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Aviation History
1928
1928 - 0771.PDF
AUGUST 16, 1928 Board. He held staff appointments in France from 1914until 1917, when he was appointed Deputy-Director of Military Aeronautics at the War Office. In 1918 he becameDirector-General of Military Aeronautics, and shortly afterwards Controller-General of Equipment at the AirMinistry. Next year he joined the Air Council as Director- General of Supply and Research. So far his experiencehad been organisation rather than command. But in 1922 he entered on a new phase of his career, when he assumedcommand of the R.A.F. in the Middle East. Next year he had the command in India, and in November. 1926.he became Air Officer Commanding all the British forces in Iraq. He has, therefore, held all the high R.A.F.commands overseas, and may thus be felt to have proved his worth as a leader. He assumes the command-in-chief at home at a critical time, when the foundations have been well and truly laid, but the building is far fromcompletely erected. It is felt on all sides that no better man could have been found to succeed Sir John Salmondin this appointment. F. A. DE V. R. THE AIR MANCEUVRES Great War Between Eastland and Westland By MAJOR F. A. de V. ROBERTSON THE air exercises carried out this summer by the Air Defencesof Great Britain are on a greatly increased scale compared with those of last year, Many lessons were taught by thefirst experiment, and these are now being put into practice. Some of the main differences are :—(1) Greater latitude isallowed to the officers commanding the attack and the defence to match their wits against each other in the opera-tion and control of their squadrons, the Commander-in- Chief, Air Vice-Marshal F. R. Scarlett, C.B., D.S.O. (who isofficiating for Sir John Salmond) only retaining general control. (2) The No. 1 Air Defence Group, representedby one Special Reserve Squadron (No. 503 County of Lincoln B.S. under Wing/Commander the Hon. L. J. E. Twistleton-Wykeham-Fiennes) and three Auxiliary A.F. squadrons (Nos. 600 City of London B.S. under Sq./Ldr. F. E. Guest,C.B.E., D.S.O., 601 County of London B.S., under Sq./Ldr. Lord E. A. Grosvenor, and 605 County of Warwick B.S.,under Sq.-Ldr. J. A. C. Wright) form part of the forces of the invading Eastland. (3) The system of coast watchersand observation posts has been elaborated. As the Post Office is not able to put telephone lines at the disposal ofthe observation posts and centres during the day time, the exercises are only carried out from 6 p.m. each evening to9 a.m. the following morning. These exercises are not intended to test the defence ofLondon, which is still in a more or less rudimentary condi- tion, but to test the efficiency of units and to teach lessonsin co-ordination of air and ground defence, flying organiza- tion, spotting arrangements, fighting tactics, communicationproblems, and the organization of operations rooms. Eastland Forces In addition to the No. 1 Air Defence Group mentionedabove, Air Vice-Marshal Sir John M. Steel has under his command five day-bombing squadrons, Nos. 39 (D.H.9.a,under Sq./Ldr. H. V. Champion de Crespigny, M.C., D.F.C., from Bircham Newton) ; 207 (Fairey III F, under W./Cmdr.J. R. Graham, M.C., D.F.C., from Eastchurch) ; 11 (Horsley, under Sq./Ldr. P. H. Cummings, D.F.C., from Netheravon) :12 (Fox, under Sq./Ldr. T. E. Salt, A.F.C., from Andover) ; 100 (less one flight) (Horsley, under W./Cmdr. L. T. N.Gould, M.C., operating from Andover). No. 101 B.S. is in process of being equipped with Sidestrands, and is nottaking part in the exercises. The Eastland forces also comprise four night-bombingsquadrons, No. 9 (Virginia), under W./Cmdr. C. C. Durston, from Manston ; No. 7 (Virginia), under W. Cmdr. C. F. A.Portal, D.S.O., M.C., from Worthy Down ; No. 58 (Virginia), under W./Cmdr. E. W. Norton, D.S.C., from Worthy Down ;and No. 99 (Hyderabad), under W./Cmdr. B. E. Smythies, D.F.C., from Upper Heyford. Westland Forces Air Vice-Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham, K.C.B.,C.M.G., D.S.O., A.F.C., has under his command 12 fighter squadrons :— No. 29 (Siskin), North Weald Sq./Ldr. M. L. Taylor. A.F.C.,, 56 ,, ,, Sq./Ldr. A, Lees. „ 19 ,, Duxford .. Sq./Ldr. H. W. G. Jones, M.C.,,111 „ Hornchurch.. Sq./Ldr. K. R. Park, M.C,, D.F.C. [" FLIGHT " Photographs IN THE CAMP OF THE '' ENEMY " : " Fairey Foxes " of No. 12 Squadron warming up their engines at Andover, and, above, taking off in formation in the rain. 715
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