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Aviation History
1934
1934 - 1095.PDF
OCTOBER 18, 1934. FLIGHT XOQ7 CRANWELL'S NEW BUILDINGS Opening by Air Marshal H.R.H. the Prince of Wales 'HAT such fine new buildings as those of the R.A.F. College, Cranwell, were worthy of a formal launching on their career of usefulness was generally agreed, and last Thursday they received this signal honour at the hands of Air Marshal H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. The buildings (of which we publish a photo- graph) have actually been in use for some little time. The ceremony of declaring the buildings open was felt to be momentous, and it was carried through with every circumstance which could impress its importance on the minds of the Flight Cadets and of all others who were privileged to witness it. The Prince flew to Cranwell from Fort Belvedere in his "Dragon ' and, with the punctuality for which the Royal Family is famous, landed exactly at 13.00 hours. He was received by the Lord Lieutenant of Lincoln- shire (Lord Yarborough), the Secretary of State for Air, the Chief of the Air Staff and members of the Air Council, and by the Air Officer Commanding Cranwell. To the delight of everyone, the Prince wore the uniform of an Air Marshal of the Royal Air Force, which he has never worn in public before, and above the rows of his medal ribbons were the " wings " of a pilot in the Service. Un- like his brother the Duke of York, he has never qualified for "wings," though it is generally believed that if he wanted to do so he could qualify without much trouble. The King was once photographed wearing the khaki uni- form of the Royal Air Force in the early days of its exist- ence, and His Majesty, as supreme head of the Service, wore "wings " on his uniform. It is obviously proper that the Heir Apparent to the Throne should also wear the most complete insignia of the Service The R.A.F. Collegecoat-of-arms The Prince first inspected the guard of honour, consisting of the whole Cadet Wing, and then entered the great hall of the Col- lege. The assembly gathered there made a brilliant display. In addition to the numerous blue uniforms of the R.A.F., there were many naval and military unifcrms, some British and some belonging to foreign air attaches, while the tgiq ^civilian pro- fessors of the College wore'"their university gowns and hoods and the Bishop of Lincoln was in his scarlet robes as a Doctor of Divinity (Oxon). The costumes of many ladies also lent brightness to the scene. The Marquess of Londonderry (Air Minis- ter) then rose and, after expressing sym- pathy with Yugoslavia and France for the recent tragedies, said: "I count myself indeed fortunate that the formal opening of these beautiful buildings has taken place during my period of office as Secretary of State for Air. I was First Commissioner of Works for two short periods while they were in building, and so I have personal interest of a very early date in their completion. But, quite apart from this, as Secretary of State for Air, I recognise the great importance of the present occasion, not only to the Royal Air Force College itself here at Cran- well, but to the Royal Air Force as a whole. For, as I see it, this College of Cranwell is the very heart and centre from which the Royal Air Force derives her vitality. Here it is that she continually recruits her strength and year by year renews her inspiration. " I should be failing in my duty if I did not preface my remarks with an expression of the thought which I know comes first in all our minds to-day, and of the feeling that is uppermost in the heart of every member of the Royal Air Force, and of everyone who, n£e*myself, is privileged THE SENIOR AIR MARSHAL: H.R H. the Prince of Wales arriving at Cranwell. With himare seen Lord Londonderry (Air Minister), Air Vice-Marshal G. S. Mitchell (A.O.C. Cranwell), and Lord Yarborough (Lord Lieutenant ol Lincolnshire).
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