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Aviation History
1919
1919 - 0157.PDF
Fairweather, (Hon. Capt.) J. R. Fasson, B. E. Gilbert, G. P. li. Haidv, F. W. Helsby, F. J. Kydd, R. M. Penman, P. R. Smith, R. A. Webster, 1. Weir, A. S. White ; July u, 1918. Sec. Lieuts. to be actg. Lieuts. (Grade A) whilst errplcyed as Licnts. :— R. W. Ellis, from (O.), J. Milsted, H. F. Weet, frcm (O.) ; July 11, J918. Sec. Lieut. (Hon. Lieut.) O. S. Waymouth to beactg. Litut. (Grade E) whilst employed as Lieut. ; Sept. r, 1918. Sec. Lieuts. (Admin.) to be Sec. Lieut!-. (Grade A):—K. J. Kelso ; Nov. z8, 1918. H. E. Edwards ; Dec. 1, 1918. A. F. Rees, W. Vaughan ; Dec. u, 1918. R. O. Street ; Jan. 2. Sec. Lieut. E. Sidey to be Sec. Lieut. (Grade A), frcm (A. and S.) ; Nov. 16, 1918. Sec. Lieuts. (Admin.) to be Sec. Lieuts. (Grade B) :—A. M. W. Leyfield ; July 8, 1918. W. J. Brittain ; Dec. 3, 1918. F. Williams ; Dec. 5, 1918. A. G. Adams ; Jan. 13. Lieut. G. M. Robert to be Sec. Lieut. (Grade B), and to be Hon. Lieut., from (A. and S.) ; Nov. 21, 1918. Lieut. O. Clayton to be Sec. Lieut. (Grade B), and to be Hon. Lieut., from (Ad.) ; Dec. 30, 1918. The following relinquish their comns. on ceasing to be employed:—Lieut. (Hon. Capt.) J. H. Wnittaker-Swinton (Lieut., R.E., T.F.) ; April 17, 1918. Capt. L. J. Rogers (Temp. Lieut., R.N.V.R.) ; Oct. 28, 1918. Sec. Lieut. (Hon. Lieut.) W. L. Heape (Lieut. E. Lane. R.) ; Dec. n, I9r8. Sec. Lieut, f. H. G. Wilson (Sec. Lieut., R.E.) ; Dec. 16. J918. Lieut. G. Elliott (Lieut., Yorks L.I.) ; Jan. 1. Sec. Lieut. fHou. Lieut.) G. E. Patterson (Lieut., Alberta R.) ; Jan. 8. IN celebration of the British Empire's Victory in the Air, a banquet was held under the auspices of the Imperial Air Fleet Committee on January 21. Lord Desborough presided, and was supported by Major-Gen. J. E. B. Seely, D.S.O., M.P., Under-Secretary of State for Air ; the Hon. Sir Thos. Mackenzie, K.C.M.G., High Commissioner for New Zealand ; Major-Gen. Sir W. S. Brancker, K.C.B., A.F.C. ; Lieut.-Gen. Sir K. E. W. Turner, V.C., K.C.B., K.C.M.G., D.S.O. ; Gen. Sir W. R. Birdwood, G.C.M.G., K.C.B., CLE., D.S.O., A.D.C.; Major-Gen. E. B. Ashmore; Sir W. A. Robinson. K.C.B.; Brig-Gen. E. M. Maitland; Brig.-Gen. R. K. Bagnall-Wild ; Alderman Sir C. C. Wakefield; Lieut - Col. M. O'Gorman ; Lieut.-Com. H. Perrin ; Messrs. T. O. M. Sopwith, F. Handley Page, G. Holt Thomas, Claude Johnson, H. White-Smith, Claude Grahame-White, A. W. Gamage, etc. After the loyal toasts had been drunk Lord Desborough proposed " The British Empire's Victory in the Air." Major-General Seely, in responding, said that it was five years since he had addressed a public gathering at a dinner. Indeed, he had almost forgotten how to do it; but if ever a man had a good toast to respond to this was a glorious one— the British Empire's victory in the air. In the winning of the war no greater credit was due to anyone than to the British airman. In this connection he thought names should be mentioned, such as Sir David Henderson, Gen. Sir H. Trenchard and Major-General Sir Frederick Sykes. Looking back, all one could say was that their work was well done. Although little had been done in the early days of the War in comparison with what might have been achieved, there was a flash of truth in General French's first dispatch, in which he paid a glowing tribute to our airmen in the first months of the War. Things had developed since then, and a tribute was due to the flying men who had come from all parts of the Empire. As had been said to him, " There is only one fault with our airmen. They are too brave." He (Major-Gen. Seely) had been speaking that day to Gen. Sykes, and he asked him if in connection with the Air Service he could pick out any part of the Empire for outstanding valour. His reply was, " You cannot." " Representatives of the Dominions," Gen. Seely said, " did well, but we at home did our best also. Indeed, the whole race rose to the highest point in asserting supremacy in the air—will, energy, heart, spirit. So we won, thank God, we won. And now we will not lose the advantage that victory has given us. The same unity of purpose that has been ours through the years of war will be ours in years of peace to come. We shall have to have Air Forces for m.lita y purtoses still. People say to me. * You must have an Air Force equivalent to the land and sea. forces.' I say, ' Yes, but it wou'd be wise to have an even greater propo_tionof Air Force.' The armies of the future, so it seems to me, should be maintained by a League of Nations to coerce all those who dare to break the world's peace—they wi 1 bs armies, in p'oportion to their numbers, more mechanical and with more power in the air. Science must be wedded to the art of war in order to ensure the peace of the world. That, I am sure, will be done, and Jl the best brains at our command will be devoted to that end. But, having done that, and having ensured, I hope, in this great air service, that our Dominions, in forming their own air service will form it in connection with ours, so as to have one great air