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Aviation History
1939
1939 - 0368.PDF
140 FLIGHT. FEBRUARY g, 1939 Service Aviation (Continued) Lecture on Army Air Arm THE expeditionary force of the Army needs an air component, which must "Consist' of bombers and fighters as well as of the regular A.C. squadrons. This point was strikingly brought out by Group Capt. A. J. Capd, D.S.O., D.S.C., in a lecture before the Royal United Service Institution last week. The A.C. squadrons, he said, were for tactical reconnaissance, including spotting for the guns, but strategical reconnaissance of the enemy's back areas must be done by.bomber squadrons, and he mentioned that some bomber squad rons have been trained in that work. Fighters were also necessary to attack enemy aircraft arid to defend our own machines. These fighters and bombers would be under an A.O.C. on the staff of the G.O.C., while the A.C. squadrons would be under the command of divisions or brigades. These.bomber and fighter squadrons would have to be taken from the force which had to defend Great Britain, and the Cabinet, after consulting with the Chiefs of Staffs Com mittee, would have to decide how many squadrons could be spared for the Army. If it were decided that none could be spared from defence work, he thought that the Army would be unable to move overseas until this air support did become available. Another important point in the lecture was that for low-flying attacks on ground troops the bomb was displacing the machine gun as the weapon, and that the duty was passing from the fighter to the bomber. The lecturer also mentioned the special training which was needed for night reconnaissance, a difficult but important task. Flying Accidents T HE Air Ministry regrets to announce the following accidents: —• P/O. Peter Francis Gordon Jameson (flying solo) lost his life in an accident which occurred at Odiham on January 30 to an aircraft of No. 53 (Army Co-operation) Squadron, Odiham, Basing stoke, Hampshire. P/O. Terence Hugh Knapp O'Brien (flying solo) lost his life in an accident which occurred at Debden, Essex, on February 2, to an aircraft of No. 87 (Fighter) Squadron, Debden, Essex. Lt. Gordon Clifford Newcombe, R.N. (Flying Officer, R.A.F.) lost his life as the result of a collision in the air which occurred on January 30 off Alexandria, between two aircraft of No. 825 (T.S.R.) Sqn., H.M.S. Glorious. The following personnel who were in the aircraft are missing and are believed to have lost their lives: Lt. Richard Arthur William Dobbs, R.N., Flight Lieutenant, R.A.F.; Lt. John Godfrey Lincoln, R.N., Flying Officer, R.A.F,; F/O. Henry Ralph Puzey Bridgen, R.A.F.; Acting Leading Signalman Robert Henry Peerman, R.N.; Leading Seaman Bernard Anthony Coughlin, R.N. Lt. Dobbs and Lt. Newcombe were the pilots of the aircraft. P/O. Theodore Ralph Tate Carr-Ellison died in Letchworth Hos pital, Herts, on January 30 as the result of injuries received in an accident which occurred on January 26 at Baldock, Herts, to an air craft of No. 54 (Fighter) Squadron, Hornchtirch, Essex. He was flying solo. With reference to the disappearance on January 30 of an aircraft of No. 64 (Fighter) Squadron, Church Fenton, Tadcaster, Yorkshire, the Air Ministry announces with regret that as extensive air and ground searches have failed to find the aircraft and the occupants it must now be accepted that P/O. Stanley John Daly Robinson and P/O. Jack Elliott Thomas lost their lives on that date. They were first and second pilots and the only occupants of the aircraft. Acting P/O. John Marcus Joseph Poynton (flying solo) lost his life in an accident which occurred near Deir Ballut, Palestine, on February 1, to an aircraft of No. 33 (Fighter) Squadron. Sqn. Ldr. Geoffrey Henry Owen Mills lost his life in an accident which occurred near Jerusalem on. February 3 to an aircraft of the Royal Air F'orce Station, Ramleh, Palestine. Sqn. Ldr. Mills 'was the pilot of the aircraft. Mr. Harold Francis Charrington and ..Mr. Bernard Matthews Timbers, members of the Air Ministry Works Directorate, were the other occupants. The former was not hurt, but Mr. Timbers was slightly injured. Repeat Orders for VS. Types IT is announced that in view of the prospect of improved deliveries for aircraft ordered last year in the United States it has been possible for the -Air Ministry to negotiate an increase in the con tracts for delivery within the period originally contemplated. The order for the Lockheed Hudson (two Wright Cyclones) has been increased from 200 to 250 and that for the North American: Harvard trainer (Pratt and Whitney Wasp) from 200 to 400. Eight'Qun Faireys for Denmark FOR use mainly as a two-seater fighter the Danish Navy has adopted a specially developed version of the Fairey P.4/34 two- seater low-wing monoplane, originally produced for the British Air Ministry as a high-speed bomber. The type is to be built in Denmark under licence, and will be equipped with eight machine guns, making it the most heavily armed single-engined two-seater in the world. Special