He was advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 1926 Birthday Honours. Salmond's next appointment was as Air Officer Commanding India in December 1926. That month, eight years after producing the flight path from Egypt to India, he boarded Imperial's first planned passenger flight from Croydon to Karachi. In late 1928 and early 1929, he directed the evacuation from Kabul of British embassy staff and others. He was promoted to air marshal on 1 July 1929. In September 1931, Salmond returned from India to take up command of the Air Defence of Great Britain organization which was responsible for British air defences, including both fighters and bombers. He was promoted to air chief marshal several months later on 1 January 1933. On 1 April 1933, Air Chief Marshal Salmond took over from his brother John as Chief of the Air Staff. Salmond had become severely unwell and days later (5 April) arrangements were announced for Sir John Salmond to resume the RAF's senior post temporarily. Family In 1910 he married Margaret Carr, daughter of William Carr; they had a son and three daughters. His daughter Anne wrote a biography of Salmond, published in 2003. Death Salmond died on 27 April 1933 and Sir John carried on his duties as Chief of the Air Staff for several more weeks afterwards. Salmond had a large funeral procession with Trenchard as one of the pallbearers. Publications References Further reading |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- 1878 births 1933 deaths Deaths from cancer in England Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich Royal Artillery officers British Army personnel of the Second Boer War Aviation pioneers Royal Flying Corps officers Military personnel from Kent Royal Air Force generals of World War I Royal Air Force air marshals Chiefs of the Air Staff (United Kingdom) Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley People from Dover District