fleet, as we have one great fleet on the sea, The following are transfd. to unemployed list :—Sec. Lieut. J. A. Osborne , Jan. 2. Sec. Lieut. D. M. Harvey; Jan. 3. Sec. Lieut. C. G. L. Cotebrook, Sec. Lieut. T. S. Nash ; Jan. 7. Sec. Lieut. F. G. Crowley, Capt. Sir E. de - la Rue, Bt.; Jan. 8. Sec. Lieut. E. E. Blake, Capt. P. G. Guudry, Sec. Lieut. F. V. Harrap, Maj. J. T. Spittle ; Jan. 9. Lieut. (Actg. Capt.) J. J. V. Arm t strong, Lieut. C. Atkey, Sec. Lieut. A. W. Cordrev, Sec. Lieut. Sir H. G. D. Bathe, Bt., Capt. (Actg. Maj.) F. W. M. Pedlev, Lieut. F. G. Tryhorn, Sec. 1, Lieut. B. Williams ; Jan. 10. Capt. C. G. Ashton, Sec. Lieut. (Hon. Lieut.) , J. G. Daniel, Sec. Lieut. A. E. Dyson, Lieut. (Actg. Capt.) E. G. Herbert Lieut. (Hon. Capt.) R. M. Knowles, MX. (Capt., Norf. R.), Sec. Lieut. (Actg. 1, Lieut.) W. R. Rhodes, Iieut. (Actg. Capt.) W. J. R. Sheppard ; Jan. 11. Sec. Lieut. (Actg. Lieut.) S. G. Yapp ; Jan. 12. Lieut. L. G. Courage, Capt. ; R. K. C. Maguire, M.B.E., Sec. Lieut. F. M. Roberts, Lieut. S. L. Smith : Jan. 13. Sec. Lieut. A. H. Turner ; Jan. 20. Lieut. (Hon. Capt.) E. M. Wright relinquishes his corun, on account of ill-1 health contracted on active service, and is permitted to retain the rank of Capt. ; Jan. 22. 3 Capt. (Actg. Maj.) P. H. Linthune (Lond. R.) relinquishes his comn. on account of ill-health contracted on active service ; Jan. 22. Sec. Lieut. W. T. Langton relinquishes his comn, on account of iU-heahh and is permitted to retain his rank ; Jan. 22. \ The date of appointment of Actg. Lieut. McL. N. Staight is Oct. 1, 1916 ' and not as in Gazette, Nov. 5, 1918. , The notification in Gazette, Nov. 12, 1918, concerning Sec. Lieut. F. P. D Scott is cancelled. we must make sure that the air supremacy we have gained shall be used for the good of mankind instead of only for the destruction of life. I can promise you on behalf of the Secretary of State for the Air and of the Air Council that every effort will be made to help forward the air traffic of the future. Plans have been made in most elaborate detail for helping forward the air traffic of the future. Among the things we must and can do one is to secure great air routes between the Dominions of the Crown. I see no reason why within the lifetime of nearly all of us there should not be air routes between almost all parts of the British Empire. All that will not come at once, but it you have got a good plan, and if you work to that end, and if you have got a soft-hearted Treasury, which I hope to find, and on which I shall ask for the support of the House of Commons, I am sure we can build up a service not only as good as but far better than that possessed by any other nation.*' In this effort to increase air traffic throughout the world for the good of the world at large (he concluded), we meant to secure the first place in a generous rivalry. Gen. Brancker, supporting the toast of " Our Future Imperial Air Fleet," said throughout the War aviation had proved its increasing importance. In the next five years that proportion of importance would increase. He felt the future of the Empire lay in the air. He had always said aviation was to win the War. He was wrong, but he honestly believed that if the Germans had not overstrained their resources in their offensive aviation would have won the War. In the aviation of the future we bad a wonderful incentive in that the British Empire was scattered all over the world, and if proper touch was to be kept we had to develop aerial commerce. It was because he felt that commercial aviation was the line to pursue that he had cut himself away from military aeronautics. There were untold possibilities in commercial aeronautics, and it was to be an enormous success in the end. But there were many troubles and difficulties to get over. To have really prosperous commercial aviation they must make it pay. In order to make it pay they had to create a great organisation. They had to prove to the public that it was safe and reliable ; that it would do what it was said it would do. A great deal of capital would be required, and a great deal of patience. Aviation was going to keep the Mother Country in real and close touch with the Overseas Dominions. There seemed to be an impression that aviation was to be a rival to steamship lines and cables. It was not. Trade was increasing on every side, and aerial transit to every part of the world was coming as a supplement and not as a rival to other forms of transportation. It would provide the really hard-working business man with the means of journey ing from one side of the world to the other. Mr. Holt Thomas, speaking on behalf of the aircraft in dustry, asked the Government to withhold permission for commercial aviation until there was time to create a proper organisation. If accidents occurred progress would be hindered. Commercial aeronautics would bring Melbourne within four days of London, and he saw no more difficulty' in flying to Melbourne than in maintaining the present aerial service to Paris. VICTORY IN THE AIR 157
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