As a young boy, Hugh Montague Trenchard was probably considered to be a failure by many of his teachers and perhaps even some of his family because of his very poor school performance. But Trenchard showed the courage and determination of an indomitable spirit early on as he refused to give up, and later on became one of the most successful and recognized men in the Britain armed forces.
Trenchard was born in 1873 at Windsor Lodge in Taunton, England. His father was a solicitor and his mother was the daughter of the Royal Navy Captain, John McDowall Skene. Although his mother wanted Trenchard to follow her father’s example and join the Navy, Trenchard couldn’t get in and failed the examinations. He finally was admitted to the army in 1893 and went to India for his first posting as a Lieutenant.
During the Boer War, Trenchard went to fight for Britain in South Africa and was critically injured whilst in battle, an injury that caused him partial paralysis and a missing lung. However, when Trenchard went to Switzerland later to recuperate, he crashed on a bobsleigh ride and miraculously his paralysis vanished and he was able to walk again. He was able to return to active service in South Africa.
Trenchard also fought in Nigeria and then learned to fly in 1912 and showed great talent for aviation. During World War I he was placed as the commander of Royal Flying Corps in France and has been called the Father of the Royal Air Force, known throughout the world today as one of the most elite and talented flying forces in the world.
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