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Aviation History
1940
1940 - 1983.PDF
JULY II, 1940 35 SERVICE AVIATION A New Zealand Bomber Squadron flying their Wellingtons in "echelon stepped up." Royal Air Force Official Announcements H.M. the King's Birthday HIS MAJESTY THE KING has been graciouslypleased to send the following reply to a loyalmessage of congratulation from the Royal Air Force: —" I sincerely thank all ranks of the Royal Air Force for their loyal message of good wishes onthe occasion of the celebration of my birthday. GEORGE R.I."The text of the message to His Majesty the King was as follows: —"All ranks of the Royal Air Force wish to tender with humble duty an expression of theirunfailing devotion in your Majesty's service and their warmest congratulations and loyal goodwishes on Your Majesty's birthday." Empire Recruiting and Training MR. POWER, Canadian Minister for Air, ina statement to the House of Commons in Ottawa, said that since September 15, 25.000recruits had passed their medical and other tests and 13,000 officers and men had been enlisted.Since the acceleration of the training programme a month ago, men had been enlisted at the rateof 1,000 a week. Making Use of Experience SIR ARCHIBALD SINCLAIR, Air Minister,has appointed a committee under the chair- manship of Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham, G.C.V.O., K.C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., A.F.C., late Governor of Kenya, to interviewofficers and airmen who have been in action against the enemy, in order to discover any useful sugges-tions which they may have to make as a result of their experience, and make such suggestions gen-erally known throughout the R.A.F. Uniform for Special Duties A SPECIAL duties uniform for wear by certaincivilian officials has been approved. Itfollows the standard R.A.F. service dress in material suitable to the status of the individual.No R.A.F. badges or insignia will be worn and button and buckle coverings are to be brownleather. An armlet in light blue and dark blue alternate horizontal stripes with the lettersS.D." 2in. high will be worn above the elbow of the right arm. Authority to wear this uniformaiust be obtained in each case from the Air Ministry. Vacancies for Civilian Pilots (COMMISSIONS are still available in the RoyalY Air Force for qualified pilots who are norm- ally beyond the age of acceptance for flying duties.They are required for duty as pilots of aircraft jn non-operational work such as flying instructors,Jerry pilots, pilots of aircraft employed in the training: of air observers, wireless telegraph opera-tore and air gunners, etc. Hitherto, applicants, who must be between theaees oi p.q amj 49, have been required to have carried out at least 200 hours solo flying, includ-ing recent experience on modern types of aircraft. Preferably, they should be holders of Class " B "Pilots Licences. The Air Ministry has now decided to reduce the required number of hours of soloflying from 200 to 150. Appointments will be in the r.ank of Pilot Officer,with pay of 14s. 6d. a day and allowances, with the opportunity of promotion to Fl»ing Officer(18s. 2d. per day) and Flight " Lieutenant £1 Is. 9d. per day). Forms of application mav be obtained from theAir Ministry (S.7.e.(5)), Adastral House, Kings- way, London, W.C.2. Anti'Aircraft Awards TWO officers. Lieutenants N. Bradbury andR. Bilton, both of the- Royal Artillery, haveeach been awarded the Military Cross in recogni- tion of their excellent work with the A.A. guns.The troop under Lt. Bradbury accounted for 22 known enemy machines destroyed and Lt. Bilton'stroop's score was 18 aircraft. R.A.F. Thanks Qirl Quides THE Secretary of State for Air, Sir ArchibaldSinclair, has expressed to Mrs. St. JohnAtkinson, Chitf Commissioner of the Girl Guides Association, the gratitude of the Royal Air Forcelor a gift of £15,000 from the Girl Guides ol th« Empire. The money is to be used to buy andequip two air ambulances. It is part of £46,216 raised by the Guides inriess than two months. Theywere asked to give up half a day's pay and the response has been generous and enthusiastic beyondall expectations. The aircraft will be the first air ambulancesspecially constructed for the R..A.F. in this w&r. Hitherto convertei troop-carrying aircraft havebeen used for this purpose. The ambulances will be standard Airspeed Oxfordaircraft with a specially fitted body. Inside the ambulances accommodation will be provided for twostretchers and two sitting cases, or four sitting patients. There will be room, also, for a wirelessoperator, or an attendant in addition to the pilot. The aircraft will have lavatory and washing accom-modation, and will carry emergency surgical equipment. Air Member of Council for Training AIR VICE-MARSHAL A. G. R. GARROD,O.B.E., M.C., D.F.C., has been appointed anAir Member of the Air Council for Training. All departments of the Air Ministry which dealwith training, both air crew training and tech- nical training, will be his responsibility. He willalso deal with the relation of training in ~this country to the Empire scheme. Air Vice-Marshal Garrod was born in 1891 andwas educated at Bradfield and Oxford. In 1914 he was commissioned in the Leicestershire Regi-ment and next year woo the Military Cross. In October, 1915, he was seconded to the RoyalFlying Corps, and later qualified as an instructor. In June 1919, he was awarded the DistinguishedFlymg Cross. In the inter-war years he passed through the Naval Staff Course, was an instruc-tor at the R.A.F. Staff College, and was Chief Instructor to the air squadron of his own uni-yersity, served in Iraq, passed through the Imperial Defence College, and in 1938 becameDeputy Dirtctor-General of Equipment at the Air Ministry. Observer Corps Uniform A PPROVAL has been given for the introduction**• °',a uniform to be worn by the personnel of the Observer Corps. For officers the standardR.A.I service dress will be worn but devoid of any R.A.F badges or other insignia. ObserverCorps gilt badges and buttons will be worn ani a band iy2in. black braid on the cuff to denoteofficer status irrespective of rank. A band of black braid will also be worn on the greatcoatshoulder straps. An armlet 2in. wide Win blue and %in. wltite alternate vertical stripes,' withObserver Corps" embroidered in 1 ,in red let- ters is to be worn above the elbow "on the leftarm. Other ranks will wear a dark blue com- bination suit over plain clothes and a dark bineberet bearing the Observer Corps badge. Armlet as for officers will also be worn. HIS MAJESTY THE KING has been graciouslypleased to approve of the following Awards : THE MEDAL OF THE MILITARY DIVISION OF THE Most EXCELLENT ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE FOR GALLANTRY. CAMPION. LEADING AIRCRAFTMAN MICHAEL FROST, AIRCRAFTMAN FIEST CLASS ERNEST RALPH CLIDE.These two airmen displayed great courage in effecting the rescue of an unconscious pilot froma burning aircraft which resulted from a collision in which two Blenheim aircraft were involved•while taking off. Aircraftmen Campion and Frost were amongthe first to arrive on the scene. Not knowing that the pilot was the sole occupant, Aircraftman Frostpromptly entered the rear cockpit, which was full of smoke and fumes, in search of the wirelessoperator. Satisfying himself that no one was there, heclimbed out, and, nearly exhausted, ran to the Iront cockpit, where Lerding Aircraftman Cam-pion was trying to rescue the pilot. Working heroically, both men, with great risk to them-selves, due to the imminent danger oflhe peiral tanks exploding, extricated the pilot from theburning wreckage. Shortly afterwards the tanks exploded anil the whole aircraft was rapidly burnedout. Unfortunately the pilot died later. DISTINGUISHED FLVINO CROSS. AITKEN, SQUADRON LEADER THE HONOURABLE M4XTVELL, AUXILIARY AIK FORCE.Tn May. 1940, whilst leading a section of air- craft on patrol over Brussels, this officer attackedone of twelve Heinkel Ills, which was finally seen to be losing height with one of its wings on
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