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Aviation History
1940
1940 - 2183.PDF
AUGUST I, 1940 93 SERVICE AVIATION Royal Air Force Official Announcements Personal Air Secretary Appointment THE RIGHT HONOURABLE SIR ARCHI-BALD SINCLAIR, BART., C.M.G., M.P., Secretary of State for Air, has appointed WingCdr. Sir Louis Greig, K.B.E., C.V.O., to be his personal air secretary. King and Queen Visit Coastal Command ON Monday of last week the King and Qneenvisited a Coastal Command station. They were received by Air Chief Marshal Sir FrederickBowhill, and met many of the officers and men. Their Majesties were particularly interested in thephotographic section, where they spent a long time looking at photographs of damage done bythe R.A.F. bombers on objectives in Germany and occupied countries. Four officers received their decorations .from theKing's hand. Wing Cdr. G. W. Tattle, who con- ducted the party round the station, received theO.B.E. for outstanding staff work, Act. Fit. Lt. E. C. Le Mesurier the D.F.C. for some long recon-naissance flights of great value, F/O. D. F. B. Sheen the D.F.-C. for leading his section of threeaircraft against a superior number of enemy machines. He forced one down into the sea anddamaged another. P/O. J. A. M. Reid got his D.F.M., which he. had won as a sergeant pilotwhen acting as second pilot and navigator of an aircraft which obtained valuable photographs underadverse weather conditions. ; ;>_ Administrative Officers for the R.A.F. TN view of the magnificent response to the recent-*• appeal for administrative officers for the R.A.F. no further applications are required atpresent. Each application is considered indi- vidually, and for that reason and because of thelarge numbers to be dealt with there may be some delay before every applicant receives a reply. Can-didates should refrain from enquiring about the progress of their applications, as they will be in-formed as soon as possible. There are many vacan- cies to be filled immediately. When they are filleda pool of potential officers will be formed to fill future vacancies as they occur. Candidates whoare not offered immediate appointments, there- iorc, may be asked whether they are willing tobe listed for service later if required. Wireless Operators RECRUITS are needed by the Royal Air Forceto be trained as wireless operators. The pay will be 2s. a day on enlistment, increasing to3s. 6d. a day when qualified. In addition, all trainees will be given an opportunity to volun-teer for additional training as air-gunners and qualifying for an air crew. In this case, uponqualification as a wireless operator/air gunner, the pay will be 7s. 9d. a day, with the rank of ser-geant. The pay in all cases will be with all found.The qualifications for enlistment as wireless operators under training are: age between 18 and38; medical category 1, 2a, 2 or 3; a good stand- ard of education and quick intelligence. Wireless Mechanics RAPID expansion of the Royal Air Force hasresulted in an increased demand for men able . to maintain radio appliances. This job is one ofvital importance and fully qualified mechanics with a good theoretical and sound practical know-ledge of radio are urgently required. No experi- ence of Morse code' is necessary. The appeal forvolunteers is addressed to men between the ages 9' 18 and 50 on the servicing side of the radioindustry but those already employed on radio- ADVANCED TRAINING : Pupils from an R.A.F. flying training squadron practisingformation flying on North American Harvards. instrument production or other work directly con-nected with the war effort are not eligible. Wireless engineers, testers, repairers, radio ser-vice men and wireless mechanics who are not affected by the proviso are asked to offer theirservices immediately. Pay on entry varies from 3s. 9d. to 5s. 6d. per day, according to proficiency,and, in addition, food, clothing and accommoda- tion are provided by the Service, with good pros-pects of promotion. Men registered under the National Service (Armed Forces) Acts, who havenot yet been posted for service with one of the Forces, may volunteer.Application should be made to the nearest com- bined recruiting centre, the address of which may-be obtained from any Employment Exchange. Cadet Commissions HIS MAJESTY THE KING has graciouslyapproved the grant by the Air Council ofcadet commissions to officers of the Air Defence Cadet Corps. Cadet commissions will not extendbeyond the rank of Cadet Wing