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Aviation History
1920
1920 - 0534.PDF
MAY 13, 1920 Technical Branch •Lieut. G. Felstead, D.C.M., is graded for purposes of pay and allowances as Lieut., Grade (B.), from May 13, 1919, to Oct. 18, 1919.(Then follow the names; of 5 officers who. are transfd. to the Unemployed List under various dates.);rLieut. C. Littlejohn, M.M. (Sec. Lieut., Gen. List), relinquishes his temp. R»A.F. commn. on retirement from Army, and is permitted to retain rank oiLieut.; May 8. The rank of Flight Lieut. J. S. Goggin is as now described, and not as stated in the Gazette of April 20. The notification in the Gazette of April 13 concerning Flight Lieut. T. G. Gordon, M.B.E., is cancelled. . Medical BranchCapt. C. P. V. MacCormack relinquishes his commn. on account of ill- health caused by wounds, and is permitted to retain his rank ; April 29. AVIATION IN PARLIAMENTS The Wearing of Swords CAPT. W. BENN1, in the House ol Commons on May 4, asked the Secre-tary of State for War and Air whether swords form part of the uniform of Air Force officers ; and, if so, why they are required ?Mr. Churchill: A sword forms part of the full dress uniform of Royal Air Force officers. Swords have always been worn by officers of the fightingservices in this and other countries, as part of the recognised insignia of their rank. Mr. Lambert : May I ask the right hon. gentleman as a great militarygenius whether the sword has not become an obsolete weapon ? Mr. Churchill : Even the civil officials of the Government Departmentsand Ministers on ceremonial occasions are entitled to wear swords. Mr. Lambert : Are the civilians who wear swords expected to fight ?Mr. Churchill : The wearing of a sword implies no obligation to use it. Capt. Demi : Does the right hon. gentleman not think it would be muchbetter to differentiate—the Air Service being a separate service—between the Air Service and the older services in which swords are needed ?Mr. Churchill : The matter was very carefully considered, and it was thought that the wearing of the sword was a symbol which was desirable. Royal Air Force Depot, CharltonMR. CROOKS asked the Secretary of State for War and Air whether he is aware that the immediate clearance of the Royal Air Force stores fromCharlton Rope Walk would result in the employment of 50 persons ; and whether action will be taken to expedite the removal of these stores ?Mr. Churchill: As the right hon. member was informed, in reply to his previous question on November 5 last, the clearance of this depflt dependsentirely on the disposal of surplus stores at Kidbrooke, whither the material in question is being transferred. The desirability of handing over theaccommodation without avoidable delay has been kept in view, and efforts are concentrated on clearing as quickly as space at Kidbrooke can be madeavailable for the purpose. Officers' TitlesMR. PALMER asked the Secretary of State for War and Air whether a naval officer who was lent to the Air Service in which he attained the rank oflieutenant-colonel is entitled to retain that rank and to use the designation of lieutenant-colonel after reverting to his substantive rank in the Navy ? The Secretary of State for War and Air (Mr. Churchill) : An officerholding a regular commission in the Navy or Army is not given permission to retain his Royal Air Force rank unless he also at the same time retiresfrom the Navy or Army. An officer who subsequently retires from the Navy, and who wishes to retain his Royal Air Force title on retirement, shouldapply to the Air Ministry through the Admiralty for permission to do so. Capt. W. Benn : Is the right hon. gentleman aware that the hon. andgallant gentleman referred to in this question rendered throughout the War the most gallant services to this country ? Lieut.-Com. Kenworthy : Has not His Majesty given permission to allofficers who held temporary rank during the War to retain it if they so desire ? Mr. Churchill: 1 have answered the question on the paper. If there areany other questions I shall require notice in the regular way. R.A.F. Ex-Warrant OfficersSIR W. JOYNSON-HICKS, on May 6, asked the Secretary of State for War and Air whether ex-warrant officers who obtain commissions in the RoyalAir Force as pilot officers were refused an addition to their pay when the new rates were issued on August 1, 1919 ; whether these officers were detainedpending instructions as to pensions, and all the time received only the old rate of pay and allowances, while new officers doing the same work receivedthe new rates of pay; and, if so, whether he will see that the difference in pay is made up to these officers ? Mr. Churchill: Hitherto the rule has been that the new rates of pay are not issuable to officers holding temporary commissions in the Royal AirForce, and this rule has been applicable to some ex-warrant officers. The whole question of the retention df the old rates has been under considerationhowever, and it has been decided that officers now being paid at those rates may have the option of coming under the new scheme of pay and allowanceswith effect as from January 1, 1920. Orders stating the-rates and conditions are in course of promulgation. All ex-warrant officers, therefore, are nowallowed the option of coming on to the new scales of pay and allowances if they so desire. Post Office Aerial ServiceMR. CLOUGH asked the Postmaster-General the results of the aeria I post between London and the North of England ; the average number ofletters carried daily ; and the loss sustained ? Mr. Illingworth : There is not, and has not at any time, been a regularaerial post between afty places in the British Islands. In October, 1919, during the railway strike, an emergency service was set up between Londonand certain