HE was the high-flying general whose experiences of the aerial war above the battlefields of France led to him penning the principles on which the Royal Air Force was founded
Yet despite his pivotal role in British military history, Sir David Henderson's place as the founding father of the RAF has been largely forgotten with the plaudits given to other men.
Now a new exhibition celebrating his life is to open at the University of Glasgow where he was a student as part of the centenary commemorations of the service he set up.
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Born in Glasgow into an affluent family, Lieutenant General Sir David Henderson was an early pioneer of flight and became aware of its military application while serving as an intelligence officer during the Boer war.
A chance meeting with a pilot in 1911 - just two years after the first powered flight in Scotland - led to him getting his wings at the age of 49 and he went on to lead the Royal Flying Corps at the outset of World War One.
He handed command over to Hugh Trenchard in 1915, but would write a report on the effectiveness of warplanes which would convince the politicians of the day to establish the RAF.
Professor Dugald Cameron OBE, with a portrait of Sir David
Lord Trenchard, as he became, went on to become the service's first commanding officer. But experts say that Sir David's vision was more important.
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Dr Tony Pollard, Professor of Conflict History at the University of Glasgow, said: "It's pretty much a genuine case of being forgotten. Sir David never made much of his role in the formation of the RAF and was very much a back room administrator.
"He was an intelligence officer during the Boer War and saw first hand the effectiveness of balloons in action. And after that he decided that learning to fly would be very much the thing to do.
"At 49 he became the oldest qualified pilot in the UK, learning under a pseudonym, and led the Royal Flying Corps when World War One broke out in 1914. All these elements came together in making him supremely qualified to understand the importance of a unified airforce."
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He added: "Trenchard himself said that Henderson should be credited for the key role he played in the formation of the RAF.
"His experience taught him that aircraft were vital assets which had earned their place as a third force alongside the senior service and the army."
A WWI-era byplane
The exhibition, featuring paintings by Professor Dugald Cameron OBE, one of the UK's leading aviation artists, is being held in the university chapel.
It traces the history of the RAF through the stories of those who served, and looks at Glasgow's connections with the service.
Reverend Stuart D MacQuarrie, chaplain to the university, said: "The University lost 761 members of its community in the First World War. During the four years of the centenary commemorations, we have helped to remember and tell the stories of those from our ranks who made the ultimate sacrifice.
"The University Chapel has the names of all of those who died inscribed on its walls. And over the centenary it has been at the heart of the many University First World War events.
"We are honoured to host this centenary exhibition and remember those alumni who played such a vital role in the development and history of the RAF."
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