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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 1877.PDF
AIRCRAFT ENGINEER FIRST AERONAUTICAL W&EKLV IN THE WORLD .• FOUNDED 1909 Editor C. M. POULSEN Managing Editor G. GEOFFREY SMITH, M.B.E. Chief Photographer JOHN YOXALL V Editorial, Advertising and Publishing Offices: DORSET HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET, LONDON, S.LI Telegrams : Truditur, Sedist, London COVENTRY : 8-10, CORPORATION ST. Telegrams: Autocar, Coventry Telephone: Coventry 5210 Telephone: Waterloo 3333 (35 lino). BIRMINGHAM, 2 : GUILDHALL BUILDINGS, NAVIGATION ST. Telegrams: Autopress, Birmingham. Telephone: Midland 2971 (5 lines). MANCHESTER, 3 : 260, DEANSGATE, Telegrams: lllffe, Manchester. Telephone : Biackfriars 4412. GLASGOW, C.2 I 26B, RENFIELD ST., Telegrams: iliffe, Glasgow. Telephone: Central 4857. SUBSCRIPTION RATES Home and Abroad : Year, £3 10. 6 months, Registered at the G.P.O. as a Newspaper. C\ 10 6. 3 months, 15s. 3d. No. 1759. Vol. XLII. September 10th, 1942. The Outlook, Thursdays, One Shilling They Also Serve W HEN the Royal Air Force was founded in 1918 one of the happiest ideas which came to its in- augurators was the Air Force Cross for officers, and its companion, the Air Force Medal for airmen. These awards are not given for gallantry in the face of the enemy, but for good flying work in other condi tions. There is nothing quite like them in either of the two elder Services, and both have at times felt the need fe-r something of the sort. The A.F.C. and the A.F.M. are appropriate decora- -*tions for flying instructors, who are given no chance to win the Distinguished Flying Cross or Medal, to say nothing of such higher awards as the Victoria Cross. There is no doubt that many, if not all, of the instruc tors would give anything they possess for the chance to prove their valour and their skill against the enemy, but their services are too valuable to the general war effort for the authorities to permit them to leave their present occupation. Teaching is a fascinating pursuit to those who have the gift for it, but there must be times when the keenest instructor feels (as he himself would say) "browned off" by the interminable string of raw youngsters which passes through his hands, each to be turned, if it is in any way possible, into an accomplished pilot. Of course, it is a satisfaction to the teachers when their old pupils gain distinctions in the war, but still the thought that they themselves have no ribbons on their tunics must sometimes bring a feeling of bitterness. It is therefore very pleasing to note that a number I of flying instructors have recently been awarded the Air Force Cross or Medal. The red and white diagonal stripes of the ribbon will show to all and sundry that these men have done work of the highest value to their country and Empire. The Third R.A.F. Year I T may sound like a platitude to say that the whole spirit of the R.A.F. is aggressive, for that is also the spirit of the Navy and the Army^ but that devotion to the offensive is strongly emphasised in the review of the third year of war issued by the Air Ministry. The Air Force rejoiced that the threat of invasion passed for the time being, not in the way that the private citizen rejoiced, but because Bomber Command did not have to expend energies on defensive attacks on invasion ports. In the same way the escape of the German war ships from Brest, however deplorable from other points of view, was obviously a relief to Bomber Command, as the attacks on Brest were defensive in nature, and kept bombers from making aggressive assaults on the German war effort. During the past twelve months that offensive has been steadily increased, the " four-figure " raids being only one manifestation of its growth. Against these reliefs must be set the spreading of the war to the Pacific and the need to build up strong striking forces in the Middle East and elsewhere. The strategical disposition of our national forces rests with the Defence Ministry, not with the Air Ministry. But the latter is careful to point out that it could have hit Germany still harder but for these calls on its bombing strength. As a compensation, and a foretaste of better things to come, American heavy bombers began to share the burden of the offensive with the R.A.F. The Air Ministry resume says: "The appearance of these fore runners of the American air fleets of the fourth year of the war will perhaps be regarded by the" future historian as the mest significant event of the period under review." Fighter Command has also spent the past twelve months in mainly aggressive action. Only a small pro-
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