Maurice Edwards joined the fledgling Royal Air Force Chaplaincy Service. He was granted the relative rank of squadron leader on 1 August 1919, the relative rank of wing commander on 6 August 1929, and the relative rank of group captain on 6 August 1934. On 10 April 1940, he granted the relative rank of air commodore and appointed Chaplain-in- Chief, the most senior chaplain of the Royal Air Force. From 1944 to 1947, he was based at the Rother Vale Collieries, after which he became rector of Acton Burnell cum Pitchford, a post he held until his retirement in 1953. He died
Squadron leader it was suggested that the RAF might use the Royal Navy's officer ranks, with the word "air" inserted before the naval rank title. For example, the rank that later became squadron leader would have been air lieutenant commander. However, the Admiralty objected to this modification of their rank titles. The rank title squadron leader was chosen as squadrons were typically led by RAF majors and the term squadron commander had been used in the Royal Naval Air Service. The rank of squadron leader has been used continuously since 1 August 1919. From 1 April 1918 to 31 July 1919, the