towns, but it was not necessary to maintain the service for more than a few days. Anti-Aircraft DefenceMAJ. GLYN on May 10 asked the Prime Minister under which Government Department the control and administration of anti-aircraft personnel in themetropolitan and the coastal area, respectively, is vested ; how many officers and men are employed in these duties in both those areas, separately, and atwhat annual cost; and whether the whole matter can be reviewed in order to clear up existing misconceptions and to decide as to whether it is necessaryto maintain permanent anti-aircraft personnel in the metropolitan area and not elsewhere, or vice versa, or to enlist officers and men for this duty onterms of service similar to the Territorial Army where required. The Secretary of State for War and Air (Mr. Churchill) : My right hon.friend has asked me to reply. Anti-aircraft personnel is controlled and administered by the War Office and the Air Ministry, the former beingresponsible for the personnel of the ground defences as distinct from air units. The numbers of military personnel at present employed in theseduties are 77 officers and 288 other ranks (inclusive of depots and anti-aircraft schools) : of these, 35 officers and 142 other ranks are in and around themetropolitan area. The annual cost of the total number employed is £103,000. There is no Royal Air Force personnel specially engaged in these duties atpresent. As regards the last part of the question the whole subject of anti- aircraft defence is under review with a view to confining ourselves, for thepresent, to training and research, with corresponding reductions of establish- ments and to defining the future policy for the defence of the Empire. Maj. Glyn : Is there any truth in the statement that the staff of the anti-aircraft defence of London has remained unchanged since the signing Of the Armistice ?Mr. Churchill: No, I do not think so. At any rate, it seems to me that the number of officers and men provided for this extremely important branchof any defensive organisation which may be set up in this country is not at all on an exaggerated or extravagant scale. Viscount Curzon : Can the right hon. gentleman explain why it should benecessary to keep 77 officers and only 200 men ? Mr. Churchill : I presume it is because the work in question is largely inthe nature of research and experiment. Brig.-Gen. Croft : Would not the solution of the question be to make theGermans hand over all their aeroplanes at once, and so remove the danger ? Mr. Churchill : At any rate, we ought not to lose touch with the means ofprotecting ourselves from aerial attack, and still less ought we to cut ourselves off from even pursuing the theory of defence against potential aerial attack. Mr. Billing : Is it not a fact that this force today is much more efficientthan at any time during the War ? Mr. Churchill : You are a better judge than I am. To Our Readers As we continually receive complaints from readers thatthey experience difficulty in obtaining their copy of FLIGHTpromptly each week, we draw their attention to the sub- scription form which is printed on page xxii of the currentissue. If this is sent, accompanied by the appropriate remittance, to the publishing offices, 36, Great Queen Street,W.C., it will ensure FLIGHT being received regularly eachweek upon the day of publication. A Famous Machine for Felixstowe AT the last meeting of the Felixstowe Town Council it transpired that the clerk had been in communication with the object of securing for the town the Sopwith Camel aero- plane in which Capt. Culley attacked and destroyed a Zeppelin off the Island of Borkum. Word had been received that the machine would be handed over to the town as a war memento if a suitable shelter was found for it. A suggestion was made that the Spa Pavilion would be a good place, and it was left to the Clerk and Surveyor to make arrangements. H.P. Service Records :••"•'*-"'-'- IT is now possible to give the record of Handley Page aeroplanes for a complete year in all parts of the world. During the twelve months, May i, 1919, to May i, 1920, in the United Kingdom and abroad, H.P. machines carried 4,481 passengers, 72,563 lbs. of freight, the mileage covered aggregating 101,568 miles. On the Continental Air Services in conjunction with Cie Messageries Aeriennes), during the period September 2, 1919, to May 1, 1920, 1,280 passengers were carried, 71,070 lbs. of freight, while the aggregate mileage covered was 94,437 miles. Aerial Mails Lost • • " ONE of the mail planes to Paris on April 28, in charge of a French pilot Hanin Gabriel, fell into the sea 12 miles west of Vergoyer. The pilot was rescued by a sailing boat, but the machine and mails were lost. Dunkerque—R.N.A.S.-R.A.F. Reunion THE Second Annual Dinner for officers who served in the Dunkerque Command of the Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Air Force from 1914 to the Armistice, will be held at the Adelphi Hotel on Wednesday, June 30, at 7 p.m. Those who wish to be present are requested to communicate with Air Commodore G. L. Lambe, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., Room 716, Air Ministry," by not later than June 22, as the, number is limited. Envelopes should be marked " Dun- kerque Dinner," and the tickets cost £1 each. Blimps for Canada and S.A. ALTHOUGH Australia has declined the " Blimps " as not being suitable for the work in hand, some of them are going to Canada. It is understood that the British Government is presenting nine, including two or three Coastals and several " S.S. Zeros," to the Canadian Government for the use of the Canadian Air Board. Four of the Zeros are also being handed over to the South African Government. 534
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