Lloyd Samuel Breadner


Lloyd Samuel Breadner, CB, DSC was a Canadian military pilot and Chief of the Air Staff during World War II.

Early career

Breadner obtained his pilot's certificate at Wright Flying School and was commissioned in the British Royal Naval Air Service on 28 December 1915. During World War I, he served on the Western Front as a fighter pilot in the No. 3 Squadron. He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on 31 December 1916. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross on 23 May 1917. The citation read:
Squadron Commander Lloyd Breadner and 3 Squadron were posted to RAF Walmer during the Winter of 1917/1918.
He was released from the RAF with the rank of major in March 1919.

Command

He was commissioned and promoted to Squadron Leader in 1920 and transferred to the Royal Canadian Air Force on its formation in 1924. He became Controller of Civil Aviation in 1922, and later commanded Camp Borden from 15 January 1924, to 23 September 1925. He was promoted to Wing Commander on 1 April 1924. After attending RAF Staff College, he was the Director of the RCAF from 15 February 1928, to 29 April 1932. From 1932 until 1935, he commanded Trenton and then attended the Imperial Defence College. He was promoted to Group Captain on 1 February 1936, and to Air Commodore on 4 August 1938.
He became Chief of Air Staff on 29 May 1940, and having been promoted to Air Marshal on 19 November 1941, became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief RCAF Overseas in January 1944. Breadner was promoted on his retirement on 25 November 1945, to Air Chief Marshal, the first Canadian to hold this rank.
On 30 November 1944, while he was Chief of Air Staff, his son, Flying Officer Donald Lloyd Breadner, was killed after an air gunnery exercise, while flying a de Havilland Mosquito from RCAF Station Debert, in Nova Scotia. He was the only son of Breadner and his wife, Mary Evelyn. They also had three daughters.

Awards