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Aviation History
1919
1919 - 0383.PDF
first aspect. There are, it seems to toe, three matters which are more or less common ground on both sides of the House. First of all, it is ccrrircn ground that the condition of affairs in the Women's Royal Air Frrce in the six weeks or month preceding Miss Douglas Pennant's departure was not at all satisfactory. That is common ground. Secondly, there was a geed deal of friction between Miss Dougas Pennant and some of her subordinates, between her Department of the Ministry and other Departments of it, and between the Air Ministry as a whole and the Ministry of National Service, with which the affairs of the Air Ministry were greatly intermingle d, because, as most hon. members know, the Air Ministry was dependent upon the Ministry of National Service for the recruiting of the Women's Royal Air Force, in the same way as the Army and Navy were for the other two branches of ihe Women's Auxiliary Force. There was a good deal of friction over the whole of that area. Things were not going well. That also is ccrr.mcn grcund. If it is not common ground, it is indisputable. But the fact is that, after Miss Douglas Pennant had been superseded and certain changes in the organ isation bad been made, there was a swift and marked improvement all rcund in the condition ol the Women's Royal Air Force, in the smooth working of the Air Ministry, and in the relations between the Air Ministry and the Ministry of National Service. That, again, I should suppose, was cemmon ground. Of course, all these basic facts are capable of being viewed in per fectly different lights. The condition of affairs may have been bad ! Miss Douglas Pennant was putting them right ! There was friction in these efforts, but this was inseparable from her measures of retorm. Lord Weir took the view that Miss Douglas Pennant, whatever her quali ties and gifts might be, was not the best official to bring ihe Women's Royal Air Force into good order. He thought that her methods were not the best, and that her relations with her subordinates and other branches of the Ministry were an impediment to reform. It does seem to me a perlectly comprehensible course of action that a Minister carrying on a great Department and having relations with high officials, man or woman, a high official ol consequence, and engaged in measur ing from day to day what is the best course and the best policy in the interests of the Department, may in the event of a great deal of lricticn uphold that official to a certain point, and then, on further information coming in, or on further consideraticn of the subject, decide that a.ter all it is better to make a change. That happens even in political circles. I do feel that it is a perfectly reasonable assumption that Lord Weir found himself contronted with a succession of difficulties, people complaining, and so forth, and he supported those people until at last he said, " 1 shail not support them any more, and 1 am going to make a change." That may have been a harsh decision, but it is a periectly reasonable and comprehensible one in time of peace or in time of war. Lord Weir, after inlornimg himseif personally, as he was bound to do in an important matter like this, through every channel he could, decided that Miss Douglas Pennant should be super seded. He did that in the interests of the Women's Royal Air Forcevand he put somebody in her place in order that the interests ol the Force might be advanced, and that we might get on with the War as quickly as we could. That is the view L jrd Weir took. It is most important that the Committee, at the outset of this Parliament, should proceed on sound principles in regard to these cases, which are so very numerous. Lord Weir was Uie person responsible. He was the man who ought to decide, had a right to decide, in lact it was his duty to decide, and he was bound to do what he thought was right and best at the time in he interests of the Force. I thought it right to ask Lord Weir to express his views on this question in view of the debate. I received this letter irem him, and, with the per mission of the Committee, 1 should like to read it :— " MY DEAR CHURCHILL,—I have received from Sir Arthur Robinson your Minute of the 7th March, asking for my views and attitude with regard to Miss Douglas Pennant. " I have gone carefully over the case, so far as my recollfctkn stands, and with the documents in front of me, and 1 cannot see anything to cai.se me to regard my letter ol the 4th December to the Prime Minister as not cover ing the entire situation. " There is one point which might be made clearer in view of the discussion in the House of Lords. Genl. Brancker had practically nothing to do with Miss Pennant's supersession other than as my instrument in intorming her R.A.F. Officers' Discharges Mr. JOYNSON-HICKS.I n the House of Commons on March 10, asked the Under-Secretary o, State to the Air Ministry whether wholesale discharges of officers in the R.A.F., against their will, arc new being made ; aid when he will be in a position to make a statement as to the luture needs of the force in regard to men and officers ? Maj.