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
Group captain air forces, such as Colonel, other air services, especially non-combat auxiliaries in Commonwealth countries, have used a variety of alternative names for equivalent ranks. The equivalent rank in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force, Women's Royal Air Force (until 1968) and Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (until 1980) was "group officer". The equivalent rank in the Royal Observer Corps (until 1995) was "observer captain", which had a similar rank insignia. Group captain Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in many air forces. Group captain has a NATO rank code of OF-5, meaning that