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Aviation History
1938
1938 - 0662.PDF
FLIGHT. MARCH TO, 1938. SERVICE Royal Air Force and Ojjicial Announce- ments : Fleet Air Arm News : Military Aviation Abroad Honorary Physician to the King T~*HE King has approved of the appointment of Air Commo- i- dore Harold Edward Whittingham, C.B.E., M.B., Ch.B., F.R.C.P.(E.), F.K.F.P.S.(G-), M.R.C.P. (Lou.), D.P.H., D.T.M. and H., as an honarary physician to His Majesty with effect from March i, vice Air Vice-Marshal Sir Alfred W. Iredell, K.B.E., C.B., M.K.C.S., L.R.C.P., who vacated the appointment on his retirement from the Royal Air Force on that date. Air Comdre. H. E. Whiltin^ham, born in 1867, was. commissionedin the Royal Army Medical Corps in January, 191O, as a temporary Lieutenant. In October, iyiS, he was transferred to the Koyal AirForce (Medical Branch) as an acting Major, and in August the fol- lowing year was granted a permanent commission with the rankof Squadron Leader. During the period 1921 to 1923 Air Conidre. Whittingham carried out several researches in Malta in connectionwith the origin and prevention of sandlly fever, and in 1924 received the Air Council's high appreciation of his valuable services renderedin that connection. From January, 1925, to July, 1935, he com- manded the R.A.F. Pathological Laboratory, Halton. In recentyears he has been in command at the R.A.F. Central Medical Establishment, and has acted as Consultant in Hygiene, Pathologyand Tropical Medicine. Air Comdre. Whittingham was awarded the C.B.E. (Military Division) in the Birthday Honour? List, 1930. Hewas promoted to Wing Commander in 1923, to Group Captain in 1932, and to his present rank in 1936. Acquisition of Sites for Royal Air Force THE Secretary of State for Ail has appointed Professor L. P.Abercrombie, M.A., F.R.I.B.A., to act as Consultant in connection with the acquisition of sites required on accountof the expansion of the Royal Air Force. Professor Aber- crombie is Professor of Town Planning, Bartlett School ofArchitecture, University College, London, and is Consultant Architect to-the Department of Health for Scotland. The selection of sites for Royal Air Force purposes is invarying degrees governed by strategic and other Service con- siderations. Within the limitations thus imposed, it has con-sistently been the policy at the Air Ministry to take into account the many and varied considerations affecting the lifeof the community, both local and national. The appointment of Professor Abercrombie is designed to ensure that the bestpossible advice is readily available at all stages in connection with the acquisition of a site. Aden Protectorate TV/TECHANISATION is dealing heavy blows to stock-breeders •IV A iii many parts of the world, and its effects have also been felt in the somewhat primitive area of the Aden Pro- tectorate. The camel owners and breeders there have seen their livelihood threatened by motor transport, and their indig- nation resulted in a series of raids last year on motor caravans. Possibly the British authorities are connected in the minds of the tribesmen with this march of progress ; or perhaps a general spirit of lawlessness is bound to end in anti-British outbreaks. At any rate the movement culminated in an attack on a political officer oi the Subeihi tribe. Most of the tribes are nominally under the suzerainty of more important local chiefs, usually holding the title of Sultan or Amir, and it is our policy to charge these Sultans with the maintenance of order in their territories. The Sultan of Lahej was accordingly asked to punish the culprits. He maintains a body of trained troops, and he despatched a column of them into Subeihi territory'. By an excellent piece of co-ordination the whole of No. 8 (Bomber) Squadron arrived over the same spot at the same time As a result all but one small village of the Subeihi submitted and this village was subjected to air action. This means that a warning was given and then the air- craft kept the villagers out of their village until they submitted, sometimes bombing the empty houses of the ringleaders. The result in this case, as in most cases of the same sort, was most satisfactory. FIGHTING STOCK : Tigger, mascot of No. in (Fighter) Squadron, Northolt, has evidently ceased to be impressed by the formidable " 300-plus " Hawker Hurricanes. Not long after another tribe, the Quteibi, damaged a land- ing ground and threatened to fire on an aircraft which had forced-landed there. Loyal tribesmen drove the worst culprits out of their district, but one section remained recalcitrant, until a raid was made by the whole of No. 8 (Bomber) Squadron. By a piece of luck a salvo of bombs fell just outside a cave in which some of the chief offenders were hiding. They thought that their refuge had been discovered, and made complete submission, accepting the Government's terms and agreeing to keep the peace in future. The Esher Trophy T^HE Esher Trophy, awarded annually after an efficiency com-X petition between squadrons of the Auxiliary Air Force, has been won for the third time by No. 604 (County of Middlesex)(Fighter) Squadron. The competition this year was between the fighter units of the A.A.F., of which there are now five, and therunner-up was No. 607 (County of Durham) (F.) Squadron. Best congratulations to Sqn. Ldr. C. P. Gabriel, the CO. of 1S0. 604, andhis officers and men. Award for "Exceptional Courage" THE King has been graciously pleased to approve of the awardof the Air Force Medal to Corporal T. E. Barnes " in recog-nition of exceptional courage and devotion to duty displayed on tli<- occasion of the forced landing of an aircraft near Hinckley on December 3, T937." Staff College, Quetta SQN. LDR. E. L. S. WARD has completed satisfactorily a courseat the Staff College, Ouettn, which terminated in December,1937, and is entitled to the symbol " q.s." against his name in the Air Force List. Aircraft Carriers IN addition to the five aircraft carriers now under constructionthe Admiralty has decided to order 1 sixth carrier next year.The five now building are Ark Royal, which was launched on April 13, 1937, and is expected to be completed during the coming summer; Illustrious and Victorious, being constructed by \ lckers- Arm.-;trongs at Barrow-in-Furness and High Walker respectively, which were laid down in the spring of. 1937; Formidable, laid down in March, 1937, by Harland and Wolff at' Belfast, and Indomitable, laid down at Barrow in July, 1937, by Vickers-Armstrongs. The Navy Estimates just presented to Parliament provide for a totally new type of vessel, a repair and supply ship for the i'-ee Air Arm, the design of which has not yet been decided, b vessel should certainly be of great service to the Fleet ana to the efficiency of the carriers.
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