Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding

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Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding British air chief marshal Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Print Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hugh-Caswall-Tremenheere-Dowding-1st-Baron-Dowding Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback

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Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding (born April 24, 1882, Moffat, Dumfriesshire, Scot.—died Feb. 15, 1970, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, Eng.) was a British air chief marshal and head of Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain (1940) in World War II. He was largely responsible for defeating the German Air Force in its attempt to gain control of British skies in preparation for a German invasion of England.

Quick Facts Born: April 24, 1882, Moffat, Dumfriesshire, Scot. (Show more) Died: Feb. 15, 1970, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, Eng. (aged 87) (Show more) Role In: Battle of Britain World War II (Show more) See all related content

A squadron commander in the Royal Flying Corps in World War I, Dowding remained in the new Royal Air Force. After serving in command, staff, and training positions in Britain and Asia, he became chief of the newly created Fighter Command in 1936. He vigorously promoted the development of radar and the Spitfire and Hurricane fighters that contributed significantly to the defeat of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. Although the Fighter Command was outnumbered, Dowding’s strategic and tactical skill enabled it to retain air superiority and thwart Germany’s aims. He retired in November 1942 and was created baron the next year.

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