flaps, intended to keep down speed in the dive, will also be incorporated, from which it may be inferred that dive bombing will be one of the functions of the new machine. It may be recalled that with a Merlin I or II the original bomber version was capable of speeds between 280 and 290 m.p.h. Royal Air Force Qazette Royal Air Force General Duties Branch • A.V-M. C. F. A. Portal, C.B., D.S.O., M.C., is appointed Air Mem ber for Personnel on the Air Council, vice Air Marshal Sir William G. S. Mitchell, K.C.B., C.B.E., D.S.O., M.C., A.F.C. (February 1); Air Comdre. D. G. Donald, D.F.C., A.F.C., is appointed Director of Organisation, Air Ministry, vice A.V-M. C. F. A. Portal, C.B., D.S.O., M.C. (February 1). Fit. Cadet D. H. W. Hanson, having successfully passed through the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell, is granted a permanent com mission as Pilot Officer on probation (December 17, 1938). The following Flight Lieutenants are promoted to the rank of Squadron Leader (February 1):—F. W. Dixon-Wright, J. Grandy, A. Pyke, G. H. O. Mills, E. F. Porter,- F. H. Tyson, R. H. E. Emson, M. F. D. Williams, S. P. Langston, T. F. U. Lang, R. Sorel-Cameron, J. Worrall, W. P. Sutcliffe, R. C. M. Collard, N. G. Goodman, R. G. E. Catt, R. H. A. Leigh, J. N. H. Whitworth, G. P. Woodhouse, A. W. Geoghegan, W. H. N. Turner, J. S. Sabine, P. I. Harris, A. D. Grace, A. Threapleton, T. A. B. Par- selle, P. S. Gomez, M. B. Hamilton, A. C. Martin, W. S. P. Simonds, W. P. Harvey, D. V. Johnson, A. W. Sweeney, R. S. Ryan, A. R. Glencross. The following Flying Officers are promoted to the rank of Flight Lieutenant on the dates stated: —D. Ji. Cattell (Acting Flight Lieu tenant) (January 12); J. W. Arney, P. T. Philpott (Acting Flight Lieutenant), C. D. Hockett, T. B. de la P. Beresford, D.F.C. (Act ing Flight Lieutenant) (January 27). The following Flying Officers relinquish the acting rank of Flight Lieutenant on the dates stated:—R. G. Forshaw (October 23, 1938); N. M. Hall, A.F.C. (January 14). The following Flying Officers are granted the acting rank of Flight Lieutenant on the dates stated:—L. A. G. S. Lewer (November 25, 1938); A. G. Dudgeon (November 28, 1938); R. G. Forshaw (Decem ber 23, 1938). Sqn. Ldr. N. C. Qgilvie-Forbes is seconded for duty with the Royal Iraqi Air Force (January 20); Lt.-Cdr. J. A. D. Wroughton, R.N., is re-attached to the Royal Air Force as a Squadron Leader with effect from January 16 and with seniority of September 1, 1938; Lt.-Cdr. J. fl. F. Burroughs, R.N., Squadron Leader (Acting Wing Commander), R.A.F., ceases to be attached to the Royal Air Force on return to Naval duty end relinquishes the acting rank of Wing Commander (December 29, 1938). The following Flight Lieutenants cease to be seconded to the Royal Air Force on return to Army duty (January 21):—J. W. Deacon (Captain, Worcester Regiment); R. Leigh (Captain, Royal Artillery). Equipment Branch The following Flight Lieutenants are promoted to the rank of Squadron Leader (February 1):—J. E. V. Tyzack, R! C. Storrar, P. H. Wilcox. Accountant Branch F/O. on probation C. H. Leggott, D.C.M., is confirmed in his appointment (December 13, 1938). The following Flight Lieutenants are promoted to the rank of Squadron Leader (February 1);—E. L. G. Le Dieu, B. Chadwell. Medical Branch F/O. A. W. St. C. Greig, M.B., Ch.B., is promoted to the rank of Flight Lieutenant (November 22, 1938). Royal Air Force Reserve RESERVE OK AIR FORCE OFFICERS General Duties Brandt The following are granted commissions in class CC as Flight Lieutenants on the dates stated:—Lt.-Col. L. H. Morse, M.C. (I.A., Ret.) (October 29, 1938); Lt.-Col. J. A. Ferguson, O.B.E. (I.A., Ret.) (November 10, 1938); Capt. E. L. Stokes (R.A.R.O.) (Novem ber 28, 1938). F/O. T. J. Shaw, R.A.F.O., is granted a commission in class CC as Flying Officer with the acting rank of Flight Lieutenant (October 12, 1938); Sqn. Ldr. (Honorary Air Comdre.) J. B.Bowen, C.B.E. (Air Commodore, R.A.F., Ret.), is granted the rank of Wing Com mander (Honorary Air Commodore) in class CC (October 7, 1938); Fit. Lt. D. R. Sharman, M.C., relinquishes his commission on com pletion of service (December 7, 1938). Equipment Branch Fit. Lt. N. S. Roupell is transferred from the class C to class CC (May 7, 1938). Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve General Duties Branch Erratum In the Gazette of August 16, 1938, for B. E. Jones read B. Everton- Jones. Auxiliary Air Force General Duties Branch No. 604 (COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX) (FIGHTER) SQUADRON.—Fit. Lt. R. A. Budd is granted the acting rank of Squadron Leader and appointed to the command of the squadron (January 1). No. 607 (COUNTY OF DURHAM) (FIGHTER) SQUADRON.—Fit. Lt. L. E. Smith is granted the acting rank of Squadron Leader and appointed to the command of the squadron (January T). Owing 10 the greatly increased length-oj these tuts, as a result oj R.A.F. expansion ranis are confined to those, of Flight Lieutenant and abnw.
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