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Aviation History
1918
1918 - 0355.PDF
MARCH 28, 1918. AVIATION IN PARLIAMENT. Loch Doon Aviation Scheme. LORD BALFOUR, in the House of Lords on March 21st, called attentionto the abandonment of the scheme for an aviation base at Loch Doon, and asked on whose authority the scheme was undertaken and on whose authorityit was abandoned. His information was that some three millions of money had been spent on the scheme. He moved for a return of the expenditureinvolved. Lord Rothermere, President of the Air Council, said he was not awarewho was really responsible for the scheme. The Air Board was not in posses- sion of the information. But if it was desired he would endeavour to obtainfull particulars and communicate the information. The responsibility for its abandonment rested with the Air Council. The Air Council took over theconstruction of the work, and it was then found that Loch Doon was not suited for an aviation base. The project proved far more costly than wasanticipated. The authorised expenditure was £120,oco and £420,ceo was spent and sanctioned. It was very doubtful whether, after the expenditureof further considerable sums, the site would ever be suitable. An uulavour- able report was received, and under these circumstances he invited twomembers of the Air Council to proceed to Loch Doon and report, and upon that report the Air Council decided that they had no alternative but toabandon the scheme, and the Army Council was so informed. The Air Council's decision was based on the fact that after 18 months' work Loch Doon wasunfit for the scheme. The engineering difficulties were greater than anti- cipated. Sir John Hunter came to the conclusion that it could not be madeavailable for aviation purposes. It would be, in his view, criminal to neglect anything that would conduce to increased efficiency. But the tact was thatLoch Doon proved no good. The fite, was chosen ii) a hurry and, that being 50, he ventured to think that it was impossible to justify any further expendi-ture on the scheme. They were still looking for another" site. After further discussion, Earl Curzon, Lord President of the Council, urgedthe House not to pass any motion on the subject at all. The noble Lord had said that a great mistake had been made, and that had been accepted by theHouse. He agreed that their lordships were entitled to further information onthe subject, and if Lord Baltour put down another question on the paper the information would be supplied.The motion was by leave withdrawn. • , Royal Air Force Medical Service.MAJOR DAVID DA VIES, on March 18th, asked the Under-Secretary of State to the Air Ministry how far the arrangements for the medical care of the AirService have been proceeded with ; and what steps he intends to take to expedite the transference of Royal Army Medical Corps officers previouslyattached to the R.F.C. to the Air Forces, so as to be under the direct con- trol and administration of the Medical Administrator of the Air Council in thiscountry ? The Under-Secretary of State to the Air Ministry (Major Baird) : The answerto the first part of the question is that the Medical Administrative Committee have met and have come to a number of decisions which are now being dealtwith by the Air Council. The answer to the second part of the question is that the officers referred to will, inlthe first instance, be lent to the Air Force,and will be under the direct control of the Medical Administrator. When the conditions of service for medical officers who are to be seconded to the AirForce have been decided, those officers who are considered suitable will be seconded to the Air Force.Prisoners in Germany. MR. JOVNSON-HICKS asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whethera Lieutenant of the R.F.C. was recently sentenced in Germany to twelve months' hard labour for referring in a letter to the Germans as Huns ; and,if so, what steps the Government proposes to take ? Mr. Hope (Lord of the Treasury): The officer referred to by my hon. friendis presumably Sergt. E. A. Boyd, R.N.A.S., who was reported by the German Press to have been sentenced to a year's imprisonment for referring in adespatch previous to his capture to the Germans as " Huns." According to the official German report Sergt. Boyd was sentenced for "insulting a superiorand a subordinate." His Majesty's Government have asked for full details of the trial. I regret that so far no satisfactory reply has yet been received. Mr. Joynson-Hicks : May I take it that the Government will continue topress for proper information ? Mr. Hope : Yes ; I think my hon. friend may rest assured of that. Air Raids into Germany.MR. BILLING, on March 21st, asked the Prime Minister whether his atten- tion had been called to a statement that Germany is prepared to refrain fromair attacks on this country providing British raids over German territory cease ; and whether, having regard to the avowed policy of the Government thatBritish air raids into Germany were in no sense reprisals