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Aviation History
1946
1946 - 2253.PDF
NOVEMBER 7TH, 1946 SERVICE AVIATION df the Armed Forces have an honour-able duty to perform. '' I can understand that the RoyalAir Force, as the youngest of the Ser- vices should have a special appeal tothe enterprising young men of today. We want keen young men to volunteer.We have over one hundred interesting trad-'-s to choose from and with each of4n go two priceless assets; pride "of ice and comradeship." 514 R.A.F. Squadron Reunion A REUNION of 514 R.A.F. Squadronis to be held in London on a datein February next year. All ex-members who wish to attend should communicatewith R. A. Baxter, Esq., of "Trevine," Southey Road, Worthing. Batavia Survey */ VICE-ADMIRAL L. A. C. DOORMANhas announced in Batavia that the R.A.F. will probably place a number of aircraft at the disposal of the Nether- lands authorities for a survey of the interior of New Guinea. * Personnel for Rhodesian Air Wing OF 1,200 passengers on the 20,000-tontransport Orontes, which called at Mombasa recently, 647 were R.A.F. per-sonnel on their way to Heany and Thorn- hill, Rhodesia, as the first echelon of thepermanent staff of the new Air Training Wing opening under the command ofAir Commodore G. G. Banting. Swordfish for National Maritime Museum A FAIREY Swordfish is to be given tothe National Maritime Museum, Greenwich to commemorate the air warat sea. It will find an honoured place among hundreds of relics which a NavalWar Trophies Committee is obtaining for exhibition at Greenwich and four otherNational museums: The Imperial War- Museum, Lambeth Road, S.E.; the FLIGHT Museum ol the Royal United Service Institution, Whitehall; the Science Museum, South Kensington; and theRoyal Scottish Museum. No. 221 Squadron—Proposed Reunion ^^" ALL "ranks who served in No. 221^ Squadron, R.A.F., and are inter- ested in keeping old friendships alive,should write to Wing Cdr. T. R. Vickers, Old Mill Cottage, Rushden, Buntingford,Herts. If sufficient support is forth- coming, it is hoped to form an Old Com-rades' Association and organize occasional reunion gatherings, the first to be heldearly in the new year, at a place most convenient to the majority. Belgian R.A.F.V.R—Transfer to New Air Force t^ A PARADE on the Evere landing£*• ground, Brussels, on the afternoon of October 24th marked the transfer ofthe Belgian Section of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, which was dis-established on October 15th, to the newly recreated Belgian Air Force. Among those present, or represented,at the ceremony and at the informal re- ception afterwards, were:—Grp. Capt.L. Leboutte, D.F.C., Headquarters, Bel- gian Air Force; Air Marshal Sir PhilipWigglesxvorth, K.B.E., C.B., D.S.C., Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief,B.A.F.O.; Air Marshal Sir Ralph Sorley, K.C.B., O.B.E., D.S.C., D.F.C., AirOfficer Commanding-in-Chief, Technical Training Command; Air Vice-Marshal A.MacGregor, C.B.E., D.F.C., Air Officer in Charge of Administration, Head-quarters, Fighter Command; Air Comdre. J. W. F. Merer, Director of Allied AirCo-operation and Foreign Liaison, Air Ministry; Air Comdre. W. E. Staton,D.S.O., M.C., D.F.C., Air Officer Com- manding No. 46 (Transport) Group; AirComdre^ A. P. Ledger, C.B.E., Air Officer Commanding No. 28 (Training)Group. Mr. Geoffrey de Freitas, ParliamentaryUnder Secretary of State for Air, wrote to Col. Raoul de Fraiteur, BelgianMinister of National Defence,expressing the Air Council's gratitudeto the Belgian Section of theR.A.F.V.R. for their contributiontowards . winning the war. "We shallalways remember ; with admiration,", he wrote, " the courage and skill 5*3 WARNING TOSHIPPING: Though having theappearance and dimensions of afighter, the Black- burn Firebrand, aformation of which, flown by Navalpilots, is seen, is a torpedo and dive-bomber aircraft of great potency. BELGIAN STANDARD : Air MarshalSir Ralph Sorley presents a standard to Colonel Boutten of the Belgian AirForce during a ceremony* at Evfcre, reference to which is made on thispage. with which they fought beside us inthe defence ot Britain after their own gallant country had been over-run,and their ever increasing effort which they sustained right through to the finalliberation of Belgium and the defeat of our common enemy. '' May I personally wish the BelgianAir Force ali success in their task of re- construction and in the years ahead."In another letter to Grp. Capt. Leb- outte, the Chief of Air Staff, Marshal ofthe Royal Air Force Lord Tedder, G.C.B., placed on record his admirationand appreciation of the magnificent achievements of all the Belgian Officersand men who have served with the Royal Air Farce in the Section. "We in the Royal Air Force," hewrote, "will not forget that small and gallant band of Belgians who foughtalongside us with such courage, deter- mination and skill during the Battle ofBritain. Later, as their numbers grew, and the Belgian Section trained its air andground crews, they served with equal gallantry and distinction in Fighter.Bomber and Transport Commands, and in the Middle East, and played their partin the liberation of your country from our common enemy, and in his final over-throw. The award of three Distinguished Service Orders, and more than forty Dis-tinguished Flying Crosses, and Distin- guished Flying Medals to your air crewsis a measure of their valour and worth. When the fighting ceased on V.E. Day,your air crews had destroyed one hun- dred and thirty-eight enemy aircraft.During 1942 and 1943 alone, as many as five Royal Air Force Squadrons werecommanded by Belgian Officers. '' But the time has now come for Bel-gium to re-create her own Air Force. So,
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