Service Dress Uniform to Group Captain Leonard Horwood, CBE, MC
Pictured in the middle of a lecture about Hurricanes, Group Captain Horwood was a staff member of the Equipment Branch in April of 1939. He already had a career in the Royal Field Artillery in WWI before he transferred into the RAF in 1925. It was during his service with the RFA that he earned his Military Cross, extinguishing a fire in a gun emplacement surrounded by shells during an enemy shelling.
A Group Captain is the most senior officer rank before air rank. It is the equivilant of a colonel or captain in the other services. As such, the Group Captain was typically AOC of a flight group, station or a service command. L. Horwood was promoted to GC in September of 1942.
In the Equipment Branch, GC Horwood would have been involved in any number of engineering issues involving aircraft, armament, weapons, etc. For his meritorious service, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in December of 1945.
A side view of the uniform. He wears the standard issue blue cotton shirt with removeable collar and black service tie. As sign of senority, the Group Captain was entitled to a unique officer's visor hat with one row of large gold bullion braid. Air officers would have two rows.
The four rank stripes that indicate the RAF Group Captain.
The inside pocket of the jacket shows the Gieves Ltd. tailors label, a well known and respected tailor.
The wing and ribbons for GC Horwood reflect his long service to the crown. From the top left, the Commander grade to the Order of the British Empire, the Military Cross, the 1914-1915 star, the WWI war medal, the WWI victory medal, the WWII defence medal, the WWII war medal and the Elizabeth II coronation medal.
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