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Aviation History
1918
1918 - 1073.PDF
Flight, September 26, 1918. ENGINEER* First Aero Weekly in the World. Founder and Editor i STANLEY SPOONER. A J*ar»*l rf*TOt«d to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport. OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ROYAL AERO CLUB OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. No. 509. (No. 39, Vol. X.) SEPTEMBER 26, 1918. rWeekly, Price 6d.L Post Free, 7d. Flight and The Atrcrap Engineer. Editorial Office: 36, GREAT QUEEN STREET, KINGSWAY, W.C. 2. Telegrams: Trnditui, Westcent, London. Telephone: Gerrard i8a8. Annual Subscription Rates, Post Free : United Kingdom .. I8J. *d. Abroad 331. od. These rates are subject to any alteration found necessary under war conditions. CONTENTS. Editorial Comment: PAGE What is Wrong with the W.R. A.F. ? 1073 The Non-Commissioned Ranks .. .. .. .. .. .. 1074 Aircraft in Allenby's Victory .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1074 The Chevrons Question .. .. .- .. .. .. .. 107s The Independent Air Force ., .. .. ,. ,. .. .. 107$ Honours 1077 The Royal Aero Club. Official Notices .. .. 1081 Aero Motors at King's College .. . .. .. ., .. .. 2082 The Siemens-Schucken Biplane .. .. .. .. ,. .. .. 1083 The 300 h.p. Maybach Enf inc .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1084 The Roll of Honour 1087 Airiims from the Four Winds 10B8 The Advisory Committee for Aeronautics Report, 1917-1918 .. .. 1090 Personals ^ 1094 The Royal Air Force 1096 Aircraft Work at the Front. Official Information 1099 Leisure Hours.. .. .. .. .. .. noi Sid« Winds .. .. .. .. ;. .. .. 1102 " Newspapers are an essential part of our war organisation." (Sir Auckland Geddes, Minister of National Service.) HE most circumstantial stories of weaknesses in the constitution and administration of the Women's Royal Air Force which continually reach us have forced us to the conclusion that there is something very wrong indeed with the whole organisation. It will be within the recollection of those of our readers who have followed the course of events in connection with this branch of women's war activity that recently a complete change was made in the command of the Force, and, from all we hear, not before it was wanted. But even now it seems to us that there is still a great deal to be done to place the organisation on a satisfactory basis. True, the new Commandant has not had much time to effect reforms; but it does not appear that it-is so much a question of changing the com- mand as of a complete reorganisation of administra- tive control that is required if the Force is really to What is Wrong with the W.RA.F,? be taken seriously as a part of our war effort and if the right class of women is to be attracted to its ranks. It has been obvious from the veiled references to trouble that have appeared in the Press from time to time that all is not well with the Force. There is, first of all, the question of the supply of suitable officers. Some weeks ago the administration of the Force notified through the Press that large numbers of women were required to fill the commissioned ranks. Naturally, the service being superficially attractive, a great many applications were received for ad- mission. The candidates appear to have been called before a selection board, or boards, and those con- sidered suitable were drafted to a training school at Elthain to undergo a probationary period of instruc- tion. Now, on the paper notifying the appointment it was expressly stated that this period would be one of three weeks, which might be extended, but after a course occupying but ten days the probationers were required to sit for an examination, which it is true was elementary in its simplicity. None of the questions set were such as could not have been answered by any woman or girl of average intelli- gence who had paid proper attention to the course of instruction. The point is, however, that the course occupied a little less than half the time the candidates had been notified was considered the minimum period necessary. Will it be believed that of 170 or there- abouts who sat for this " examination " no more than thirty were selected for commissions ? If our information is correct, and we have no reason to think that it is anything else than correct, these thirty were not selected because they had done the best papers, though nothing was disclosed to the un- successful as to how they stood in the list nor what were the reasons leading to their rejection, all of which still remain obscuie. We certainly have no desire to lay down the principle that those who are appointed to command' and administer the Force should not have the say as to what type or what individual should be commissioned, nor shall we proceed to argue as to the merits of the rejection of the 140 or any one of them. Indeed, for the purposes of the argument we are willing to concede that not one of them would have made a suitable W.R.A.F. officer, though we have our own opinion as to that. But here comes the seriousness of the matter. Every one of the whole 170 had_been before a selection board and passed as suitable for com- missioned rank before going up for the three weeks'
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