Air Chief Marshal Sir William Geoffrey Hanson Salmond, KCB, KCMG, DSO (19 August 1878 – 27 April 1933) was a senior commander in the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War.

Remaining in the Royal Air Force after the war, he held senior appointments in the Middle East, Great Britain and India.

In late 1928 and early 1929, he directed the evacuation from Kabul of British embassy staff and others, by air.

In 1933, Salmond served as Chief of the Air Staff for only a matter of days before being taken ill and subsequently dying from cancer.

[1] Salmond joined the British Army, undertaking his officer training at Royal Military Academy Woolwich around 1897.

[3] He was commissioned into the Royal Artillery on 23 June 1898[4] and saw active service during the Second Boer War.

In July 1916, Salmond was promoted to temporary brigadier general and given command of the RFC in the Middle East.

[3] The Distinguished Service Order was conferred on him on 3 March 1917:[17] for conspicuous ability and devotion to duty when personally directing the work of the Royal Flying Corps during the action.

[24] On 23 February 1922 Salmond returned to Great Britain to take up the post of Director-General of Supply and Research at the Air Ministry.

[33] Salmond died on 27 April 1933 and Sir John carried on his duties as Chief of the Air Staff for several more weeks afterwards.