-Genl. Seely : The officcis who are being demobilised at present are those desirous ol discharge. I shali hope to be able to make a statement as to the luture needs ot the R.A.F. in officers and other ranks when the Estima.es are taken. Demobilisation Gratuity Mr. JOVNSON-HICK< asked the Under-Secretary of State to the Air •linistry whether a distinction is made on demobilisation between iLcse officers of the R.A.F. who are ex-R.N.A.S. and those who are ex-R.FC. officers ; whether the ex-R.N.A.S. officer receives 134 days' pay as gratuity for the first year ot service and 50 days' pay lor every other year's service, but the ex-R.F.C. officer receives the same lor the first year and 62 days' pay tor the other years ; and why there is this difference in the gratuity of officers doing similar work in the same Service ? Maj.-Genl. Seely : Both temporary ex-R.N.A.S. officers and ex-R.F.C. officers receive on demobilisation the same rate of gratuity tor the pericd of their service in the R.A.F. The period of their previous service in the Navy or Army is raced tor gratuity according to the Regulations of the Admirahv and War Office respectively. The rates tor the Navy and Army are as stated in the question. Controller of Civil Aviation Mr. JoYNsON-niCKS asked fhe Under-Secretary of State to the Air Ministry what salary is being paid to the Controller ot Civil Aviaticn ; what staff be bas ; whether the new Regulations have yet been issued ; and generally when he can make a statement on the subject ? Maj.-Genl. Seely : The salary and staff arrangements for the Controller-General of Civil Aviation are being considered by a Ccmmittee appointed by the Secretary ot State to advise him as to the reorganisation ol the Air Ministry, and their recommendations will be furnished at an early date. By regulations 1 understand my hon. friend to refer to the orders 10 be made under the Air Navigation Act, 1919. Conferences as to these ordeis are still in progress with representatives of the aircraft industry. 1 shall hope to make a genital statement when introducing the Air Force Estimates National Aircraft Factories Mr. KELLAWAY has circulated the following statement, pursuant to the promise given : m of our decision to replace her. His opinion was not asked, as be bad only just taken up his position, and any belief that Genl. Brancker brought about the supersession is unfounded. If Sir Godfrey Paine had still been in office my decision would have been the same, but Genl. Paine would have drawn my attention to his verbal promise of the further months' trial which has been reierred to and as regards which I have expressed my regret. " Genl. Brancker simply did what he was told, although I am, of course, not aware of the exact wording of his statement to Miss Pennant. " I wish to make it quite clear that I was in every way personally respon sible for this decision to supersede Miss Pennant, and the whole circumstances are given in my letter of the 41b December. I utterly tail to see what more there is to inquire into. An inquiry into the conditions of the Women's Royal Air Force at the time would only show that it was not going well. It might even possibly show that Miss Pennant had been doing good work, but that would not alter the facts, which are that, rightly or wrongly, I came to the conclusion that she was not the right woman to pull the show round quickly, and, accordingly, she was superseded. I cannot see any mystery about that. " I am very sorry indeed that you should be worried with this legacy, but speaking very frankly, I feel that I did the right thing for the Air Force, and I would do the same to-morrow in the same circumstances, with the single exception that I would have expressed my regret to Miss Pennant at breaking the verbal arrangement which Sir God rey Paine proposed as regards the month. In regard to this, I have already expressed my regret at my omis sion." I do ask the House to support the Government in the position we take up There are thousands of cases where people in this War have left the public service or have been removed from their appointments with a feeling of intolerable injustice, and I have no doubt, in a very large number of these cases, if all tfie circumstances could be reviewed beiore some supreme, august tribunal, and if all the lacts at the time had been known, it would be admitted that they had had very hard treatment and very paimul usage. But we had to get on with the War. The need of oganising this Women's Air Force in a satisfactory manner was a vital operation ot war at a time when we were short of men and it had to be dealt with as if it was a rough, hard, crude operation of