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Aviation History
1917
1917 - 1044.PDF
OCTOBER II, 1917. need of some better system of selection than we have at present. Major Baird,, the Parliamentary Secretary of the Air Board, claims that his depart- ment is sparing no effort to obtain more and more first-class air fighters. " We are only too anxious," he says, "to find, train and use everyone who has the rare and peculiar gifts for this service, irrespec- tive of social position or any other secondary issue." That sounds very well on paper, and we do not for a moment presume to question the good faith of the statement so far as the Air Board is concerned, but there is little doubt of the fact that many good pilots are being lost to the service because of their want of social standing or because for some other purely personal reason, unconnected altogether with their ability t they do not commend themselves for com- missioned rank to those in immediate authority over them. .-'•-_". ' We agree that the whole problem is an exceedingly difficult one for which to find a satisfactory solution, but- if only a partial solution can be found we shall have done at least something that will be better than the want of system which is characteristic of the present process of selection. One way in which such a partial solution may be found is by throwing open generously the pilot ranks of both flying services to the ranks instead of, as at present, practically closing them to all but commissione'd officers. The way the system works at the moment is this :—The junior commissioned officer of a line unit, ftir example, who aspires to become a pilot, can, as a rule, get his appli- cation for transfer forwarded to the proper quarter with next to no difficulty. Sometimes, it is true, be is so good a regimental officer that his command- ing officer jibs at letting him go, but even in this case, if the prospective candidate for flying service persists in his application it must, under the regula- tions, be sent on. The rest is comparatively easy, and, if he shows the proper degree of skill and aptitude, he will have become a qualified pilot almost before he knows it. But the case of the man in the ranks afflicted with a similar desire is quite different. To put the matter in as few words as possible, his applica- tion for a probationary rank, or in the case of the Army for admission to an R.F.C. cadet unit, seldom meets with encouragement unless he can get it backed by Someone whose word is likely to carry influence with his commanding officer. That is not at all as it should be. It would be far better if every applica- tion, except in the comparatively rare cases where the application is made for vexatious purposes, or where the candidate is manifestly unfitted for co- mand, should be forwarded and dealt with by the proper authority. Where for either of the reasons given the application is not entertained by the man's commanding officer the latter should be called upon to furnish a clear statement of why it has been refused. . -, - _,„ . . - '••• --'"••» • • ^-:.Lf._: According to report, Mr. Lloyd George and General Smuts, on behalf of the War Cabinet, are proceeding personally with the establishment and organisation of an Air Ministry, in connection with which an Air Operations Board will be a part. Report again says that it is on high authority that this announcement is made, so it may be taken there is more behind it than mere rumour. Doubtless it is too soon for the public One Badge." to be told exactly what shape this new organisation of our air forces is to take, but we may observe in passing that, as we have pointed out many times there is only one ideal to be pursued and that is contained in the simple formula which heads this article. As a matter of fact, a writer in one of the Sunday journals says boldly that the " Imperial Air Service " will soon be in being and that it will be separate from the Navy and Army, though it will work in conjunction with both. Whether the writer in question is speaking from exact knowledge or whether once more it is a case of intelligent antici- pation, we do not know, nor does it, for the moment matter. The principal thing is that, apparently the move for which " FLIGHT " has pleaded anc agitated for years past is at last to be consummated We have never wavered from the belief that th< creation of such a Service is the one and only wa in which real efficiency can be secured. Aviatior has already become such an enormous part of ou: system of defence and offence that it can no longe: be allowed to remain the handmaiden of othe Services with which, administratively, it has littli in common, and which in the years to come it bid fair to leave far behind as a factor in military supre macy. It has no more in common with thos< Services than the Navy has with the Army, sav that it, like them, is an integral part of the whol grand military system. It, again like them, mus stand on its own feet and must develop along its owi lines in readiness to co-operate either with land o sea power, but ready and organised to make am decide war, if necessary, without help or co-operatioi from either. As it is possible—or was until aviatio: came to change the face of war—for campaigns to b exclusively military or naval, so we must contemplat that in the future there may be wars in which n shot will be fired except from the air. To some wh are bound by the traditions of the past this ma seem to be venturing too far into the realm c prophecy, but when we regard the progress that ha already been made and the further developmer which is even now in sight, we take leave to say the it does not err. Allowing that it does not, the apart altogether from immediately pressing coi siderations, of which there are enough and to spar that alone is sufficient to make out the case for separate Air Service we have advocated for so Ion. and which now seems to be in sight. But it neec not to dip into the future for our arguments. V have set forth the case for " One Air Service ; Oi Uniform; One Badge," so often and at such lengi that we feel we need not traversc'the ground again :-•--:-:••::,.:•:. .• • ••»_ ;•_•„:/: ^- . It may perhaps be thought by son ASSS who have not closely followed tl Policy. trend of development that we a inclined to attach too much importan to the separation of the Air Services from the Arn and Navy, and that, given a better policy of " ging€ ing up " production, the desired ends could be ju as well achieved under the existing organisation by a new and separate Air Service. The answ to this is very well summarised in an interview wi Mr. Holt Thomas, published in a recent issue of t Evening Standard. How is it, he was asked, ^ have not sufficient machines to supply the front ai at the same time bomb the German cities ? T answer was " that our military policy is super IO44
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