Background
He was the son of Augustus Scobell Orlebar and Hester Mary Orlebar, of Podington, Bedfordshire.
He was the son of Augustus Scobell Orlebar and Hester Mary Orlebar, of Podington, Bedfordshire.
He was educated at Rugby School.
After being wounded during the Gallipoli campaign he was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps and subsequently the Royal Air Force. He formally transferred to the Royal Air Force after the, and between the wars was involved in high speed flying, commanding the High Speed Flight Royal Air Force, competing in the Schneider Trophy, and holding the world air speed record. By the outbreak of the he was in command of Royal Air Force Northolt.
He briefly became Director of Flying Training in 1940 before going to Headquarters Royal Air Force Fighter Command.
In July 1941 he became Air Officer Commanding, Number. 10 (Fighter) Group, and in March 1943 Deputy Chief of Combined Operations.
He fell ill, and died in hospital on 4 August 1943. The Orlebars were an old established family, having built Hinwick House almost 200 years earlier, after holding the manor since the mid-17th century.
He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1/5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment (Territorial Force) on 15 January 1915.
His battalion landed at Suvla Bay on 11 August 1915, pitching him into the Gallipoli campaign, He was promoted to temporary lieutenant on 21 September 1915, but was subsequently wounded in action by a sniper"s bullet. He was then invalided to the United Kingdom and seconded to the Royal Flying Corps (Reconstruction Finance Corporation) on recovery. He trained as a pilot in 1916 and was appointed a flying officer in the military wing of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation on 17 September 1916 when he was formally seconded from his regimental duties to the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. His rank of lieutenant was confirmed on 21 October.
He was posted to Number.
19 Squadron Reconstruction Finance Corporation on the Western Front. On 13 March 1918 he shot down and severely wounded Ltn. Lothar von Richthofen (brother of Manfred von Richthofen), near Cambrai.
He was wounded in turn himself by Albatros scouts over Ham on 23 March 1918.
Before his return to combat, he also served as an instructor in Essex. He was credited with two enemy aircraft destroyed whilst serving with Number 19 and a further four as a flight commander in Number 73 Squadron, before being wounded.
He gained his final victory with Number. 43 Squadron on 29 September, bringing his total to seven.
He was Officer Commanding and pilot with the High Speed Flight, the Royal Air Force"s team for the Schneider Trophy seaplane races of 1927-1931.
In 1929 he set an air speed record of 357.7 mph in Supermarine South.6 N247. At the outbreak of the he was the Director of Flying Training before joining the Air Staff, Headquarters Fighter Command in October 1940. On 22 July 1941 he became AOC of Number.
10 Group then the position of Deputy Chief of Combined Operations, at Royal Air Force Northolt from 2 March 1943.
He died in hospital from natural causes after a short illness and is buried at his family church of Saint Mary"s, Podington, Bedfordshire. He is commemorated on the War Memorial of the Church.
Decorations Ranks held Service record = Army = Royal Flying Corps = Royal Air Force =.