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Aviation History
1936
1936 - 1653.PDF
666 FLIGHT. JUNE 25, 1936. war, but will be responsible for seeing that each squadron is fit to take its place in the aerial fighting line. Ad ministration and maintenance will not be allowed to take up the time and energies of either the A.O.C.s-in-C. or the commanders cf the Groups. There will be separate officers to deal with each of those matters, which seems a very sensible arrangement. A Sensible Name Nothing but approval can be given to the decision to institute a Training Command, and to keep it quite apart from the operational Commands; but there is little which is novel in this except the change of name. This Command is practically the same thing as the old Inland Area, but its new name gives a much better description of its functions. In 1918 there was a Training Division in this country, and it is a good thing to revive the essential word in that old title. Whatever new scheme the Air Ministry evolves, there is always some difficulty in disposing of the army co operation squadrons. Until recently they were under the Inland Area, presumably because no one else wanted to be bothered with them. They have to work entirely with the Army, and they have nothing to do with air defence. One can understand that it is a little disheartening for an A.O.C. to have to expend time and energies on five squadrons which he will not be allowed to command in time of war. Now they have been made into a Group by themselves and have been allotted to the Fighter Com mand. That is less illogical than it would be to leave them in the Training Command. It looks as if their own Group commander will be in almost independent charge of these squadrons, helped or harassed by an occasional inspection by the A.O.C.-in-C. The Auxiliary Air Force will no longer remain one Group of squadrons, as in the days of the old No. 1 Air Defence Group. In the first days they were all bomber squadrons. Now their functions are varied, for some squadrons are fighters, and soon there will also be army co-operation squadrons in the A.A.F. It had be come inevitable that they must be divided according to their fighting functions, and could not cling together on the score of their voluntary character. Accordingly, the fighter squadrons and the army co-operation squadrons of the A.A.F. become one Group in the Fighter Com mand, while the bomber squadrons of the Force will form one (perhaps in time, more than one) Group in the Bomber Command. Group commanders under this new scheme are to be concerned chiefly with personnel; so in each A.A.F. Group the commander will doubtless be chosen for his tact and ability in dealing with keen volunteer officers and men. This arrangement ought to make for success. The reorganisation of the Coastal Command is to take place shortly, doubtless after consultation with the Admiralty. FIENDISH ACCURACY : The Hawker Demon two-seater fighters of No. 604 (County of Middlesex) (fighter) Squadron, under the command of Sqdn. Ldr. C. P. Gabriel, rehearsing air drill for the R.A.F. Display on June 27. Any inaccuracies—which were conspicuous by their absence—would have been hidden from the permanent audience in the Hendon district by a curtain of clouds which, let us hope, will be completely rung up for the great day. Flight photograph).
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