but legitimate acts of war, he will accept this indication from Germany as an expression of thesuccess of our new aggressive air policy, and, in consequence, redouble British aerial activity over German towns ?Mr. Bonar Law: As regards the first part of the question, I have seen certain statements in the Press. As regards the second part of the question,the Government are doing everything in their power to make the raids into Germany effective.Mr. Billing: Can this House understand that the raids which are being carried out into Germany are considered by His Majesty's Government aslegitimate acts of war, and will not be discontinued in the event of the enemy squealing on the point of reprisals ? Mr. Bonar Law : The House does understand that they are, in our opinion legitimate acts of war, and such acts are by no means undertaken as reprisals'Royal Air Force Uniform. MR. BILLING asked whether it is necessary for the Minister of State forAir to apply to the Treasury be'ore making a special grant to all officers in His Majesty's Air Force to cover the initial cost of the new Air Force uniform nowto be instituted ; if so, if such application has already been made ; and whether the Treasury have considered or are prepared to favourably considerit? The Under-Secretary of State to the Air Ministry (Major Baird): The answerto the first and second parts of the question is in the affirmative, and the application is now under consideration by the Treasury.Mr. Billing: When is it likely to be announced, having regard to the fact that many of these officers have been called on to buy their uniforms, and itis essential to their financial status that they should know whether they are to be called on to pay for it or not ? Major Baird : Nobody has to buy the uniform ? It is distinctly stated thatthey can wear out the old uniform. Mr. Billing : Is the hon. and gallant gentleman aware that the present Orderhas created a chameleon-like condition among these officers ? Mr. Speaker: The hon. member must not monopolise the whole of the timeof the House. Aerodrome in Midland Counties.MR. PRINGLE asked the Under-Secretary of State to the Air Ministry whether an aerodrome is being constructed in the Midland counties; whenthe works were commenced; at what date it is expected to be completed ; what has been 'expended up to date ;' what is the estimate of the total cost ; whether the land has been bought; if so, from whom and on what terms ; and,if the freehold has not been bought, what arrangement has been made with the owners ? Major Baird : I am obliged to the hon. member for communicating to meprivately the name of the aerodrome referred to. The work was begun in August, 1917. The adoption of the system of aircraft acceptance parks,subsequent to the initiation of the work, has rendered less necessary its imme- diate completion, and the work has been temporarily suspended, in view ofthe greater urgency of other works. The aerodrome will be completed by a private firm, and the State's contribution is limited to a fixed sum. Part ofthe land already belonged to the firm in question, and the rest was taken over under the Defence of the Realm Act.The Supply of Parachutes. MR. MORRELL asked the Under-Secretary of State to the Air Ministrywhether the Government have considered the question of supplying parachutes to officers undergoing instruction in flying, as a means of avoiding seme of themany fatal accidents that now occur; whether officers are now allowed in some cases to provide such parachutes at their own expense ; whether thesehave in fact proved effective ; and if he can say what is the reason against their being provided by the Government at all aerodromes where flying istaught ? Major Baird : No case is known of any officer under instruction providing orwishing to provide himself with a parachute. Experiments are proceeding, but no parachute suitable for use from an aeroplane has yet been arrived at. Thelast part of the question therefore does not arise. Proclamation. SIR J. D. REES asked the Under-Secretary of State to the Air Ministrywhy, in the titles of the Sovereign recited in thp lToclamation regarding the name and style of the Royal Air Force, the title Emperor of India is omitted ?Major Baird : The use of the title of Emperor of India in official documents is governed by the terms of the Royal Proclamation of April 28th, 1876, ofwhich I am sending the hon. member a copy. Acceptance Parks. MAJOR DAVIES asked the Under-Secretary of State to the Air Ministrywhether he can state the number of aircraft acceptance parks which have been abandoned in this country ; whether he will give the reasons for sanctioningthe opening of these acceptance parks and the reasons for closing them down ; and whether he can state the amount of money spent on these abandonedacceptance parks ? Major Baird : No ground primarily taken for an aircraft acceptance parkhas been abandoned. An endeavour was made to utilise as an acceptance park one station which had become superfluous to Home Defence requirements,but it was