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Aviation History
1938
1938 - 0600.PDF
210 FLIGHT. MARCH 3, 1938. SERVICE Royal Air Force and Official Announce- ments : Fleet Air Arm News : Military Aviation Abroad "COURTESY CALL : A Curtiss SOC-i observation floatplane about to be taken on board the U.S. cruiser Milwaukee at Singapore after celebra- tions in connection with the opening of the new dock. I An Assistant C.A.S. N view of the increased responsibilities of the Department of the Chief of the Air Staff, consequent upon the expansion of the Royal Air Force, it has been decided to appoint an Assistant Chief of the Air Stafi to undertake certain duties at present discharged by the Chief of the Air Staff and by the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff. Air Vice-Marshal William Sholto Douglas, M.C., D.F.C., has been selected to be the first Assistant Chief of the Air Staff, and took up his appointment on February 17, being re- lieved in his previous appointment as Director of Staff Duties by Air Commodore Robert Peel Willock. It has also been decided to create separate Deputy Direc- torates for Operations (Home), and for Operations (Overseas). Group Captain D. F. Stevenson, D.S.O., O.B.E., M.C., the present Deputy Director of Operations will become Deputy Director df Operations (Home), and Wing Commander W. A. Coryton, M.V.O., D.F.C., will be appointed Deputy Director of Operations (Overseas), with effect from March 7. Air Vice-Marshal II'. S. Douglas, born in 1893, was appointed 2ndLieutenant on probation in the Royal Field Artillery (Special Reserve) in August, 1914. and was posted as an Observer Officer toNo. 2 Squadron, Royal Fly-ng Corps, in France, in January-, 1915. He became a Flying Officer in July of that year. Later he com-manded in France Nos. 43 and 84 Squadrons, and No. 22 Wing Headquarters, and attained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. For hisservices he received the M.C., D.F.C., French Croix de Guerre, and was mentioned in despatches on three occasions. In March, 1920, he was granted a permanent commission in theRoyal Air Force as a Squadron Leader. Since then he has filled appointments on Staff and Administrative duties at home and in theSudan, and held the command of the Royal Air Force station at North Weald. He graduated at the Royal Air Force Staff College in1922, and subsequently passed a courss at the Imperial Defence College,, where in 1932 he became an instructor. Since January,1936, he has been Director of Staff Duties at the Air Ministry. He was promoted to the rank of Wing Commander in 1925, toGroup Captain in 1932, to Air Commodore in 1935, and to his present rank in January, 1938. He has been awarded the GordonShepherd Memorial Essay Prizes on several occasions. Air Comdre. R. P. Willock. born in 1893, was commissioned inthe Army as a temporary 2nd Lieutenant in 1914, and after join- ing the Royal Flying Corps two years later, was granted a per-manent commission in the Royal Air Force in 1919, with the rank of Squadron Leader.During the Great War he served both at home and overseas, being mentioned in despatches while in Egypt in 191S. He was postedto command No. 4 Armoured Car Company in Iraq in 1922, being mentioned in despatches in connection with the operations inKurdistan in the following year. After his return to the United Kingdom in 1926 he attended the Senior Officers' School, and a yearlater was appointed to the Air Ministry for Air Staff Duties. In 1928 he was appointed to command the Royal Air Force Station,Kenley, and in 1930 passed a course at the Army Staff College, Caniberley. He was posted to Headquarters, Fighting Area, forAir Staff Duties in 1931, and two years later, after a short period at the Air Ministry in the Department of the Chief of the Air Staff,became Air Attache, Shanghai. During the past year he has attended a course at the Imperial Defence College. He was promoted to the rank of Group Captain in 1934, and tohis present rank in January, Group Capt. D. F. Stevenson, born iSgs, joined the R.F.C. asFlying Officer in 1916, being appointed Flight Commander the fol- lowing year. In 1919 he was granted a permanent commission inthe Royal Air Force, was promoted Squadron Leader in 1925, Wing Commander in 1933, and Group Captain this year. He was em-ployed in Staff Duties at Headquarters Inland Area and Headquar- ters, Iraq, in 1924, and commanded No. 6 (A.C.) Squadron in 1925.In 1031 he was appointed to the command of No. 12 (B) Squadron, and in 1933 was on duty at Headquarters, Palestine and Transjor-dan. Since January of this year he has been deputy Director of Operations at the Air Ministry. In 1917 he was awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous gal-lantry and a Bar to the Military Cross, the Distinguished Service Order in 1918, was mentioned in despatches in 1918 and I9i<,, andreceived the O.B.E. (Mil.) in 1937. Wing Cdr. W. A. Coryton, born 1895, was appointed 2nd Lieu-tenant in the Rifle Brigade in September, 1914. In 1917 he was posted to the R.F.C., became a Flying Officer in 1919, FlightLieutenant in 1921, and Squadron Leader in 1925. He served as Instructor at Flying Wing at the R.A.F. Collegein 1920, and in the same year was posted to No. 31 Squadron in India. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1922 forgallant and distinguished service in Waziristan, and was promoted to the rank of Wing Commander in 1933. After serving at the AirMinistry in 1932, he was posted to Headquarters, Coastal Area, for staff duties and was attached to Headquarters, Iraq, in 1935 forspecial duty at Mosul. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve FLYING training is now being given at twenty aerodrome centres,and the number of Centres is to be increased during the presentyear. Central Flying School TPHE undermentioned officer and airman pilots who attended theX flying instructors' course at the Central Flying School from August 23, to November 6, 1937, have been categorised as follows:-B — Fit. Lt. C. M. H. Outram, Fit. Sergts. G. R. Aggett, VV. T. Jeffrey, R K. Webb, Sergt. H. E. Davies. Flying Training Schools THE following officers and airmen have been awarded specialassessments at Flying Training Schools on completion of theircourses of instruction: — No. 2 F.T.S., BRIZE NORTON: Distinguished Pass.—A.P/O.s E. F.Nind a.nd J. A. Slater, A./Sgt. T. E. Jones. No. 6 F.T.S., NETHKRAVON : Distinguished Pass.—A.P/O.s 1. K-Appleton, D. V. Beardon, W. H. Coleman, R. M. J. Cowles, P. H. Woodruff, A./Sgt. J. Ashmore.No. 11 F.T.S., WITTERING: Distinguished Pass.—A.P/O.s A. J' Handley, C. W. Poulter, P. R. M Williams, A./Sgt. W. H. Hcaynfr Progress of Expansion WHEN the decision to expand the Air Force was announced inMay, 1935, it was estimated that about fifty new stations would be needed. By the beginning of the present year tweuty-si*new stations and armament training camps had been opened, and twenty other sites had been selected. Since April 1, 1935, about 4,100 pilots have been accepted, whuethe number of airmen who have entered amounts to about 28,3* Some 5,650 apprentices are being trained at Halton and Cranwell.and 1,130 boy entrants are also under training. The total strenfitfi of the Force is now about 65,000.
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