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Aviation History
1939
1939 - 1347.PDF
456 FLIGHT. MAY 4, 1939 Service Aviation DIPLOMATIC JOY-RIDE : Looking thoroughly at home in flying kit, M. Gafencu, the Rumanian Foreign Minister, emerges from a Blenheim after a flight at Hornchurch, where he inspected a number of Service types last week. "P.T." at Olympia THE Royal Air Force Physical Training School, Uxbridge, is preparing a delightful show for the Royal Tournament, start ing at Olympia on May 18. Fit. Lt. A. F. Ingram is in charge and the detachment will comprise 100 men from No. 1 R.A.F. Depot. The exercises will demonstrate the possibilities of exercising every muscle in a short space of time. No. 62 [Bomber) Squadron Reunion IT is proposed to hold the first annual reunion dinner of past and present officers of No. 62 Squadron R.F.C. and R.A.F. on Satur day, May 13, at the Royal Air Force Club, Piccadilly, at 7 p.m. for 7.30 p.m. The price of tickets will be 18s. 6d. each (inclusive of cocktails, wines, etc.). Dinner jackets, without decorations, will be worn. Officers wishing to attend should communicate, forward ing remittances, with F/O. C. H. Boxall, No. 62 (B) Squadron, Royal Air Force Station, Cranfield, Bletchley, Bucks. Bertrand Stewart Prize Essay THE subject for the Bertrand Stewart Prize Essay for 1940 is as follows; "A quotation from Mahan reads: 'If time be, as is everywhere admitted, a supreme factor in war, it behoves countries whose genius is essentially not military, whose people, like all' free people, object to paying for large military establishments, to see to it that they are at least strong enough to gain the time necessary to turn the spirit and capacity of their subjects into the new activities which war calls for.' Discuss this statement and, in so far as the British Empire is concerned, suggest how, within the limitations of the present constitution, the man-power resources of the Empire can best be utilised at the outbreak and in the early stages of hostilities." * Flying Accidents THE Air Ministry regrets to announce the following acci dents : — • Sgt. Sidney Victor Evetts (flying solo) lost his life in an accident to an aircraft of No. 56 Squadron near Chelmsford, Essex, on April 24. F/O. David Roderick Hopper (pilot) and F/O. Derek Leslie Rea Hutchinson (Captain, Royal Tank Corps), lost their lives in an acci dent which occurred at Koubbeh, Egypt, on April 27, 1939, to an aircraft of No. 208 Squadron. F/O. Denys Greville Bell (flying solo) lost his life in an accident which occurred at Denham, Buckinghamshire, on April 28, 1939, to an aircraft of No. 13 Squadron. F/O. Ronald Anthony George Petrie (pilot) and A/C.2 Henry Arthur John Stacey lost their lives in an accident which occurred near Folkestone, Kent, on April 28, 1939, to an aircraft of No. 2 Squadron. The Air Ministry Buys Flamingos FOR some time it has been known that the Air Ministry is interested in the D.H.95, and last Monday Capt. Balfour, the Under Secretary of State for Air, replying to a question by Sir Lindsay Everard, said that his department was " placing an order for a number of D.H. Flamingo type liners adapted to fulfil part of the transport requirements of the Royal Air Force." Although the maximum capacity normally given for this machine is twenty passengers, it is worth knowing that twenty-three or twenty-four can be accommodated over ranges shorter than 1,000 miles, even with full civilian comfort. Presumably this number of troops, with their equipment, could equally easily be carried. For a 400-mile range at 210 m.p.h. the 95 actually has a payload of 3,817 lb.; the figure for 600-mile range is 3,325 lb. The R.A.F. in Action D URING December it was reported that a section of the Audhali Tribe, known as the Ahl Am Sha'a, were harbouring a Yemeni who was thought to be guilty of murdering another Yemeni at Beidha. The Yemeni authorities had requested that the murderer should be handed over to them for trial, but the Aden Government decided that as he had for many years lived with the Ahl Am Sha'a in the Protectorate, he should be tried by the Audhali Sultan. The political officer who went to Arabah to investigate the matter was unable to persuade the tribe, who tire at feud with the Audhali Sultan, to hand over the culprit. It was therefore decided to bring the tribe to submission by occupation of the offending villages by the Sultan's tribal forces, supported by air action if necessary, these forces to remain in occupation until certain hostages were surrendered as a guarantee of the section's future good behaviour. The Sultan was most anxious for this action to be taken, in view of the good effect which firm action of this kind was likely to have amongst the Ahl Am Sha'a. A time limit was therefore imposed, but as no surrender had been made by the date it expired (January 28), the usual bombing warn ing was dropped, expiring at dawn on February 14. Action, in conjunction with the Sultan's forces, was taken by aircraft of the Aden Command on that date, one raid being sufficient to bring about the submission of the offending tribe. Disturbances in Palestine during the past three or four months continued to engage the attention of the security forces, and although the rebels continued their hostile activities the initiative passed from their hands as a result of the continuous pressure exerted against them by air and ground forces. In Waziristan the prevalence of severe winter conditions resulted in the usual diminution of hostile activity, and the month of Decem ber was relatively quiet. The Fakir of Ipi, however, continued his activities against the Government, and showed no signs of willing ness to avail himself of the offer of a free pardon contained in the Government's peace terms announced in October. It was decided, therefore, during December to resume the policy of harassing him whenever his whereabouts was discovered, and air action has again been taken against any tribes or villages known to have harboured him. The areas subjected to air action during December were: The Gorwekht, Margha, Mastoi and Splitoi Valleys, and the Shawal Tangi area, including the winter grazing grounds of the Tori Khel Wazirs. The aim of these air operations was successfully achieved in each case, the Fakir of Ipi being kept frequently on the move, and it was hoped that punishment of his harbourers would make other tribes more chary of helping him. During these operations a Hart of No. n (B.) Squadron was fired at from near Chaprai; the air gunner was wounded in the leg. This is the first time during the past two years of operations in Waziristan that any member of the crew of an aircraft has been wounded by hostile rifle fire. Operational flying times during this period totalled approximately 27.000 hours. A CHEERING SIGHT : A good deal of the obsolescent armament equipment of the R.A.F. is being replaced. This "still" from the A.R.P. film The Warning shows the installation of an optical sight on a Lewis gun.
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