Air Vice Marshal Stanley James Goble was a pioneering Australian aviator and senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Born in 1891, Goble first distinguished himself during World War I as a fighter pilot on the Western Front with the British Royal Naval Air Service. Achieving status as a flying ace with ten aerial victories, he commanded No. 5 Squadron and received both the Distinguished Service Order and the Distinguished Service Cross for his wartime service.
Upon returning to Australia, Goble played a foundational role in establishing the RAAF as an independent branch of the nation's armed forces. He served three terms as Chief of the Air Staff, alternating leadership with Richard Williams. In 1924, Goble achieved national acclaim when he and fellow pilot Ivor McIntyre completed the first aerial circumnavigation of Australia, flying 8,450 miles in a single-engined floatplane.
During the interwar period and into World War II, Goble continued his high-level military service, which included leading No. 2 (Bomber) Group RAF during an exchange posting to Britain. At the outbreak of World War II, he clashed with the Australian government over the Empire Air Training Scheme, leading to his resignation as Chief of the Air Staff in 1940. He spent the remainder of the war as an Air Liaison Officer in Canada before retiring in 1946 and passing away in 1948.
