Robert Hilborn Falls

Falls in 1978

Born| (1924-04-29)April 29, 1924
Welland, Ontario, Canada
Died| November 6, 2009(2009-11-06) (aged 85)
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Allegiance| Canada
Service / branch| Royal Canadian Air Force (1942–45)
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (1945)
Royal Canadian Navy (1945–68)
Canadian Forces Maritime Command (1968–83)
Years of service| 1942–1980
Rank| Admiral
Commands| Chairman of the NATO Military Committee
Chief of Defence Staff
Vice Chief of the Defence Staff
Canadian Flotilla Atlantic
HMCS Bonaventure
HMCS Chaudière
Battles / wars| World War II
Awards| Commander of the Order of Military Merit
Canadian Forces' Decoration
Spouse(s)| Isabelle Urie
Other work| President of the Canadian Centre for Arms Control and Disarmament (now the Canadian Council for International Peace and Security)

Admiral Robert Hilborn Falls, CMM, CD (April 24, 1924 – November 6, 2009) was Chief of Defence Staff of the Canadian Forces from 1977 to 1980.

## Military career

[edit]

Falls first joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1942 as a pilot and later transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy after World War II. He served as commander of the Canadian Flotilla Atlantic, as Vice Chief of the Defence Staff from 1974 to 1977, as Chief of Defence Staff of the Canadian Forces from 1977 to 1980, and as Chairman of the NATO Military Committee from 1980 to 1983.[1]

Falls later became president of the Canadian Centre for Arms Control and Disarmament (now the Canadian Council for International Peace and Security).[2]

## Awards and decorations

[edit]

Falls' personal awards and decorations received during his naval career include the following:

Ribbon | Description | Notes

|
|

| Commander of the Order of Military Merit (CMM) |

* Appointed on 26 January 1976[3]

| Canadian Volunteer Service Medal |

* WWII 1939-1945 with Overseas Service bar

| War Medal 1939–1945 |

* WWII 1939-1945

| Special Service Medal |

* with NATO-OTAN Clasp

| Canadian Centennial Medal |

* Decoration awarded in 1967

| Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal |

* Decoration awarded in 1977
* Canadian version

| Canadian Forces' Decoration (CD) |

* with two Clasp for 32 years of services

* He was a qualified RCAF Pilot and as such wore the Royal Canadian Forces Pilot Wings

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Hillmer, Norman (15 December 2013). "Robert Hilborn Falls". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Archived from the original on March 11, 2007.
2. ^ "Deaths: Admiral Robert Hilborn Falls". The Globe and Mail. 2009-11-09. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
3. ^ "Order of Military Merit List". The Governor General of Canada.

Military offices

Preceded by

A.C. Hull

|  Vice Chief of the Defence Staff
1974–1977  | Succeeded by

R.M. Withers

Preceded by

J.A. Dextraze

|  Chief of the Defence Staff
1977–1980  | Succeeded by

R.M. Withers

* v
* t
* e

Canadian Chiefs of the Defence Staff

* Frank Miller
* Jean-Victor Allard
* Frederick Sharp
* Jacques Dextraze
* Robert Falls
* Ramsey Withers
* Gérard Thériault
* Paul Manson
* John de Chastelain
* John Anderson
* John de Chastelain
* Jean Boyle
* Larry Murray
* Maurice Baril
* Ray Henault
* Rick Hillier
* Walter Natynczyk
* Thomas Lawson
* Jonathan Vance
* Art McDonald
* Wayne Eyre
* Jennie Carignan

* v
* t
* e

Chair of the NATO Military Committee

* 1949–1951  Omar Bradley
* 1951–1952  Etienne Baele
* 1952–1953  Charles Foulkes
* 1953–1954  E. J. C. Quistgaard
* 1954–1955  Augustin Guillaume
* 1955–1956  Stylianos Pallis
* 1956–1957  Giuseppe Mancinelli
* 1957–1958  B. R. P. F. Hasselman
* 1958–1959  Bjarne Øen
* 1959–1960  J. A. Beleza Ferraz
* 1960–1960 Rüştü Erdelhun
* 1960–1961  Louis Mountbatten
* 1961–1962  Lyman Lemnitzer
* 1962–1963  C. P. de Cumont
* 1963–1964  Adolf Heusinger
* 1964–1968  C. P. de Cumont
* 1968–1971  Nigel Henderson
* 1971–1974  Johannes Steinhoff
* 1974–1977  Peter Hill-Norton
* 1977–1980  H. F. Zeiner-Gundersen
* 1980–1983  Robert Hilborn Falls
* 1983–1986  Cornelis de Jager
* 1986–1989  Wolfgang Altenburg
* 1989–1993  Vigleik Eide
* 1993–1996  Richard Vincent
* 1996–1999  Klaus Naumann
* 1999–2002  Guido Venturoni
* 2002–2005  Harald Kujat
* 2005–2008  Ray Henault
* 2008–2011  Giampaolo Di Paola
* 2011–2015  Knud Bartels
* 2015–2018  Petr Pavel
* 2018–2021  Stuart Peach
* 2021–2023 Rob Bauer

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