FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1938
1938 - 0327.PDF
FEBRUARY 3, 1938. FLIGHT. SERVICE AVIATION Fleet Air Arm News : Military Aviation Abroad Royal Air Force and Official Announcements His Majesty arrives in the Royal Airspeed Envoy and salutes as the Royal Standard is broken. The King at Cranwell A BITING cold wind and a hard bright sun made Cranwell any-thing but a genial spot on Wednesday of last week, when King George flew over from Bircham Newton to inspect it.In his R.N.A.S. days, from November, 1917, until August, 1918, H.M.S. Dadalus was his station; he was then an administrativeofficer, and it was not until after the Armistice that he learnt to pilot an aeroplane. The house which he occupied while stationed at Cran-well is still in existence, nnd is known as York House. Just on 11.30 a.m. the Royal Airspeed Envoy, painted in Guardscolours of red and blue, appeared over the aerodrome, and when Winy Cdr. Fielden landed it a small Royal Standard was hoistedon the roof of the fuselage. The King stepped out, wearing the uniform ol a Marshal of the Royal Air Force, and was received bythe Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Cyril Newall (who had flown up the night before in the Air Council's Rapide), by theA.O.C.-in-C. of the Training Command, Air Marshal Sir Charles Burnett, and by the A.O.C. of Cranwell, Air Vice-Marshal J. E. A.Baldwin. Cranwell now ranks as a Group in the Training Command, though it is not actually called a Group. After inspecting the guard of honour of aircraft apprentices and boy entrants. His Majesty proceeded to carry out a very thoroughinspection of the Cadet College and the Electrical and Wireless School. The College now has 144 Flight Cadets in residence, includ-ing one Indian. The E. and W. School, on the other hand, has been enormously swollen by the expansion scheme. There are now over1,200 aircraft apprentices being trained as wireless operator mechanics and instrument makers (they spend three yearsat the school), while, in addition, there are in residence 700 boy entrants doing a course of sixteen months and over 1,300 airmen ona twelve months' course. Both these latter categories are being trained as wireless operators. An interesting feature of the inspection was the parade of threeVickers Yalentias which are used as flying workshops. Each is fitted with ten wireless sets, and in them the apprentices and boys getair experience. Further training in the air is given in Westland Wallaces. The King entered one of the Yalentias and its equipmentwas explained to him. The King also displayed much interest in the airmen's instituteand the apprentices' institute, which are very comfortably fitted out. In the course of his tour His Majesty met one officer and five airmenwho had been stationed at Cranwell with him. The officer is Fit. Lt. H. J. Adkins, who has retired, but has been recalled to uniform asa pro forma officer under the expansion scheme. The men were Fit. Sgt. W. Harris, ex-Warrant Officer T. Ley land, ex-Fit. Sgt.Marshal, and A/C.s C. Wryde and C. W. Wright. The last-named was once the King's batman. Mr. Leyland recalled how Prince Albertand he had both been in the team which had opened the rifle range at Cranwell, and the King said that he remembered it well. His Majesty had lunch in the cade'ts' mess, and then inspected theCollege and the hospital. At 2.40 he embarked once more on his Envoy and took off. The departure was rather informal, and thethousands of airmen and boys who assembled round the aerodrome broke into wave after wave of spontaneous cheers which they keptup until the Envoy was only a small dot in the sky. Higher Appointments THE Air Ministry announces the appointment of Air Vice-MarshalPatrick Henry Lyon Playfair, C.B., C.V.O., M.C., to be Air Officer Commanding, No. 1 (Bomber) Group, Royal Air Force, witheffect from February 21, 1938, vice Air Comdre. Sydney William Smith, O.B.E. Aii Vice-Marshal P. H. L. Playfair joined the R.F.C. from theRoyal artillery in November, 1912, having previously obtained the Hoyal Aero Club's aviators' certificate (No. 2S3 of September 3, 1912). Except for a few intervals, he served in France throughout thewar, during which he was awarded the Military Cross and was tn-ict' mentioned in despatches. Subsequently he commanded theC.F.S., the Fighting School, Netheravon, and the R.A.F. Base at Leuchars, and in 1925 was appointed Chief Staff Officer at CoastalArea H.Q. In 1928 he was appointed to command the R.A.F. in Palestine, and Transjordan and rendered distinguished service inconnection with the disturbances in Palestine in 1929. From Decem- ber, 1930, to September, 1932. he served at the R.A.F. H.Q., India,jnainly as Chief Staff Officer, and in October, 1932, was appointed TO command No. 23 Group, Inland Area. In September, 1933, heivas posted to command the Wessex Bombing Area, and since May, 193d, has been Air Officer Commanding, No. 3 (Bomber) Group. He was promoted to the rank of Group Captain in January, 19-Mito Air Commodore in January, 1930, and to his present rank in January, 1934. He was appointed Companion of the Order of theBath in the New Year Honours List, 1931, and Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in July, 1935. The Ministry also announces the appointment of Air Comdre.Arthur Ashford Benjamin Thomson, M.C., A.F.C., to be Air Officer Commanding, No. 3 -B.) Group, Royal Air Force, with effect fromFebruary 14, 193S, vice Air Vice-Marshal Patrick Henry Lyon Playfair, C.B., C.V.O., M.C. Air Comdre. Thomson was commissioned as a Second Lieutenanton probation in the R.F.C. Special Reserve in June, 1913, and in the following year was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant inthe Royal Warwick Regiment and seconded to the R.F.C. He was appointed Major (temporary Lieutenant-Colonel) in the R.A.F. onApril T, 191S, and in August, T919, resigned his commission in the R.A.F. with the rank of Flight Lieutenant. During the Great War he served in France and was awarded theM.C. and bar, and the A.F.C., as well as being mentioned in despatches. He was appointed to command No. 39 Squadron in
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
