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Aviation History
1911
1911 - 0177.PDF
MARCH 4, 1911. [/iJGHT] THE ARMY AND AERONAUTICS— THE NEW AIR BATTALION. The Army Estimates. IN a White Paper issued by the Secretary for War giving the Army Estimates for 1911-12, some official details are given regarding the present aeronautic equipment of the British Army and the additions which it is proposed to make during the present year. This section of the report is as follows :- — " A good deal has been accomplished during the past 12 months towards placing the Army in a position to partici pate actively in the present development of aeronautics. The balloon factory at Aldershot has been reorganised and enlarged under the directions of an expert thoroughly in touch with all the developments of modern science in this field, and by the end of the present financial year will be in a position to deal with the large airships of the present day. " In these estimates £85,000 has been provided for new dirigibles and aeroplanes and for the staff and other expenses of the factory ; while £28,000 is taken for the construction of a large new shed at Farnborough and the improvement of that at Wormwood Scrubbs. The Balloon School is being reorganised, and will be transformed into an Air Battalion, the officers of which will not be drawn exclusively from the Royal Engineers, but will be appointed for 4 years from any arm of the service, provided they possess the necessary aptitude. "- There are now five aeroplanes available for Army work, of the Wright, Farman, Paulhan, Bleriot, and Havilland types respectively. As the result of the trials to be made with these, the patterns for further supplies will be selected. In addition to the two small airships made in the Army factory and one large airship of foreign construction (Clement- Bayard), it is hoped that a second large airship (Lebaudy) and one of medium size, now well advanced in manufacture in the Army factory, will be ready for use in the coming summer." The Air Battalion Formed. ON Tuesday a special Army Order was issued by the War Office giving particulars of the new Air Battalion and its establishment under peace conditions, the formation of which was foreshadowed by the Secretary of State for War in his Army Estimates, given above. The following is the text of this Order :— With a view to meeting Army requirements consequent on recent developments in aerial science, if has been decided to organise an Air Battalion, to which will be entrusted the duty of creating a body of expert airmen, organised in such a way as to facilitate the formation of units ready to take the field with troops, and capable of expansion by any reserve formations which may be formed in the future. In addition, the training and instruction of men in handling kites, balloons, aeroplanes, and other forms of air-craft will also devolve upon this battalion. The establishment of this battalion will be organised into (i) headquarters and (ii) two companies. The personnel of the headquarters will, in addition to the usual administrative duties, be available to form the nucleus from which the two companies can obtain additional officers, warrant officers, non-commissioned officers and men as required. Each company will be organised as a separate and self-contained unit. Qualification of Applicants. The officers will be selected from applicants from any regular arm or branch of the Service on the active list. An applicant must be recommended by his commanding officer, and be certified as medically fit for the work. It is not considered necessary to lay down definite rules, except as regards the minimum length of service, but the following qualifi cations will be taken into consideration when selecting officers : — (a) Special recommendation by commanding officer ; (b) possession of aviator's certificate; (c) previous experience of aeronautics; (d) rank not above that of captain ; (e) medical fitness for air work ; (f) good eyesight: (g) good map reader and field sketcher ; (h) un married ; (i) not less than two years' service ; (j) under thirty years of age; (k) good sailor; (1) knowledge of foreign languages; (m) taste for mechanics ; (n) light weight (under n st. 7 lbs.). An application for appointment to the Air Battalion will be sub mitted t» the War Office through the usual military channels. Conditions of Service. A selected candidate will, on joining the Air Battalion, go through a six months' probationary course (including two months' kiting and ballooning), and if during this period he shows no aptitude for the work he will rejoin his unit. An officer who satisfactorily completes the probationary period will be appointed to the Air Battalion for a period of four years (inclusive of the period of proba tion), and will be seconded. Although the appointment to the Air Battalion will normally be for the above-mentioned period of four years, an officer may at any time be permitted to resign his appointment with the battalion. An officer, other than an officer of the Royal Engineers, who is selected for the Air Battalion will draw pay under Article 187 of the Pay Warrant from the date of his first appointment to the battalion. The warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and men will be selected from the Corps of Royal Engineers. The existing Balloon School will be superseded by the Air Battalion, and the new organisation will be regarded as taking effect from April 1st, 1911. An appendix to the Order gives the Feace Establishment of the Battalion. There will be 14 officers, including the Major com manding, and an experimental officer, the acting Adjutant, and six acting engineers on the Headquarters Staff, while each company will have a Captain and a Subaltern. The total number of rank and file will be 153, in addition to which there will be 23 warrant and non-commissioned officers as well as a couple of buglers. The establishment will also include 4 riding horses and 32 draught horses. The Selfridge Military Camp, San Francisco, from and back to which Eugene Ely flew on his Curtiss biplane when making his flight on to the U.S. warship "Pennsylvania." Note the Curtiss machine in readiness for its trip. On the right Eugene Ely is seen in flight across the sea at San Francisco, en route for the deck of the "Pennsylvania." 179 C 2
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