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Aviation History
1943
1943 - 2090.PDF
220 FLIGHT AUGUST 1943 E AN Fantastic Paragraph THE following extract is taken ver-batim from The Marquess of Done- gall's column in the August 22nd editionof The Sunday Dispatch: — "One of the most fantastic para-graphs that it has been my misfortune to read since this war started appeared inthe (Birmingham) Evening Despatch last Wednesday. " Under the heading ' Packard£oginesSaved Britain,' the newspaper con- tinued : "'The Packard-built Rolls-Royceiingino was the literal saviour of Eng- land,' said Peter Masefield, the Britishair correspondent, after he had toured the Packard plant. " ' Your shop conditions astound me,'he add€*d. What I have seen is an encourag-ing sign of British and American rela- tions. ' " Good Enough ? " '' Ye gods and little fishes! What onearth has happened to Peter Masefield and /or the editor of the EveningDespatch? " I suppose that the editor can excusehimself on the grounds that his sub- • editors have orders that anything tobutter-up America is good enough for them. "Whether false statements thatbutter-up America and infuriate the entire British aircraft industry are goodfor Anglo-American relations is quite a different matter. "But something very strange seemsto have happened to Peter Masefield. I remember him very well. We were bothaccredited to the Advanced Air-striking Force at Rheims in '39 and '40. Andwell do I remember his opinion at that time. " A Volt-face" "Anyone who has read The Aero-plane, of which he is assistant editor, can hardly have escaped his erstwhileopinions. '' Surely such, an expert must knowthat the first Rolls-Royce Merlin engine left Packard's production line about a year after the Battle of Britain was . finished and won." It should be explained that PeterMasefield is in America following his re- tirement in June from the staff of ourcontemporary. World's Press News stated that he " has joined H.M. Forces.His period of deferment recently ex- pired." Masefield told his friends that he wasjoining the A.T.A. W.A.A.F. Ferry Pilots "yOLUNTEERS from the W.A.A.F.V are being invited to fill a limited number of vacancies for women ferrypilots in the A.T.A., who will give them instruction at their own flying trainingschool. Only single women between the agesof 20 and 25 are eligible, and these must, of course, possess the necessary physicaland educational standards; they are re- quired to have matriculated or havegained the school certificate or the equivalent. The Air Ministry has already circu-lated to R.A.F. commands and groups a letter inviting applications from eligibleW.A.A.F. personnel. Married women are not being acceptedbecause, it is reported, the number of volunteers will probably far exceed thenumber of vacancies. R.A.F.'s Jungle Theatre AN R.A.F. Blenheim squadron inBengal claims to possess the only permanent jungle theatre in the forwardarea. Other units have rough-and-readystages built in canteens ready for visit- ing concert parties, but this squadronhas fitted up a disused dining hall with a proper stage complete with lightingeffects and control panel, colourful cur- tains made from Army blankets, and allsorts of ingenious props made from various odds and ends. They have their own company andorchestra, and recently ran, for five nights, their second edition of lightrevue. Follow the Green Lights ACCORDING to the Germans the**• R.A.F. are using a new method of bombing. At the beginning of a raidthe R.A.F. mark the target area by a series of "rings" of green flares, andthe following waves of bombers drop their bombs on the periphery of theserings so as to cut off the German A.R.P. personnel. The interior of the rings, itis said, are then littered with bombs and incendiaries. ACTON'S CREW : F/0. J. G. Uren (on the right) and F/0. R. C. Bevington, pilot and observer respectively of one of the first two Canadian built Mos- quitoes to fly here from the Dominion. The other was named New Glasgow. With three others, Vancouver,Saskatoon and Moose Jaw, they were christened at the de Havilland factory near Ontario before setting out for Britain via Greenland and Iceland. Appointment and Promotion AIR VICE-MARSHAL N. H.' BOTTOMLEY, who was appointed Deputy Chief of Air Staff early this month, has been gazetted Acting Air Marshal. F.A.A. Badges ALL officers on the active and retiredlists who have at any time qualified as pilots or observers in the Fleet AirArm should wear the Fleet Air Arm pilot's or observer's badge, according toa Fleet order. The appropriate Fleet Air Arm badgeshould also be worn by naval officers who have qualified as pilots or observers inanother service, or in the Royal Navy Air Service. Back in Harness J AIR CHIEF MARSHAL SIRARTHUR LONGMORE has re- turned to the Air Ministry to act as anadviser on post-war problems and assumes the rank of Air Vice-Marshal.Sir Arthur was placed on the retired list on March 1st, 1942, at his own re-quest, having been A.O.C.-in-C. Middle East from May, 1940, until early in 1941,. and Inspector-General of the R.A.F. from July of that year until his retire-ment. Born in Australia in 1885, he learnt tofly in 1911, and was one of the first four naval officers to do so. His R.Ae.C.certificate, granted in that year, is No 72. Orlebar Memorial Suggested FRIENDS of the late Air Comdre.Orlebar, A.F.C., are sending dona- J tions to Westminster-Hospital in recogni-tion of "the unremitting care" with which he was nursed during his last ill-ness there". For these generous gifts the hospitalis most grateful, and it approves the hope, expressed by one donor, that suchgifts may form the nucleus of a fund for the endowment of a bed or beds forflying men in memory of this great air- man. Death of Mrs. Hewlett WITH the death in New Zealand, atthe age of 82, of Mrs. Hewlett, one more link with early British aviation hap been severed. The wife of Mr. Maurice Hewlett, Mrs. Hewlett learned to fly in 1910-11 and was the first Englishwoman to obtain the Royal Aero Club's certi- ficate. Afterwards she established the Hewlett and Blondeau flying school at Brook- lands, where she taught many pupils to fly, including her son, F. E. T. Hewlett, who fought with distinction in the 1914-18 war. As mentioned in a leading article in last week's issue, he took part in the Cuxhaven raid on Christmas Day, 1914. came down in the sea and was rescued by a Dutch trawler. He retired with the rank of Group Captain before the outbreak of this war.
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