Fund remembers Marshal of the Royal Air Force Hugh Montague Trenchard at annual memorial

On Monday 16 February, representatives of the RAF Benevolent Fund, the Royal Air Force, and the Trenchard family attended an annual memorial service to remember Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Hugh Montague Trenchard, the ‘Father of the Royal Air Force’ and founder of the RAF Benevolent Fund.

Each year, we honour his lifelong commitment to the RAF Family with an annual memorial service in the RAF Chapel at Westminster Abbey. The service included the laying of wreaths in remembrance, reflecting on Lord Trenchard’s enduring legacy and the values he instilled at the heart of the Royal Air Force and the Fund.

The service was attended by The Venerable Dr (Air Vice-Marshal) Giles Legood MBE KHC, representing the Chief of the Air Staff; Mr Nicolas Adamson CVO OBE, representing HRH The Duke of Kent; The Viscount Trenchard; The Honourable Alexander Trenchard; Miss Katherine Stacey; Mr Richard Daniel; Chief Executive of the RAF Benevolent Fund, Air Vice-Marshal Chris Elliot CB CBE; and Associate Director of Operations at the RAF Benevolent Fund, Mrs Maria Lyle MA MBA. 

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Hugh Montague Trenchard played a defining role in the creation and development of the Royal Air Force, as well as its Benevolent Fund. Rising to become the first Airman to achieve the rank of Marshal of the Royal Air Force in 1927, he championed professional training and established institutions that shaped the future of the RAF. In founding the RAF Benevolent Fund in 1919, he ensured that support for serving personnel, veterans and their families would endure for generations.

Lord Trenchard’s ashes remain buried at the eastern end of the magnificent Lady Chapel, built by King Henry VII. The chapel is dedicated to the men of the Royal Air Force who died in the Battle of Britain between July and October 1940.

Air Vice-Marshal Chris Elliot said: "As we remember Marshal of the Royal Air Force Lord Hugh Trenchard, we pay tribute to a leader whose determination, foresight and sense of duty shaped the Royal Air Force as we know it today. His commitment to the welfare of those who serve, have served, and their families, remains at the very heart of our mission. Lord Trenchard’s legacy continues to inspire all of us in supporting the RAF Family, and we are honoured to come together in his memory and in recognition of his enduring impact."