found impossible to make the aerodrome sufficiently good for the purpose. The whole amount expended from the first inception of the aero-drome as a Home Defence station was £15,000. The material used is, as far as possible, being employed elsewhere, and it is not yet possible to ascertainthe net amount of unremunerative expenditure. Air Raid Compensation. CAPT. BARNETT asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he isaware that the Regulations of the Air Raid Compensaticn Ccmmitlee give free compensation without insurance to owners ot property of value not ex-ceeding £500 but to other owners only if the excess value over £.soo has been insured under the Government scheme ; whether he is aware that the effect ofthese Regulations is to give full compensation to the person whose house value £500 is destroyed by hostile aircraft and no compensation whatever to theperson whose house value £501 is destroyed unless he has paid a premium of one halfpenny in respect of the £1 excess ; whether these principles have beenapplied in the case of Miss Tyler's property recently damaged in a London air raid ; and whether he will take steps to amend, retrospectively if possible, theseRegulations on the ground that their application has proved inequitable ? Sir A. Stanley: The Government only undertook to pay compensation,irrespective of any question of insurance, to the poorer members of the com- munity. It was necessary to draw the line somewhere, and after careful con-sideration by a Committee appointed for the purpose, it was decided that uninsured persons should receive compensation if the value of their uninsuredproperty did not exceed £500. The Committee thought that owners of pro- perty above that limit might fairly be expected to insure themselves againstloss by taking out policies under the Government Insurance Scheme. No formal claim by Miss Tyler can be traced as having been received, and I wouldsuggest that if there is any reasonable doubt as to whether or not the value of her insurable property is in excess of £500, she should supply particularsthereof to the Compensation Committee for consideration. Triplex Glass. SIR J. D. REES asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether heis aware of the fact that Mr. Charles Higgins, F.R.C.S., has by experiments established the fact that Triplex glass, properly ground and treated, is a mostvaluable protection for the eye from projectiles, splinters, stones, and such substances as are scattered broadcast by shell bursts, and that such Triplexglass does not itself splinter and cause wounds when broken by a blow, by shot or otherwise ; that it is also a protection in the case of the bieaking of windowsin cabs, cars, railway and other carriages, as a result of collisions ; and whether he will enquire into this matter and see whether our troops can be suppliedwith such glass if the results of his enquiries are satisfactory ? Mr. Macpherson : The properties of Triplex glass are known to the WarOffice. Some two years ago the question was considered of substituting this glass for ordinary glass in spectacles for soldiers, but it was decided not toadopt it in view of the expense involved and of certain optical objections and difficulties in producing the enormous quantities of lenses required. Trialshave also been made of vizors fitted with Triplex glasses for eye protection for t he troops, but they have not been recommended for adoption.Reprisals, &c. • " .. GENERAL CROFT asked the Prune Minister whether, bearing in mind thattwo of our flying men have suffered about a month's imprisonment for dropping •pamphlets it is proposed to inflict a reprisal on two enemy flying men in orderto show the German Government our determination to secure proper treatment for British prisoners of war in their hands ; and, in future, will he considerthe advisability of at once taking reprisals for acts committed by the German Government against our prisoners of war instead of giving a time-limit duringwhich period British prisoners are suffering such treatment. Mr. James hope (Lord of the Treasury) : His Majesty's Government arefully determined to take all necessary measures to secure redress for British prisoners of war improperly treated by the enemy. We understand that thetwo British airmen in question have Iwen released. As regards the second part of the question, I would remind my hon. and gallant friend that both Govern*ments are bound under The Hague Agreement to give a month's notice before reprisals are started.General Croft : Can the hon. gentleman tell me if it is a fact that German officers have been transferred from the West to the East Coast of this country ?Mr. Hope : It has been thought desirable to transfer a number of German officers from the West of England to the East Coast, but this must not beregarded as a measure of reprisals or punishment. The climate of the Rent and Essex coast is at least as good, and probably better, than that in a number ofprison camps in Germany. '
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