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Aviation History
1940
1940 - 0031.PDF
JANUARY 4, 1940. AIR COMMODORE REGINALD LENNOX GEORGE MARIX,D.S.O., was born at Kensington, London, in 1889, and educated at Kadley College, and at the Sorbonne, Paris. In 1909 he enrolled inthe R.N.V.K., and was discharged as leading seaman in 1912 when he was appointed sub-lieut., R.NJt. He then took up flying and became a flying officer, RFC (NavalWing) in 1913. On the outbreak oC the Great \\'ur he was promoted flight commander R.N.A.S., and saw service at Scapa Flow, withthe bomb-dropping squadron at Antwerp, as well as in France and the Dardanelles. In 1919 he was given a permanent commission inthe R.A.F. as squadron leader, and served on the Prussian naval aircraft sub-commission and the inter-allied aeronautical commissionof control in Paris and Berlin. He has also served on the intelli- gence staff at the Air Ministry and in the Mediterranean. He waspromoted wing commander in 1930 and group captain in 1936. His decorations, include the D.S.O. awarded in 1914 when hecarried out a successful attack on Dusseldorf airship shed, dropping two bombs on the shed from a height of 600ft. and completelydestroying it. His machine was under heavy fire from rifles and mitrailleuses, and was hit five times during the attack. He alsoreceived the Belgian Order of the Crown (Chevalier) and the Belgian Croix de Guerre avec palme for distinguished services during thewar, and was twice mentioned in despatches. AIR COMMODORE ARTHUR LESLIE GREGORY, M.B.E.,M.C., who is aged 50, was educated at Bedford Grajnmar School and St. Paul's. He was given a commission in the Dorset Regt. (SpecialReserve) in 1912 and reached the rank of captain in 1915. He went to France in 1916, and the following year was seconded forduty with the Royal Flying Corps as an equipment officer, con- tinuing his service in France. Receiving a permanent commissionas a flight-lieutenant (Tech.) in the Royal Air Force in 1919 he was promoted squadron leader in 1921, and served in Iraq from 1923 to1925. Promotion to wing commander came in 1931, and shortly after going to the Middle East in 1936 he was promoted groupcaptain and commanded the depot there. He received the Military Cross for distinguished service in thefield in 1917, was mentioned in despatches in 1918, and made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division) inrecognition of valuable war services in 1919. AIR COMMODORE FORSTER HERBERT MARTIN MAY-NARD, A.F.C., was born at YVainku, Awitu, New Zealand, in 1893. He was educated at St. John's School, Leatherhead, and UniversityCollege, London. He enlisted in the Royal Naval Division En- gineers in 1914, was promoted corporal, and received a commissionin the Royal Naval Air Service in 1915. He was promoted flight lieutenant in 1916, flight commander in1917. captain in the R.A.F. in 1918, and temporary major in the same year. He was given a permanent commission as a flightlieutenant in the R.A.F. in 1919, and became a squadron leader in 1923. He took the R.A.F. Staff College course in 1924, and wasemployed on air staff duties from T925 to 1929, when he was appointed to command No. 12 (B) Squadron. Promotion to wingcommander came in 1931, and stafi duties in Iraq engaged him from 1932 to 1935. when he returned to this country to command Univer-sity of London Air Squadron. He was promoted group captain in 1937 and posted to H.Q. No. 23 (T) Group. He received the Air Force Cross in the King's Birthday Honoursin 1919 for distinguished war services. AIR COMMODORE CLAUDE RUSSEL COX, O.B.E., A.F.C.,was born at the British consulate, Buenos Aires, in 1893, and educated at the Deutsche Schule, Argentine; Churches College,Petersfield; National College, Rosario, Argentine; and Buenos Aires University' Early in 1915 he was commissioned with the DorsetRegiment. Later he became a flying officer in the Royal Flying Corps, and served in France, and in 1919 he received a permanentcommission in the Royal Air Force. After service in India, he was on the staff at Cranwell, and in1924 he was promoted squadron leader and served at the Air Ministry. He saw service in Transjordan and Palestine, beingengaged on air staff operational duties. He returned to the Air Ministry and became awing commander in 1932. After a flying boat pilot's course at Calshot he took com-mand of a flying boat squadron and went out to the Royal Air Force station atSeletar, Singapore, of which he took com- mand at the end of 1936, and was promotedgroup- captain the following year. He was awarded the A.F.C. in 1918 inrecognition of valuable flying services, was mentioned in despatches for his work