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Aviation History
1935
1935 - 1589.PDF
JUNE 27, 1935. FLIGHT. 709 THE OTAL SERVICE NOTES AND NEWS LORD LONDONDERRY'S FAREWELL ""PHE following farewell message has been received by the -»- Air Ministry from The Marquess of Londonderry: — "It is with feelings of deep gratitude and profound regret that I bid farewell to the Air Ministry and the Royal Air Force at the close of my period of office as Secretary of State for Air which has extended over the past three and a half years. "These years, though they have been full of grave responsi bilities, have been singularly happy years to me personally, because I have been conscious throughout of the whole hearted and ungrudging support of all those whose assistance I have been privileged to enjoy in my daily work as Secretary of State, in the interests of our civil and military aviation. Together we have been privileged to initiate great schemes for the expansion of the Royal Air Force, for the development of our Empire Air Lines, and for the extension of the facilities fqr both private and commercial aviation in this country. " Much has been accomplished, but no one knows better than myself that there is much still to be done, and though my official association with the Air Ministry and the Royal Air Force has ceased I can assure all my friends with vhom T have been so proud and so happy to be associated that they will continue to have my active interest and support. . "I have visited the Royal Air Force during my period of office at its stations both at home and abroad. I have the utmost admiration for the spirit which animates all ranks arid the fullest confidence in their efficiency. I have made two extensive tours by our Empire Air Lines, and I haye constantly travelled by air in this country during my period of office. My experience has proved to me that I have every reason for satisfaction with the progress which we are making, and I am encouraged to look to the future of British civil aviation with assurance. Year by year, month by month, the public are becoming more and more conscious of the advantages-of travel by air. When I first took office in the autumn of 1931, a journey by air was still regarded as something of an adven ture; to-dayj. the aeroplane is simply an everyday alternative means of transport. It is a familiar vehicle for passengers, for letters and for goods. The whole future lies before it. " I am proud to have been connected with a record of pro gress such as this, and I send a grateful message of thanks to all my colleagues in the service and civil departments of the Air Ministry, to all ranks of the Royal Air Force, and to all those wtiose work" for aviation in all its branches has been of such inestimable assistance." CHESIL BANK RANGE A deputation headed by Lord Shaftesbury, Lord Lieutenant of Dorset, and including Lord Ilchester, Sir Lawrence Chubb, Profes sor Salisbury, Dr. Caiman, Professor Huxley, and Lord Mansfield, waited-noon the Secretary of State for Air on June 18, to protest against the establishment of a bombing and air firing range near Chesil Bank. Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister pointed out that if the ex pansion of' the Air Force was to be carried out successfully, nine target ranges were necessary, of which the Air Ministry had been able to secure three, and had located sites for two more, excluding Chesil -Bank. If. this last were abandoned, the Air Force would be definitely deprived of one necessary target range. It was not proposed tp drop H.E. bombs inside the three mile limit, and only light smoke bombs would be dropped nearer in. Fit. Lt. Godfrey, an arriiament officer and a naturalist, then assured the deputation that birds on other ranges' not only became accustomed to gun fire, but actually nested round the targets. No. 1 M.T. STORAGE UNIT—HENDON No. 1 M.T. Storage Unit will commence to form at Hendon on August 1, 1935. Accommodation will be available for 100 vehicles on August 1, 1935, increasing to 350 vehicles before January I, 1936. Of these, 150 can be of the large and 200 of the small type. No. 1 M.T. Storage Unit will be administered by the Air Ministry (D. or E.) IR'E ORCE AIR MINISTRY ANNOUNCEMENTS NOMENCLATURE OF AIRCRAFT—D.H.89 The official description of the de Havilland communication aero plane No. K.5070 is D.H.89. H.M.S. " EAGLE " H.M.S. Eagle returned to the United Kingdom on April 5, 1935, to pay off. No. 825 (F.S.R.) squadron was disembarked at Malta prior to the departure of H.M.S. Eagle from the Mediterranean station. The R.A.F. Headquarters, H.M.S. Eagle, ceased to exist with effect from May 20, 1935. ROYAL AIR FORCE FLYING CLUB A resolution was passed at a recent special general meeting of the Royal Air Force Flying Club whereby the annual subscription for officers of the regular air force, Special Reserve and Auxiliary Air Force was reduced to £2, payable half-yearly if desired. LANGUAGES AWARDS Commencing with the examinations to be held in June, 1935, the grant of awards for proficiency in colloquial Arabic, Kurdish, Persian, Syriac and Turkish will be extended to airmen below the rank of flight-sergeant whose duties render a knowledge of such languages desirable. AIR AMBULANCE AT MANOEUVRES At military manoeuvres found Carnarvon recently, experiments were made by a Divisional R.A.M.C. to test evacuation of wounded by air.. The War Office would not allow troops to be carried by air, so civilian organisations were employed. The supposed wounded were civilians, and the aeroplane was piloted by Mr. C. Wilson of the Lancashire Aero Club. THE R A.F. BENEVOLENT FUND The usual meeting of the Grants Committee of the Fund was held at Iddesleigh House on Thursday, June 20. Mr. W S. Field was in the chair, and the other members of the Committee present were: Mrs. L. M. K. Pratt Barlow, O.B.E., Air Comdre. B. C. H. Drew, CM G., C.B.E., and Wing Cdr. H. P. Lale, D.5.O., D.F.C. The Committee made grants to the amount of /319 6s. 4d. The next meeting was fixed for July n. AIRMEN OF THE ARMAMENT TRADES The number of airmen qualified for employment as senior arma ment instructors is not yet adequate to .meet requirements and the demand will be largely increased as a result of the expansion of the air force. It is essential that instructor posts should be Sited to the greatest extent practicable by airmen so qualified, and for some time to come, therefore, it may be necessary to post airmen of inferior rank to that allowed in establishments to fill the non- instructor posts. The Officer i/c Records will, in so far as the supply of airmen permits, arrange postings so as to minimise the difficulties of the situation. ANTI-AIRCRAFT COMPANIES The reorganisation of Royal Engineers fortress units in the Fai East, Malta and Gibraltar was announced in Army Orders on June 20. The changes—which have received the King's approval—include ; the formation of a new anti-aircraft searchlight company in Malawi, the redesignation' of anti-aircraft searchlight companies as fortress companies at Hong Kong and Malta, and the establishment of two mixed defence electric light and anti-aircraft searchlight companies at Gibraltar. The new anti-aircraft searchlight company in Malaya is ,to be designated the 30th (Fortress) Company. It will be stationed with the.41st (Fortress) Company, now at Singapore. At Gibraltar the new mixed defence electric light and anti-aircraft searchlight com pany will be designated the 32nd (Fortress) Company. The 1st Anti-Aircraft Searchlight Battalion at Blackdown has been redesignated the 1st Anti-Aircraft Searchlight Group. The 6th and 15th (Field Park) Companies (cadres)—at Aldershot— are to be expanded to full establishment, and another cadre, the 18th Company (Field Park) (Colchester), is to be absorbed into the 6th (Field Park) Company (Aldenshot).
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