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Aviation History
1946
1946 - 1663.PDF
AUGUST 29TH, I946 FLIGHT fhe explosion of a 4,ooolb. "cookie," dropped by one of twenty Lincolns, is visible to the left of this view, which conveys animpression of the intensity oMhe bcmbing— On the ilupe. in tho fore grofltak^re target indicators dropped by a Mosquito. Illustrated by " Flight" Photographs. tion \ TlLLAGERS living in the pleasant country round\/ Larkhill and Westdown, on Salisbury Plain, have '" become accustomed to explosions, fires and driftingsmoke on near-by R.A.F. ranges, from which they are barred by Service Police, red flags and matter-of-factnotices. They are familiar, too, with the humming of Staff cars as they bump their way up the tracks leadingto the ranges; but last Tuesday week they lined the ap- proaches in force to watch high-ranking officers ascendin assorted transport—including '' tripper'' coaches—to a prepared enclosure. Children swarmed on haystacks and,though most of them could not have known it, they were about to hear,and in some cases to see, a demonstra- tion arranged by the Offensive Sup-port Wing of the R.A.F. School of Air Support, for what is known as the" Special Senior Course." This designation hardly suggeststhat this four-day course, held once a year, accepts only Air Commodores (or equivalent rank)\gfnd above. Thus the nominal roll for the course recently concluded bore the following names: Air Marshal SirRalph A. Cochrane, K.B.E., C.B., A.F.C.; Air Vice- Marshals R. Ivelaw-Chapman, C.B.E., D.F.C., A.F.C.;C. B. S. Spackman, C.B.E., D.F.C.; T. C. Traill, O.B.E., D.F.C.; F. F. Inglis, C.B., C.B.E.; Air CommodoresG. R. C. Spencer, C.B.E.; T. G. Pike, C.B., C.B.E., D.F.C.; and T. G Bowler, C.B.E. From B.A.F.O. came Air Vice-Marshal P. E. Maitland,C.B., M.V.O., A.F.C. The Air Ministry sent Air Commo- dores L. J. V. Bates and N. S. Allinson, C.B., and theMinistry of Supply, Air Commodore J. G. Franks. The R.N.Z.A.F. was represented by Air Vice-Marshal A. de T.Nevill, C.B., C.B.E., and the Royal Canadian Air Force kare hsj Convincing Demonstra- Before Senior at Westdown Ranges by Air Vice-Marshal R. E. McBurney, C.B.E.The Royal Navy party comprised Rear Admiral S. H. T. Arliss, D.S.O.; Capt. R. K. Dickson, D.S.O.; CaptG. B. H. Fawkes, C.B.E.; and Capt. E. B. K. Stevens, D.S.O., D.S.C. Brigadier J. E. Leech-Porter, C.B.E.,was the sole Royal Marine " student." The Army sent sixteen officers—from Australia, NewZealand, India, B.A.O.R., ALFSEA, C.M.F., B.T.A., Eastern Command, Scottish Command and A.A. Com-mand. The U.S. Army colonels, one from the Airborne Infantry and one from Signals, made up the imposing and,representative list. In the special Enclosure out on theWestdown Range were some notable visitors—Air Chief Marshal Sir JohnSlessor, K.C.B., D.S.O., M.C.; Air Marshal Sir Norman H. Bottomley,K.C.B., C.I.E.; Air Marshal Sir James Robb, K.B.E.; and Lt. GeneraiSir John Crocker, K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O., M.C. The VCIGS, Australia (Lt. Gen. Rowell) wasthere, and Major General Chilton. Rear Admiral Trou- bridge, 5th Sea Lord, and Rear Admiral Oliver, Admiral(Air) Lee-on-Solent, strengthened an already prominent Naval representation. It will be gathered that this intimate and costly demon-stration was to be something exceptional, but before des- cribing the events it is desirable to give some explanationof the origin and work of the School of Air Support. At an Air Ministry conference in September, 1944, itwas agreed by all three Services that the scope of the School of Army Co-operation should be considerably widened andthe name altered to keep in line with the current concep- tion of Air Support It was further agreed that the term"Air Support" was to cover assistance by air in am phi-
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