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Aviation History
1918
1918 - 1231.PDF
OCTOBER 31, 1918 Grantham, aged 27, was the third Son of Stewart T. and Grace A. Mumford. --- -. . " ' Capt. FRANCIS GRANGER QUIGLEY, D.S.O., M.C., R.A.F., who died on October 20th' at Liverpool, was the youngest json of the late R. J. Quigley, of Toronto, Canada. - Lieut. HERBERT WESTGARTH SOULBY, R.A.F., who was accidentally killed on October 19th, was the elder son of Mr. and Mrs. H. W. Soulby, of 39,'Ellesmere Road, Chiswick. Married Lieut. KENNETH ERIC JUDD, R.A.F., youngest son of G. W. Judd, I.S.O., Karachi, was married on October 24th at St. Bartholomew's, Sydenham, to MAY HENRIETTA, second daughter of Henry Charles PLATTS, A.M.I.C.E., and Mrs. Platts, of Hazehvood, Sydenham. Capt. JOHN ALFRED MANSFIELD, R.A.F., son of the late John Mansfield, Esq., of Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, and Mrs. Bryan, of King Hill, West Mailing, Kent, was married on October 24th at St. Marylebone Parish Church, to KATH- LEEN MARGARET (PEGGY), daughter of Lawrie MCGAVIN, F.R.C.S.Eng. (late 6th Dragoon Guards), The Carabiniers), and Mrs. McGavin, of 32 Weymouth Street, W., and Morton Bagot Manor, Studley. To be Married The engagement is announced between Lieutenant MON- TAGU R. CHIDSON, R.G.A., R.A.F., only son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry A. Chidson, of 11, Sackvilie Street, Piccadilly, and 4, Matheson Road, W. 14, and MARIE JOSEPHINE (BETTY), only daughter of M. and Mme. G. A. L. M. E. DE BRUYN, of Rotterdam. :.. -. Items It was announced in the Court Circular oi October 23rd that the LORD WEIR (Secretary of State for the Royal Air Force) had an audience of His Majesty the King at Buck- ingham Palace. SIR JOHN SIMON was last week gazetted out of the R.A.F. with the hon. rank of major. Mr. B. Griffith, of Bron Awel, Ruthin, would be deeply grateful for any information regarding the fate of his son, Sec. Lieut. D. B. GRIFFITH, R.A.F., who was reported missing on July 19th last, and subsequently reported dead, but not confirmed. The machine he was flying when he failed to return was a Sopwith Camel, and he was attacking a German aerodrome on the Somme. ^ ^ • • AVIATION IN PARLIAMENT. Woolwich Arsenal.—Commander CoJomb's Charges BRIGADIER-GENERAL CROFT, on October 22nd, asked the Prime Minister (1) whether his attention has been called to the charges of Commander Colomb, R.N., with reference to the protection of young men employed in responsible positions at Woolwich Arsenal and the favouritism alleged towards certain relatives of officials ; and whether, having regard to the fact that there is a direct conflia <rf evidence between the Ministry of MunitjonE and Commander Colomb, he will cause an independent inquiry to be set up, as requested by the Shoreditch Tribunal; (2) asked the Under-Secretary of State to the Air Ministry whether bis attention has been called to the dismissal of Commander Colomb, R.N., from the supply branch of the Air Board ; and whether such dismissal was due to the fact that Commander Colomb had reported to the Shoreditch Tribunal certain matters in connection with the comb-out of Woolwich Arsenal ? The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minfetry of Munitions (Mr. KeBaway) : Commander Colomb was employed at Woolwich Arsenal from January 23rd, 1917, to March 20th, 1918, and commenced work in the supply department of the Air group of the Ministry of Munitions on the day after he left the Arsenal. His services in the Air Department were terminated because, without permis- sion of the Ministry, he communicated to an outside body a criticism of the administration of another branch of the organisation in which he was working. He thereby committed a serious breach of discipline. The substance of Com- mander Colomb's complaint was that certain men in the Department of Wool- wich Arsenal, in which he was formerly employed, were protected from military service because they were related to persons in authority. Careful investigation of these statements showed that they were unfounded. Commander Colomb further suggested that in engaging new hands, due consideration was not given to tuff claims of discharged soldiers. This statement also is unfounded. In May and June of this year, which were typical months, 522 men were engaged, of whom 343 were discharged soldiers—a very high proportion, considering that much of the work cannot be done by disabled men. In view of the careful investigation already made my right hon. friend does not consider that any further inquiry is called for. If my hon. and gallant friend desires, I shall be glad to sead him a detailed reply on each of the points raised by Commander Colomb. General Croft: Has the hon. Member's attention been called to Commander Colomb's further reply in which he states the actual names of these assistant foremen ; is it not a fact that a large majority of them are of military age; and that five ol them are related to foremen and others in high positions ; and has he any answer to make to this last charge ? Mr. Chancellor: Is the inquiry of the kind asked for, namely, an independent inquiry and not one by officials ? Mr. Kellaway: With regard to any second statement by Commander Colomb I have not had my personal attention drawn to it, and I cannot deal with it now. We had the names of all the foremen before us, and we found