Background
Robert Marsland Groves was born on 3 January 1880 at Stretford in Lancashire, England, the son of James Grimble Groves, the brewer and Conservative Member of Parliament.
Robert Marsland Groves was born on 3 January 1880 at Stretford in Lancashire, England, the son of James Grimble Groves, the brewer and Conservative Member of Parliament.
Robert Groves was educated at Rossall School.
969 on 15 November 1914. After transferring to the in 1918, he served as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff and held high command in the Middle East. He was killed in a flying accident in 1920 aged 40 whilst serving in Egypt.
He joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman in the 1890s, rising to sub-lieutenant by the summer of 1899 and then Lieutenant 15 February 1900.
In the early years of the 20th century Groves was an officer on HMS Vernon. Groves was promoted to commander on 22 June 1911 and the following year on 26 November 1912, he was appointed Flag Commander to the Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean on HMS Inflexible.
He served in World War I as Assistant Director of the Air Department at the Admiralty and then as Officer Commanding Number. 1 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service before returning to the Admiralty to be Assistant Secretary of the Air Board.
After the War he became Deputy Chief of the Air Staff and Director of Operations and Intelligence.
He went on to be Acting Air Officer Commanding Royal Air Force Middle East Area in 1919 and Air Officer Commanding Egyptian Group in 1920.