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Aviation History
1919
1919 - 0180.PDF
DEMOBILISING THE R.A.F. THE Secretary of State for Air has issued a statement ex plaining that the reasoning and method which apply to the formation of the Armies of Occupation will also govern, with minor exceptions, the formation and maintenance of the Royal Air Force necessary to co-operate with the land and sea forces required during the transition period. On November n, when the fighting stopped, there were in the Royal Air Force about 30,000 officers and 265,000 airmen. Of these, 1,742 officers and 51,727 airmen had been demobilised by January 24. It is intended to retain during the present year about 6,500 officers and 75,000 other ranks. The principles governing the rules for retention are the same as those which have been settled for the Army. Officers and airmen will be retained who were not enlisted and posted before January 1, 1916, have not attained their thirty-seventh birthday, or are not entitled to three or more wounded stripes. The remainder will be demobilised as rapidly as possible in the priority of the industrial groups now open. The Forces of Occupation comprise :— The FLEET. The HOME ARMY. The ARMY of the RHINE. The ARMY of the MIDDLE EAST. The DETACHMENT of the FAR NORTH. The GARRISONS of the CROWN COLONIES and INDIA. The Royal Air Force serving with the above will include :— (o) Men serving on ordinary engagements. (b) Men who have extended their service under Air Ministry Weekly Order 1560/1918. (c) Volunteers. (d) Men held to serve on " Duration of War " engagements. On and after February 1, 1919, airmen belonging to the categories shown in the schedule below will be demobilised at the earliest opportunity. Men serving on pre-War con ditions of service are necessarily retained for the duration of their engagements, except in so far as individuals may be released under paras. 9 and 10 of the schedule. All other airmen are specially retained for general sendee so long as their services are required during the occupation period. 1. All airmen now serving who—(a) entered the naval service before January 1, 1916, or who, having been entered in the " Class Y " Reserve of the Royal Navy, were called up for duty prior to that date ; (b) were attested and joined the Regular Army for immediate service with the Colours before January 1, 1916; (c) after being attested or deemed to be enhsted and posted to the Reserve of the Regular Army, were called up or joined the Colours for continuous service before January 1,1916; (d) enlisted in the Territorial Forces and were attested before January 1, 1916. 2. All airmen entered under pre-War engagements who have completed the active service or Colour portion of their current engagement. 3. All airmen serving on " Hostilities Only " or " Duration of War " engagements who attained the age of 37 years by February 1, 1919. Those who subsequently attain the age of 37 years will become eligible from the date of attaining that age. 4. All airmen who have been duly certified by the Ministry of Labour before February 1, 1919, as civil demobilisers or pivotal men, and whose demobilisation is ordered by the Air Ministry on A.F. Z. 32. 5. All airmen whose special release has been recommended by the Ministry of Labour before February 1, 1919, and whose demobilisation is ordered by the Air Ministry on Z. 556. 6. All airmen who belong to industrial groups which have been opened for demobilisation before February 1, 1919. 7. All airmen who, before February 1, 1919, are registered in their units as " slip men " on A.F. Z. I6A, or who have produced " contracts " for employment from their pre-War employers. 8. All airmen whose claims to return to their pre-War homes or businesses outside the United Kingdom have been approved, or may be approved, by the Officer i/c Repatriation Records, Winchester, on A.F. Z. 6. 9. All airmen who are entitled to three or more wound stripes. 10. All airmen whose releases on extreme compassionate grounds have been ordered by the Air Ministry, or whose releases on such grounds may be subsequently approved by the Air Ministry. Any airman who is eligible for demobilisation under the rules set out above, or who, having already served during the present war, has been demobilised or discharged, may, pro vided he is suitable, be permitted to volunteer for general service with the Royal Air Force for one year under the following conditions :— (a) Rates of pay, bonus and allowances to be the same as for those men held to serve under this Order. (b) Substantive rank will be retained or reassumed. After February 1, 1919, all leave, except on urgent com passionate grounds, will be limited to those who are retained in, or who are accepted for, the Royal Air Force of Occupation. All officers are liable to be retained under this Order, but if sufficient numbers of volunteers are forthcoming, those who wish to be demobilised will be released as soon as the exigencies of the Service permit. A bonus will be payable, as from February i, 1919, at the rates and under the conditions shown below, to all officers and other ranks who are definitely selected for retention for Royal Air Force service, and to all who volunteer and are accepted for such service. Until further service the bonus will be payable also to officers of the Royal Air Force holding permanent commissions in the Navy, Army, or Royal Air Force, and to airmen serving on ordinary engage ments. If any officers and other ranks due for demobilisation forth with, and not specially selected for retention as above, have not been released by May 1, 1919. they will be credited, as from that date, with a bonus at half the rates shown below, under the conditions stated. (This half-bonus will be issued to them on their release.) The following are the weekly rates of the full bonus :— Officers. •a ;; » ;; : :; - Other Ranks, including Cadets. Aircraftman 2nd Class) Aircraftman (ist Class) Leading Aircraftman .. .. Corporal Sergeant Flight-Sergeant Warrant officer (2nd Class) .. Warrant officer (ist Class) .. Flight-Cadet Boy Cadet—to be assessed oa the rank held. J. 10 II II 12 M 13 17 21 5 d. 6 1 1 I 0 <J 0 6 3 Weekly Additon. s. i. Second L-eutenant .. 24 6 Lieutenant .. .. .. 1 StaS Officer. 4th Class Staff Lieutenant Captain Staff Officer 3rd Class Chaplain, 4th Class Major Staff Officer, 2nd Cass .. y 35 Chaplain, 3rd Class Lieu enant-Colonel Staff Officer, ist Class Chaplain, 2nd Class Officers of higher ranks and appointments .. 42 These rates have been fixed in relation to those approved for the Army and the Navy, and their estimated cost is ^3,000,000 per annum. The bonus is not issuable to personnel locally enlisted in Malta, Egypt, etc., for special and not general service. The bonus, when dependent on rank, will be based m the rank for which pay is drawn. The bonus will be issuable to British service troops serving in India, under the same conditions as those applicable to troops elsewhere. The period during which issue will continue for officers and men definitely retained will be that for which it is found necessary to maintain Forces of Occupation in various occupied territories. A3 regards officers' gratuities, the bonus will not be taken into account in their assessment. Gratuities under Article 497 of the Army Warrant for Pay will not be earned beyond August 3, 1919, or the date of the termination of the War as defined by statutory authority, whichever comes first. In st uctions will shortly be issued as to the War gratuity issuable to officers holding permanent commissions: the same limit of time will apply. As regards other ranks, the bonus is in addition to the special bounties for extension of service, and to any War gratuity earned. The War gratuity authorised for airmen serving on ordinary engagements will cease to be admissible for any period after August 3, 1919, or the date ol the ter mination of the War as fixed by statutory authority, which ever comes first. The conditions governing the War gratuity for all other airmen stand as already published. Except in the case of the half-bonus, issuable to certain officers and men on release, the bonus will be issuable with ordinary pay, monthly in the case of officers, and weekly in the case of other ranks. The bonus will not be issuable to airmen employed on civil rates of pay. The bonus has no bearing on the scales of pay, separation allowance, etc., of the Air Force in the future, or oa future terms of service. These will shortly be reconsidered to their entirety. 180
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