Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Marshal of the Royal Air Force was the highest rank in the Royal Air Force. In peacetime it was held only by the chief of the Defence Staff on active duty, and by retired chiefs of staff of the RAF, who were promoted to it immediately before retirement. During wartime, it was held by only the most senior officers in the RAF. It was inactivated as a substantive rank in peacetime during defence cuts of the 1990s. The highest rank in active service is an Air Chief Marshal.
It has a NATO ranking code of OF-10. Equivalent to an Admiral of the Fleet in the Royal Navy or a Field Marshal in the British Army.
The rank insignia consits of four narrow light blue bands (each on a slightly wider black band) over a light blue band on a broad black band. This is worn on the both the lower sleeves of the tunic or on the shoulders of the flying suit or the casual uniform.