inWaiziristan in 1921, and received the O.ts.fc.. (Mii.) in 1935. Having been born in Argen-tine, he is a first-class Spanish interpreter AIR COMMODORE JAMES MILNEROBB D S.O., D.F.C., was born in 1895, and educated at George Watson's College,Edinburgh, and Durham University, where his studies were interrupted by his enlist-ment in the Northumberland Fusiliers in 1914 on the outbreak of war. Within twomonths he was commissioned in that regi- ment. In 1916 he was seconded to the RoyalFlying Corps, and served in France until the end of the war. A BABY LERWICK: Capt. H. H. Balfour, Under-Secretary of State for Air, interested in a flying scale model of the Saro-Lerwick. The engines are Pobjoys. II He was awarded the D.F.C. in 1919 for his services in the war, inwhich he displayed brilliant leadership of air patrols. In 1919 he was granted a permanent commission in the Royal Air Force asflight lieutenant, having relinquished his Army commission. From 1922 to 1925 he served in Iraq and was awarded the D.S.O.for his valuable work in connection with Kurdistan operations of 1925. He returned to England in 1926, and his subsequent employ-ment included a period of two years as chief flying instructor at the Central Flying School. In 1932 he successfully completed acourse, at the Royal Naval Staff College, after which he served with the Fleet Air Arm in the Far East as senior air force officer onH.M.S. " Eagle," and later as fleet aviation officer to the com- mander in chief, Mediterranean fleet. In 1936 he took commandof the Central Flying School, Upavon. He was promoted to the rank of squadron leader on January 1, 1924, to wing commander oaJanuary 1, 1932, and attained his present rank on July 1, 1937. AIR COMMODORE LEONARD HORATIO SLATTER, O.B.E.,D.S.C., D.F.C., is aged 45 and was born at Durham, South Africa. He was educated at Dale College and Selbourne College, SouthAfrica, and at Battersea Polytechnic. In 1914 he enlisted in the Royal Naval Air Service. He received a temporary commission inthe Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in 1915, and transferred to the Royal Naval Air Service in 1916. After reaching the rank of captain in the Royal Air Force he wasgranted a permanent commission as flight lieutenant in 1919 and served in Russia and Constantinople. He was promoted squadronleader in 1924 and commanded the Royal Air Force Base at Malta. Command of other squadrons at home followed, and he reached therank of wing commander in 1932 and that of group captain in 1937. The O.B.E. and D.F.C. were awarded for distinguished service,and the D.S.C. for conspicuous gallantry and skill on many occa- sions during the last war. He was awarded a bar to his D.S.C. forbombing Ostende seaplane station from only 400ft. above ground despite intense anti-aircraft fire: AIR COMMODORE WILLIAM BOSTON CUSHION, O.B.E., bomat West Wymer, Norwich, in 1891, was educated at Gresham School, Holt, and received technical training before taking up a commissionwith the Manchester Regiment on the outbreak of war. He trans- ferred to the R.F.C. in 1916, and saw service in France with thekite balloon station. He received a permanent commission in the K.A.F. in 1919, being promoted to squadron leader in 1922, wingcommander in 1929, and group captain in 1937. Since 1935 he has been in command of various stores, equipment, and maintenanceunits. He received the O.B.E. (Mil. Div.) in the King's Birthday Honours List in 1927. AIR COMMODORE RUDALL WOODLIFFE THOMAS, O.B.E.,was born at Tiverton, Devon, in 1890, and educated at William Ellis Endowed School, Coopers Company School, and the London HospitalMedical College. He took up a commission in the territorials in 1913 and had become a captain in 1916, when he went to Readingfor instruction in aviation and transferred to the R.F.C. He filled several technical appointments in the stores departments before andafter receiving a permanent commission in the R.A.F. in 1920. He was promoted squadron leader (Stores) in 1921, wing commander(Stores) in 1927, group captain (Equipment) in 1936, and had been acting air commodore (unpaid) since May, 1939. He was awardedthe O.B.E. (Mil. Div.) in 1919 in recognition of valuable services in the war, and was mentioned in despatches from Kurdistan in 1924. Royal Air Force Awards H.M. THE KING has been graciously pleased to approve of thefollowing awards to members of the Royal Air Force in recog-nition of gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy. The Distinguished Flying Cross SQK. LDR. (ACT. WING COR.) JOHN FRANCIS GRIFFITHS: DaringDecember, 1939, in spite of adverse weather and strong enemy oppo-
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