war. There is no charge of any kind whatever against Miss Douglas Pennant. Every possible compliment had been paid to ber character and to her capacity. Nothing has happened and nothing has been said on behalf of the Government that prevents her irom being regarded in her proper , sphere as a competent and capable administrator, and tl.ere is not the slightest reflection upon her character. There was no reason whatever why she should not resume her public work or should not now resume it. At that particular moment she had, in the opinion of the sole man whose duty it was to judge for the time being, lost her use:ulness in that sphere ot the public service. On the other hand, I cannot, on behali ot the Government, agTee to any inquiry except within the limits and under the conditions which I have specified, namely, that definite charges 01 malice and corruption are brought on reasonable grounds against named persons who take real responsibility for her supersession. Mr. Thomas : If the right hon. gentleman has the report of the hon. member (Mr. Harmsworth) can the House have that Report ? Mr. Churchill: I cannot say anything, but I will inquire. I have read the Report, and I do not, myself, see any reason frcm the point of view of the Government, but it is a private and confideutial Report made to the Prime Minister, and I cannot say anything without an opportunity of finding out what the Prime Minister says. That Report recommended that there should be a judicial inquiry, but the Prime Minister, alter hearing what Lord Weir had to say about it in his letter of December 4, decided that it was not right or necessary to press the inquiry, and be accepted the views put forward by the Secretary of Slate for the Royal Air Force. That is the position, but witfc* out making any pledge on the subject I should be quite ready to inquire of the Prime Minister whether he would allow a document, essentially of a private nature, only written to oblige him personally in the course of bis public work, to be published. A nend neat negatived. Original question put, and agreed to. ResjUcisd to be reported To-ourrow Committee to sit again To-morrow. The number of National Aircraft Factories erected or purchased by tbe Ministry of Munitions is ten. All of these factories were completely, finished and were engaged in producton for some months prior to the armistice. The approximate cost 01 these establishments is £2,261,300. ; London-Madrid Proposed Flight Mr. LYON, on March 11, a~-»ied the Secretary of State fcr War why, if it was considered that the postponement of the announced flight ot military aeroplanes trom London to Madrid was advisable, in view 01 possible trans port difficul.ies in connection with the preparations required tor any flight of this kind the official reason lor the postponement gi\en to the Press was "the disturbed conditions existing in Spain"; and whether the official announcement published in the Press the following day (namely, March 7), that " as the reports of the disturbed conditions ol Spain had been proved to have been greatly exaggerated it is hoped to proceed with tbe proposed flight in due course," was made after representations by the Spanish Government that the initial statement was incorrect inasmuch as there were never any disturbances in Spain which would inter.eie with such a flight. The Under-Secretary ol State lor Air (Maj.-Genl. Seely) : The Ministry of Shipping represented to the Air Ministry that considerable delay was prob able in the delivery of the special petrol, oil and spares necessary lor this flight owing to disturbed conditions in Spam. It was accordingly decided to postpone this important flight pending the receipt ot lurther intormation. The Spanish Government having informed us that there are no disturbances calculated to prevent the arrival ol the necessary materials, arrangements for the flight are now being proceeded with. R.A.F. Orders Col. YATE asked the Under-Secretary of State to the Air Ministry whether he will communicate Air Force Orders to the Press on the same conditions as Army Orders and Army Council Instructions are communicated under the authority of the Secretary of Stale lcr War ? Maj.-Genl. Seely : Air Ministry Ordeis are published in a weekly series, , and, tollowing Admiralty precedent, are not generally issued to the Press. I am considering what lunher steps can be taken to issue to the Press such orders as are of special general interest or importance. Nets to catch Enemy Aircraft Maj. LANE-FOX, on March 13, asked the Under-Secretary of State to the Air Ministry it he can state with whom the idea of suspending entangle ments for hostile aircraft originated ; what reward, if any, has been paid to him ; and whether he is aware that a suggestion ot this invention was reeeived by the Air Board in 1914, and was rejected as being useless ? QUESTIONS IN PARLIAMENT 383
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