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Aviation History
1919
1919 - 1042.PDF
AUGUST 7, 1919 THE ROYAL AIR FORCE NEW TITLES IN THE R.A.F. THE Secretary of the Air Ministry makes the following announcements :— His Majesty the King has been pleased to assume the title of Chief of the Royal Air Force. His Majesty, on the advice of the Secretary of State for War and Air, has approved of new titles for the commissioned ranks of the Royal Air Force. These are set out below, with their corresponding ranks in the Navy and the Army ;— AIR FORCE. Marshal of the Air Air Chief-Marshal Air Marshal Air Vice-Marshal Air Commodore Group Captain Wing Commander Squadron Leader Flight Lieutenant Flying Officer (or Observer) Pilot Officer NAVY. Admiral of the Fleet Admiral Vice-Admiral Rear-Admiral Commodore Captain Commander Lieut .-Commande r Lieutenant Sub-Lieutenant Midshipman ARMY. Field-Marshal General Lieut.-General Major-General Brig-General Colonel Lieut. -Colonel Major Captain Lieutenant Sec. Lieutenant The object is to preserve and to emphasise the principle of the independence and integrity of the Royal Air Force as a separate service among the fighting services of the Crown. Hitherto the titles borne by officers of the Royal Air Force have been exclusively military in character, and as such thev are not suited to a service which has not only to serve the special services of the Army, but also those of the Navy, and in addition has a strategic and tactical sphere of action independent of the other two fighting services. It is, of course, not easy to command unanimous agree ment on matters of nomenclature, but very long and careful consideration has been given to the choice of the titles now ap proved, and many interesting alternative suggestions have been rejected. The scheme is framed on the principle (a) that the ranks should as far as possible correspond to actual functions ; (b) that the ranks should as far as possible correspond to equivalent status in the three services ; and (c) that there should be no repetitions in titles apart from the prefixes in the higher ranks. A distinction is preserved between the regimental officers and officers of general rank. Officers of general rank in the Royal Air Force are " Air Officers," and the expression " Air Officer " corresponds to the ex pression " General Officer " in the Army or " Flag Officer " in the Navy. The new titles came into force on Monday. COMMISSIONS IN THE R.A.F. AND SERVICE IN THE R.A.F. RESERVE THE Air Ministry makes the following announcement:— It has been decided that officer personnel of the Royal Air Force will be provided for the present :— 1. By awarding a limited number of permanent com missions. 2. By granting 2,500 temporary commissions. Permanent Commissions A list of officers who have been awarded permanent com" missions appears in the London Gazette to-day (August 1), but there remain to be awarded a further number of officers selected from those now serving in Russia, these attached to the Department of Controller-General of Civil Aviation and to the Department of Director-General of Supply and Re search, and in some special cases which are still under con sideration. The question of the award of permanent com missions to officers serving with airships will be dealt with later. A certain number of permanent commissions will also be awarded in about six months' time to selected applicants from among the officers who are then serving on the temporary commission list. No officer on the permanent commission list has been awarded a commission in a rank higher than the substantive rank he held except second lieutenants who have been com missioned as lieutenants. The necessary adjustment will be made in promotion Gazettes at an early date. Officers employed as stores officers will in future belong to the Quartermasters' Branch of the R.A.F., unless they take up a flying qualification, and permanent commissions are only offered to these officers on this understanding. They will come under the rate of pay of the Quartermaster Branch, but will meantime be permitted to draw the higher rates laid down in the new scheme of officers in the general list until the position of each individual officer has been settled. The new rates of pay and allowances in the case of officers given permanent commissions will run from August 1, these officers for the present being paid through the same agents as now. Officers who have hitherto held temporary commissions only are informed that the War gratuity issuable in their case will be on the scale for permanent officers as their War service will now reckon as pensionable. Any officer accepting a permanent commission to which he has been gazetted must notify this fact to the Air Ministry (D. of P.) through his O.C. at the earliest possible date and in an> case not later than :— (a) August 15 in the case of officers at home stations. (b) August 31 in the case of officers with the Fleet in home waters or with the Forces of occupation in France and Germany. (c) September 30 in all other cases. Temporary Commissions The scheme of entry for temporary commissions is open : (a) To officers still serving who have not been awarded permanent commissions ; and (6) To demobilised officers. It is not applicable to officers attached or lent from the other regular forces. Their terms of service in the R.A.F. will be dealt with separately. As a general rule candidates must not be more than 25 years of age on application, and must have qualified as flying officers. A limited number of officers oi other classifications may, however, be selected. In the case of these officers the age limitation will not be enforced. Employment will be for a period of three years. On the completion of two years of this service officers may be per mitted, if desirous, to extend their services to four years in all. After the period of three or four years' service on the active list, officers will pass into the reserve for a further period of four years' service. During the period of service on the active list an officer may be called upon to serve in any part of the world. Any officer who at any time is found to be physically un fitted for the duties of the R.A.F. may be gazetted to the Reserve or out of the Service. Officers not desirous of completing their full period of service on the active list may, at the discretion of the Air Minister, be permitted to transfer to the Reserve at any time. All candidates will be required to pass a medical examina tion as to their physical fitness before acceptance. Any temporary commission granted under these condi tions may be terminated at any time under the rules laid down in the Royal Warrant for pay and promotion of the Army. Whilst on the active list officers entered under the above provisions will, for the purpose of rank and command, be on exactly the same basis as permanent officers of the R.A.F. Officers will be eligible for promotion during their period of service, if qualified in all respects under such conditions as may be laid down for permanent officers. Applications by officers already demobilised should be made on Form 168, which can be obtained on written appli cation to Secretary, Air Ministry (P.O.S.), London, W.C. 2. Applications will be received at any time prior to the termination of the Army of Occupation period, but all applicants will be informed without delay whether their application is accepted. Officers on joining will be brought on to the rate of pay of their approved rank. The rates of pay and allowances and conditions of issue will be those normally in force from time to time for per manent officers of the R.A.F. Service under this scheme will not affect the amount or date of issue of any gratuity which may otherwise be issuable in respect of past service. IO44
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