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Aviation History
1937
1937 - 0535.PDF
AIRCRAFT ENGINEER AND AIRSHIPS FIRST AERONAUTICALF~WEEKLYIN THE^WORLD .- FOUNDED WOQ Editor C. M. POULSEN Managing Editor G. GEOFFREY SMITH Chief Photographer JOHN YOXALL Editorial, Advertising and Publishing Offices : Telegrams : Trmlitur, Selin, Loudon. DORSET HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET, LONDON, S.E.1 Telephone : Waterloo 3333 (50 lines). HERTFORD ST., COVENTRY. Telegrams : Autocar, Coventry. Telephone : Coventry 5210. GUILDHALL BUILDINGS. NAVIGATION ST., BIRMINGHAM. 2. Telegrams: Autopress, Birmingham. Telephone: Midland 2971. 260, DEANSGATE, MANCHESTER, 3. Telegrams: Iliffe, Manchester. Telephone: Blackfriars 4412. 2GB, RENFIBLD ST., GLASGOW, C.2. Telegrams: Iliffe, Glasgow. Telephone : Central 4837. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Home ami -Canada: Other Countries: Year. SI Year, £1 13 0. Mi 0. 6 months, 16s. 6d. 6 months, 18s. od. 3 months, 8s. 6d. 3 months, 9s. Od. No 1471. Vol. XXXI. MARCH 4, 1937. Thursdays, Price 6d. Ljood Work Well Done THE appointment of a new Chief of the Air Staff is always an event in the defence history of the country. At the present juncture the officer hold ing the highest position in the Royal Air Force is actually one of the most important men in the world, for all the world is watching the growth of that Force as one of the greatest guarantees that war Shall not break out in Western Europe. The Russian writer on strategy, General Golovine, in his book, Air Strategy, gives it as his opinion that when Britain is strong in the air neither France nor Germany dare attack the other, for the intervention of Britain would mean the inevitable- defeat of the aggressor. Once the British Cabinet has decided that the R.A.F. shall be strong, it rests with the Chief of the Air Staff to see that the decision is carried into effect. Unless the C.A.S. is an officer of first-rate ability the R.A.F. is not certain to possess such formid able power as to make it clear to those of bellicose mind that aggression will not pay. Marshal of the Royal An" Force Sir Edward Ellington has been C.A.S. since May, 1933, when he succeeded the late Sir Geoffrey Salmond. The country has been very fortunate in having such a brilliant officer in that position to deal with the large expansion programme which has recently been undertaken Despite the con- can manifested by some Members of Parliament in a recent debate because the time taken to get airframes ln|o rapid production had been somewhat under estimated by the constructing firms, it can be said with out tear of contradiction that the R.A.F. expansion has • ^n handled in a most masterly manner and is proceed- th° Wl 11" srnoomness and rapidity which has surprised mVti Recruiting has surpassed all expectations, _3 he prompt increase of the training establishments <« the adaptation of the whole scheme of training to cet the needs of the new situation could hardly have **n better handled. The supply of aero engines is also ahead of requirements. At the same time the organisa tion of the Service into a new system of Commands and Groups in place of the old system of Areas has made it better fitted to deal with any emergency which may arise. For all these innovations and improvements the chief credit must go to Sir Edward Ellington. It is, perhaps, not generally known that all this exact ing work has been carried out b ' the retiring C.A.S." in the face of indifferent health. One must pay a tribute to the courage which has enabled Sir Edward to bear his heavy responsibilities and carry through his fine work despite this handicap. He has, so to speak, broken the back of the expansion work, and he has attained the highest rank in his Service. It would be a normal pro cedure for him to seek repose at the end of such a period of strain. Sir Edward is doing no such thing. He has accepted the position of Inspector General of the Royal Air Force. It must surely be unprecedented for any officer of his rank, whether Admiral of the Fleet, Field Marshal, or Marshal of the Royal Air Force, after having been Chief of the Staff of his Service, to continue to serve in a less supreme capacity, but Sir Edward Elling ton's sense of duty impels him to continue to place his high abilities at the service of his country. For this, too, he deserves great credit The Neti> C.A.S. The new Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sir Cyril Newall, goes to the top of the tree over the heads of two Air Chief Marshals and of two Air Marshals who are his seniors. It is the boast of the Royal Air Force that selection for a certain post is not influenced by seniority. Sir Cyril's all-round ability and special fitness for his new post are known, in addition to which qualifications he has the advantage of having previously been Deputy Chief of the Air Staff and of having recently worked hand in glove with Sir Edward Ellington as Air Member for Supply and Organisation on the Air Council. He has thus played an important part in the work of expan sion and is fully conversant with the matter. One-
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