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Aviation History
1935
1935 - 1322.PDF
598 FLIGHT. MAY 30, 1935. DYAL AIR FORCE SERVICE NOTES AND NEWS AIR MINISTRY ANNOUNCEMENTS EXPANSION—PERSONNEL MEASURES The Air Ministry announces that consequent on the decision rapidly to expand the Royal Air Force, it is necessary to take the most vigorous steps to provide the large body of skilled pilots and tradesmen required. These steps will include: (1) the entry for training of large numbers of personnel; (2) the re-entry of personnel who have passed to the reserve or left the service; (3) the retention in the service of personnel due to go out in the next two years. The steps to be taken under (1) and (2) above are explained below. Entry The total entries that will be required in the present and the next succeeding year are approximately:—Pilots, 2,500, tradesmen and unskilled men, 20,000. Of these approximately half will be required before April, 1936. These entries are far in excess of any the Air Force has had to provide for in the past, and the whole hearted co-operation of the country will be required. Pilots.—A large proportion of the pilots required will be entered as officers on short-service commissions. Young men of good per sonality and education (not lower than School Certificate standard) and of over 17' but under 25 years of age are invited to apply in writing to the Air Ministry (S£/), Adastral House, Kingsway, London, W.C.2. Accepted candidates will be appointed for four years' service on the active list followed by six years' service in the reserve. An opportunity may later be given to them to extend the active list period of their service. They will receive pay and allowances in cash or kind equivalent to £325 on entry and increas ing to £380 after a year's service, and will be entitled on passing to the reserve at the end of their active list service to gratuity at the rate of £100 for each year of such service after the first year. Increased numbers of Airman Pilots will also be required. The method of application, age limits and periods of service will be the same as those given above for short-service officer candidates. Accepted candidates will be given the status of Airman Pilot on completing their initial flying training. They will receive pay and allowances in cash or kind equivalent to £200 per annum at the outset and increasing to £270 per annum on qualifying as pilots and will be entitled on passing to the reserve at the end of their active list service to gratuity at the rate of £25 for each year of such service after the first year. Entrants tor Fitter and Rigger Duties.—An entry of about 1,300 men a quarter (in addition to the normal entry of Aircraft Appren tices) is required for duties in connection with the maintenance of aircraft. As many as possible of these should be men with a basic training in fitting in civil life. Men so qualified and under 42 years of age are invited to apply in writing or in person to the R.A.F. Recruiting Depot, Victory House, Kingsway, London, W.C.2. If accepted after trade test they will be enlisted for six years' service on the active list and will be entitled, in addition to free accom modation, clothing and rations, to pay at the rate of 3s. 6d., 4s. 3d., or 5s. 6d. a day, according to the degree of qualification they show- on passing out of their initial period of about one year's training. While under training they will receive pay at the rate of 3s. 6d. a day in addition to accommodation, etc., as above. In addition to these men, who are skilled fitters in civil life, men of superior intelligence will be considered, on application to the R.A.F. Recruiting Depot, for acceptance for training as Mates, Flight Mechanics or Flight Riggers, preference for selection being given to those with mechanical experience. The Mate assists the skilled tradesman; the Flight Mechanic or Rigger will undertake the maintenance work on aircraft in the flights under the super vision of the fully skilled man. Those accepted, who must be over 18 and under 32 years of age, will be enlisted for six years' service on the active list and will pass to a short course of elementary training as Mates. The best of these will go on to a longer course to qualify either as Flight Mechanic or Flight Rigger. Those who pass out as Mates will receive initial pay of is. 3d. a day; those who pass out of training as Flight Mechanic or Flight Rigger will receive pay of 3s. 3d., 4s., or 5s. a day according to the degree of qualification they show in their passing out test. While under training they will receive pay at the rate of 2s. a day. These sums are again in addition to free accommodation, clothing and rations. Secondary School Entrants as Armourer, Wireless Operator, 01 Photographer.—An entry of about 400 a quarter (in addition to the normal Boy Entry) is required for training in these three trades. Young men of superior intelligence with a secondary school edu cation or with some experience in the trades in question are invited to apply to the R.A.F. Recruiting Depot. They must be over 17 years and under 32 years of age. Those accepted will be enlisted for six years' service on the active list and will be given a course of training as Armourer or Wireless Operator or Photographer. On qualifying as such they will receive pay, in addition to free accom modation, etc., at the rates of 3s. 3d., 4s., or 5s. a day according to the degree of skill they show in the passing out test at the end of their training. While under training they will receive pay at the rate of 2s. a day. Other Types oj Entrant.—In addition to the classes described above, a large number of unskilled men over 18 years and under 26 years of age will be accepted for entry as Aircrafthands. Such entrants will be given the opportunity of being selected for train ing in one of a number of trades after about a year in the Service. Particulars regarding this entry and regarding a number of trades not dealt with above for which smaller numbers of men skilled in civil life are required can be obtained from the R.A.F. Recruiting Depot. Recruiting of Ex-Airmen In order to secure an adequate body of experienced tradesmen in the service, tradesmen (other than men in Group V) who have passed to the reserve or been discharged, are invited to apply to the R.A.F. Recruiting Depot to re-enter the Air Force for four years' service on the active list. Normally, re-enlistment will lie limited to men under the age of 42, but exceptions will be made in respect of men specially required. Such men will be re-enlisted on a new four-year engagement and given the rank which they held in the reserve or on discharge and will receive pay, etc, accordingly at the rates now current. Men who were on the married establishment on transfer to the reserve or on discharge will be restored to the married establishment immediately on re-enlistment. Service under this engagement will not give enlistment to service pension or to any increase in the rate of pension already in issue; on discharge on the completion of four years' service re-enlisted airmen (other than re-enlisted pensioners) will, however, receive gratuities as follows:—Group I trades, ^150; Group II trades, £wn; other trades, £75. Re-enlisted pensioners will not be entitled to these special gratuities but they will, during their service, be specially allowed to continue to draw their pensions in addition to full pay. CHANGE IN HIGHER COMMAND The Air Ministry announces the following appointment:—Group Capt. Paul Copeland Maltby, D.SO, A.F.C., to command Royal Air Force, Mediterranean, with effect from a date early in June, I 935» vice Ail Comdre Charles Edward Henrv Rathborne, C.B., D.'S.O. Group Capt. P. C. Maltby entered the Army in 1911 as aw Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) and was seconded to the Royal Flying Cotps in 1915. During the Great War he served in France and, in addition to receiving the awards of D.S.O. and AT C was mentioned in despatches. He was appointed to a permanent commission in the Royal Air Force as Squadron Leader in 1919 and later commanded a unit 1" India. In 1925 he was promoted to Wing Commander, and among his later appointments he has been Director of Training at the Air Ministry and in command of the Central Flying School. GrouV Capt. Maltby was promoted to his present rank in 1932. SPECIALIST PERMANENT OFFICERS A recent addition to King's Regulations and Air Council Instruc tions lays it down that officers of the General Duties branch holding permanent commissions who have taken an appropriate University honours degree before entering the R.A.F., when qualifying as specialists, will normally undergo shortened engineering and signals courses
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