards and decorations
Citation for the award of the Distinguished Service Order 22 June 1916: "''Commander Robert Marsland Groves,. R.N. (Wing Commander, R.N.A.S.). In recognition of his services in command of a Wing of the Royal Naval Air Service at Dunkirk. Commander Groves has by his personal skill as a pilot, and also by his untiring zeal, effected a marked advancement in the general standard of flying on active service. He has on several occasions carried out successful reconnaissances to Ostend under fire, and by his own example has proved the utility and great importance of night flying.'"


 * Companion of the Order of the Bath - 16 Aug 1918
 * Air Force Cross - 3 Jun 1918
 * Officer of the Legion of Honour (France) - 11 Aug 1917
 * Distinguished Service Medal (United States) - 16 Dec 1919