that the allegations, asiar as they were concerned, were unfounded. The inquiry was a departmental one, and not a public inquiry. Colonel Ashley : It is not only the foremen who are concerned, but is a question of those foremen having given to thetr friends and relations all sorts of jobs. Mr. Kellaway : I was asked with regard to the foremen and my answer was in reference to them. Mr. George Terrell: Will the hon. gentleman consent to a further inquiry by some impartial person ? Mr. Kellaway : If new facts are elicited I shall be glad to have them inquired nto, but it would be an impossible situation if in every case of a difference of <$> <$> Pooling of Allied Aircraft FROM Washington via New York comes a report that an agreement has been, reached after a series of conferences between Mr. Ryan, head of the United States Army Aircraft Division, and the British and French Air Ministers and- Directors of Munitions regarding greater co-ordination in the handling of the Allied aircraft resources. In the future, it is stated, each country will be able to produce its maximum capacity along the lines in which it is best equipped, and the fighting forces of all three air services will be supplied from this production. The air supremacy of the Allies is not questioned, but this plan is expected to render impossible the concentration by Germany of its cen- tralised air fleet against any particular part of the Allied line. opinion between a minister and an official we have to hold an independent inquiry. Rabies and Aeroplanes SIR WILLUM BULL asked the President of tbe Board of Agriculture whether he is aware that a British officer flew overfrom France will) a lady's dog which, it is alleged, spfead rabies in Devon ; and, ii so, what punishrofut will be meted out to this officer for evading the taw ? Mr. Prothero : The Board have no knowledge of the circumstances to which my hon. friend refers, and if he will send me his information I will have it in- vestigated- In January and February, 1917, the Board called attention to this possible source of risk, and both the Admiralty and the R.F.C. gave every assistance by warning officers of the serious breach of regulations involved. Sir W. Bull: Has not a barrister of standing ccTLmunkafed the name of the officer and the date upon which the occurrence took place and the name of the dog? Mr. Prothero : Not to my knowledge. It has not been communicated to me or in such a way that it would reach me. Mr. Lambert: How did this outbreak of rabies in Devon and Cornwall first occur? Mr. Prothero : That is just the difficulty. I cannot explain it. I may have suspicions, but I should not like to say on suspicion what I believe the case to be. It is mainly centred in the county borough of Plymouth. Mr. Chancellor: Has any death resulted from any of these bites frcm rabid dogs? Mr. Prothero : Not at present. Austrian Threats against Leaflet Droppers MR. JOYNSOW-HICKS, on October 23rd, asked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to an Order issued by the enemy to the effect that British aviators who drop leaflets oveT the enemy lines will, if caught, be sentenced to death ; and what steps he proposes to take in regard thereto ? Mr. James Hope (Lord of the Treasury) : His Majesty's Government have received no official corroboration of this Order, which appeared in an Austrian newspaper. We are, however, informing the Austrian Government that should such an Order as is described have been issued and be carried into effect, the sternest measures of reprisals will be instantly taken. The Royal Air Force MAJOR NEWMAN, on October 24th, asked the Chief Secretary whether he will give the number of men who have been attested and passed for service in the Artillery, Cavalry, Infantry, Air Force, and non-combatant units of the Service, respectively, from June 1st to October 15th, 1918, under the Irish Government's scheme of voluntary enlistment; and will he say whether those recruited for the Air Force were men to be instructed in actual flying or to perform ground service only ? Mr. Beck: My right hon. friend has asked me to reply. The enlistments in Iceland from June 1st to October 15th were : Royal Navy, 626 ; Army, 4,712 ; F.A.F., 4,438, exclusive of absentees from Britain and exclusive of men who volunteered but were found unfit or who for one reason or another were not posted. The disposal of the recruits between the corps in the Army is not known to my Department. Major Newman : May 1 have an answer to the last part of my question ? Mr. Beck: I think I had better have notice. R.AJF. a Vital Influence AT the formal handing over at Glasgow on Saturday of the aeroplane " City of Glasgow " to Sir George Perley, High Commissioner for Canada, Lord Desborough, President of the Imperial Air Fleet Committee, read a message from Lord Weir in which he stated that the recent victories had created a situation wherein the air operations were rendered even more valuable than before. The R.A.F. had so developed as to be able to exercise a vital influence in determining the length of the war. In Palestine the air squadrons were the main instrument in converting a military defeat into com- plete destruction of the enemy forces. The R.A.F. believed they could best assist towards peace by continuing to hit the enemy as hard as possible. . "•.••_.. 1232 •Si. -:1...
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