Commander, and their issue will be restricted to officers of thosecadet units which are affiliated to units of the Royal Air Force, or of the Auxiliary Air Force.It is contemplated that subsequent promotion to any rank higher than that granted in the com-mission issued by the Air Council should be effected by the Air League itself. Cadet officers willenjoy the style and title of their cadet rank with the prefix " Cadet." Gentlemen holding cadetcommissions will not be armed with any powers of command enforceable by air force law. Qerman Air Trophies rpROPHIES taken from the German LuftwaffeA are on view for the first time at the W.A.A.F. Exhibition and Recruiting Bureau at Selfridge's,London. Among the exhibits is a collapsible rubber "boat of the sort which has frequentlybeen mentioned in official announcements of Ger- man aircraft shot down off the coasts of Britain.British and German parachutes, and a Nazi pilot's heated flying suit are also on show.Photographs depict the life of an airwoman on a R.A.F. Station, and show something of thedifferent trades of the W.A.A.F. in which they are employed. The jobs for which recruits aremost urgently needed at the moment are those of plotters, radio-operators, cooks, mess and kitchenstaff, fabric workers and teleprinter operators. R.A.F. Benevolent Fund A DONATION of £1.100 " in recognition of themagnificent work of the Royal Air Force "has been sent from Rangoon to the Roya] Air Force Benevolent Fund. It comes from LcdyBooth-Gravely and Mrs. Luin Ure, O.B.E., joint honorary organisers of the 1940 Carnival in Ran- goon, and is only one of the many donations fromoverseas recently received by the Fund. These include £320 from the British Women's PatrioticCommittee in the Argentine Republic; £85 from the Cultura lnglesa Guild. Calle Florida, Argen-tina; £300 from the British War Charities Fund, Lourenco Marques, Portuguese East Africa; £50from the Witbank and District War Fund, Trans- vaal, South Africa; and £46 from the FildbusiBranch of the Women's National Service League of Southern Rhodesia. * Among other recent contri-butions are £350 from the Flying Services Fund by courtesy of the committee of the Royal AeroClub, £100 from the Anglo-American Oil Com- pany and £100 from the executors of the lateMajor B. H. Archer. As will be readily realised, the Royal Air ForceBenevolent Fund has many urgent calls upon its resources at the present time, and further dona-tions, both great and small, will be very thank- fully received. Admiration and gratitude for thesplendid services which are daily being rendered to the-nation by the officers and men of all ranksof the Air Force can be fittingly shown by offer, ings to the Fund. They can be sent to the RoyalAir Force Benevolent Fund, Eaton House, 14. Eaton Road, Hove, Sussex. The Patron of -theFund is H.M. the King and its President H.R.H. the Duke of Gloucester, K.G. Air Awards THE KING has been graciously pleased toapprove the following appointments andawards : — APPOINTED A COMPANION OF THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER.Sqn. Ldr. J. K. M. Drysdale, Fit. Lt. D. C Yorke. AWARDED THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CKOSS.Sqn. Ldr. C. G. Hill, Sqn. Mr. W. B. Murray, Fit. Lt. A. C. Brown, Fit. Lt. E. G. Campbell-Voul-laire, Fit: Lt, N. B Hallmark. Act. Fit. Lt. W 8 Barton. Act. Fit. Lt. W. D. Blackwood, Act FitLt. P. W. A. Dudgeon. Act. Fit, Lt. G. It. Shep- ley (since reported killed in action), F/O. J. W. WHurndall, F/O. R. J. S. Rust, P/O. B. Clegg, P/O P. G. Dexter, P/O. M. P. C. Holmes. P/O. A.Hughes, P/O. W. C. Hutchings, P/O. R. R. Langley, P/O. G. L. Sinclair, P/O. P. D Smith.P/0. J. R. Whelnn. The above awards are for gallantry and devotionto duty in the execution of air operations. Pilot Officer Charles Peter Dovey Price. Duringa night in July, 1940. this officer was pilot of an aircraft engaged in a bombing raid onan aircraft factory at Bremen. In spite of ex- tremely difficult conditions, he successfully locatedhis target and carried out a determined attack, at an altitude of 500 feet, in the face of anti-aircraft fire. On the return journey P/O. Prico engaged three Messerschmitt 110s which he hailobserved flying above the aerodrome at Borkun;. By skilful manoeuvring he enabled his rear gunnerto fire bursts at one of the enemy aircraft, whicn appeared to be hit, and then engaged a secondfighter which was shot down into the sea with it*
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