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Aviation History
1919
1919 - 0816.PDF
[@m JUNE 19, 1919 R.A.F. to work in close touch with Navy and Army. While seconded to the Air Force these officers will, of course, be entitled to Air Force£rates of pay. etc. " It is impossible at present to tell each one of you whether you are going to be given a' permanent commission or a temporary commission under these terms. " One of the objects of this scheme is that it is intended eventually that the Air Force shall be controlled by Air Force officers, who have been taught from the earliest age in the Air Force colleges. " I have been asked by various officers at different times whether you will be able to live on your pay in the new Air Force. I want to say definitely now, that in my opinion, yes, you can. The pay and pension scheme for the permanent officers hang together, and you will, I hope, understand when I cannot tell you more at present about it, that all who are dealing with this subject realise the conditions and the type of work you are going to be called upon to perform, and 1 must ask you to have faith for a little longer, and that 1 sincerely hope that before the end of this month, we shall be able to make a more definite statement on this subject. I am telling you this owing to the unavoidable delay in getting; out the permanent list, and the terms of service. "It is hoped that those officers who are not chosen for permanent commissions, will be willing to serve from two to four years on a temporary commission. " As soon as circumstances permit, permanent stations will be established, but this will take time. The Ministry hopes, subject to exigencies, to keep units together, and to give them a definite identity, so that they will be a home for officers and men, just as the famous British regiments are. I ask you to picture to yourselves—as I hope to see it ever. in my time—permanent stations with their cricket grounds, tennis courts, polo grounds, etc., with comfortable living conditions for officers and men. in which all can take a pride, and an interest, and feel that they have got a home. "The bases of this organisation are the economical use of officer personnel in Peace, combined with the power of rapid expansion for War. Officers who make it their career will find it at least as good as that of the Navy or Army, whilst those who accept temporary service will get the fullest possible opportunities to find subsequent employment in civil life. The transition period through which the Air Force must pass is measured by the time it will take to train the cadets for the future service, i.e., four years. It is intended to commemorate by their original title a certain number of the great squadrons who made traditions for themselves during the War, so that those officers and men joining in the future will then feel that they are joining a squadron with a tradition they must strive to live up to. " In publishing the first batch of permanent commissions, the Air Ministry wish it also to be known that only a limited number have been awarded. Owing to the difficulty at present experienced in obtaining recommendations from the far distant theatres of War, it will take some considerable Long Trial by R 34 AT 9.30 p.m. on June 15 the airship R 34 started from her station at East Fortune on a trip to test the wireless sets. She returned safely at 4 a.m. the next day, and it is understood that the trial was satisfactory, communication having been established with the Azores, a distance of 1,200 miles. In company with the R 29 the airship cruised to North Berwick and back to Edinburgh, then going over the Firth of Forth to May Island. Brig.-Gen. Groves, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff was one of the passengers in the R 34 ; he had arrived from London by aeroplane, having flown the 363 miles in 2J hours. Photographing Air in Motion FROM Washington comes an interesting item, which says that photographs showing the air in motion across the wings of an aeroplane, have been taken with a cinematograph camera equipped with a device recently invented. The first prints were given to Mr. Crowell, Assistant Secretary of War, just before he sailed from New York for Europe. The photographs were made in a series o£ experiments with army aeroplanes, and they should prove of considerable value to designers of aircraft. Dinner in Mid-Air ON board one of the twin-engined Farman Lorraine " limousines de luxe," M. Maurice Farman, with his family (six persons in all), ascended from Bouque on Jane 0, at half- past five, and during the trip of 3J hoars, the company en joyed dinner. The machine was piloted by M. d'Or, and time before the whole of the awards (within the number allowed) can be dealt with. " It is also intended to ask officers who are not included in the above list, to apply for temporary commissions. It may be that during the time these officers are holding tem porary commissions the number of permanent commissions will fall below the number desired. In these circumstances officers serving on temporary engagements will be eligible for the permanent Force. Officers who were demobilised in the early days after the Armistice, owing to the uncertainty of the future, may also, be asked to volunteer for temporary commissions. It is intended to set up a Selection Board at the Air Ministry, with a view to selecting the necessary number of officers holding temporary commissions for re commendation for permanent commissions, until such time as the Cadet Colleges begin to turn out entrants ; and even after that it is intended to select specially a few officers on the temporary list for permanent commissions annually. The organisation of the Royal Air Force on a Peace basis will necessarily take time, and a period of from two to three years is likely to elapse before it reaches a position of stability comparable with that of the Navy and Army before the War. The strength of the armed forces of this country, inclusive of that of the. Royal Air Force, depends upon the terms of peace as finally settled and upon the responsibilities thereby imposed on the British Empire. " Permanent commissions in the first instance are not being granted to certain ground services which are included in the following Departments :—Works Department, Director- General of Supply and Research, Medical Department, Chap lain-General's Department, General Service Pay Office. Director of Communications. " The total number of permanent commissions cannot be fixed for reasons already given. Consequently, it has been decided to confine the list for the present to those actually serving in the Royal Air Force units. It is intended, however, that such officers of the above departments as are qualified for service in the Royal Air Force units, will, after their period of employment in the department is over, be included in the permanent establishment of the Royal Air Force. " As far as possible officers have only been granted per manent commissions who are qualified pilots and observers, but a certain number of exceptions have been admitted in the cases of officers who have worked the whole time in the Air Force, In particular, it has been necessary to grant a certain number of permanent commissions to technical officers, who do not possess the flying quahfication. As we train our own men up from our own colleges, all will possess this flying qualification, but in order to form the Force now on a sound basis, it was necessary to recognise the just claim of a number of technical officers who do not fly." In conclusion, Gen. Trenchard said that he thought that in two years those who had left would be sorry they had left, and those who stopped on would be glad they had done so. flying by Orleans and Blois, reached Chambord Castle before turning for home. During the return trio, M. Maurice Farman changed places with the pilot to enable the latter to have his dinner. And a Wedding in Mid-Air. To Lieutenant Meade, of Ohio, and Miss Marjorie Dumont, of Indiana, apparently falls the distinction of being the first to be married in mid-air in an aeroplane. The ceremony was performed by Chaplain Rees, in a Handley- Page bomber, some 2,000 ft. up at Houston, Texas. The wedding party on board, including the bride and bridegroom, numbered twelve. According to the local reporter, the exhaust from the two Liberty motes roared forth a new wedding march. Bolshevists' Bombing Raids ACCORDING to a message from The Times correspondent at Helsingfors on June 13 aeroplanes belonging to the Bolshc vist (Red) Army began bombing raids on the frontier. Bombing Work in Russia BRITISH seaplanes on Lake Onega on the morning of June 8 attacked with bombs four Bolshevist craft. Though no direct hit was secured, the seaplanes raked the decks of the enemy craft with machine-gun fire and succeeded in silencing their anti-aircraft guns. The Bolshevists fled in a zigzag course, and were pursued for a great distance. One seaplane returned to its base, reloaded with bombs, and then rejoined the flight. All our machines returned safely. 8l6
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