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Aviation History
1947
1947 - 0090.PDF
FLIGHT JANUARY T6TH, T947 SERVICE AVIATION from Tlwr II was handed over to theK.C.A.F. before the aircraft returned to the U.K. Owing to the continuous de-lays due to weather, the intended tour in the U.S. was very much curtailed, asthe timing of visits to stations would have overlapped the Christmas break ofthe U.S. Army and Naval Forces. Two stations were, however, visited—theU.S.N. Ordnance Test Station at Inyokern, California and Wright Field. Thor II landed at St. Mawgan at 1500hours on December 29th, having left Washington at 1300 hours on December27th. The southern route, via Bermuda and the Azores, was used. Meteor Vs as Targets*O NE of the most embarrassing prob-lems of anti-aircraft gunnery train- ing has been the provision of tug ortarget aircraft of sufficiently high per- formance. Another difficulty is theinability of towed targets to withstand very high speeds and there is, in anycase, a danger at these speeds that the tug aircraft might be shot down inerror. It is, therefore, particularly satis- factory to learn that Gloster Meteor Vs^capable of speeds approaching 600 m.p.h. and controlled by radio, are to be usedby the K.A.F. for training A.A. gunners and that all now lighters will be designedso that they may be adapted as targets. The Meteor V is understood to be a new.fighter development of the Mk. IV and not merely a target version of this Mark.Until the new radio-controlled aircraft are ready, a number of Hawker TempestV lighters will be used as target tugs. Far East Honours >/ FOR "outstanding Anglo-Americanexecutive and liaison work dining the war,"* two R.A.F. officers—Grp.Capt. H. ]. Corbally and Grp. Capt. K. J. P. Pritchard were recently investedmembers of the U.S. Legion of Merit (Degree of Officer) in the office of MajorRobert E. Hoey, Military Liaison Officer t(. the United States Consulate, Singa-pore. The White House citations are: —"Group Captain Edward J. Corbally, Royal Air Force, serving as Senior Liai-son Officer and Executive of the Com- bined Operational Planning Committee,Kighth United States Air Force, from August, 1943, to February, 1945, dis-p.ayed exceptional ability in maintaining 1.mi lurthering the close existing relation-ship with the Royal Air Force and in initiating and successfully executingmany special projects. Particularly note- worthy were his inception of a new andvitally important svsteni of counter- intelligence, his assistance iu planningthe" series of missions in early 1044, ('('~ signed to cripple enemy airplane produc-tion, and his contribution to the operational plans that resulted in thesuccessful shuttle nights to Russia. Through his skill, initiative and highprofessional attainments, Group Captain Corbally contributed materially to theaccomplishments of the Eighth Air Force." "Group Captain, then Wing Commander, Richard J P. Piitdiurd. a stall officer in the Bomber Operations Section,Operations Division, Headquarters, Allied ALLIED APPRECIATION : Major R. E. Hoey (left), as President Tiuman'srepresenta-tive, presented the Legion of Merit to G C. R. J. P. Pritchard and G/C. E. J. Corbally, as related on this page. Lt. Col. A. Selbie (2nd from left) received a similar honour. Expeditionary Air Force, from Decem-ber, 1943, to October, 1944, took a con- tinuous and-active part, in the productionof operational bombing of the enemy defences and lines of communication inEurope. His thorough studies of every aspect of the tactical problems involvedwere in great measure responsible for the success of the entire bombing programmelet- the United States aivl British Tacti- cal Air Forces." (Signed) Harry Truman. C.B.S. Mission i/* FLYING in the Lincoln Mk. II Cru-sader a mission from the Central Bomber Establishment, Marham, Nor-folk, headed by its commandant, Air Comdre. G. R. Spencer, C.B.E., left thiscountry on January 6 on a visit to South Africa. One of the principal objects ofthe mission.is to discuss bomber tactics with the South African Air Force andK.A.F. Mediterranean and Middle East Command, and to investigate bomberproblems peculiar to South Africa Prob- lems of long-range reinforcement flightsby standard bomber aircraft over varying climatic conditions will also be studied,lectures will be given on bomber tactics and development, and the equipmentcarried in the Lincoln—the first to visit South Africa—will be demonstrated. A week will be spent in Cape Townvisiting S.A.A.F. formations and units before the mission goes on to spend a fe.vikiyo in Pretoria, where a similar pro- gramme will be carried out. Leaving Pretoria on January 20th th:-mission will fly back to Nairobi, which will be the centre from which during thefollowing few days, visits will be paid to R.A.F. formation< and units in Kenya.Ori January 24th the mission will,set off foi Khartoum, and will proceed to AbaSueir on January 28th; this will be the base for visits to R.A.F. formations andunits in Egypt. The last stop on the homeward journc ' will hi: Uditie, u here. the mission will arrive on January 31stand visits will be paid to R.A.F. forma tions and units in Italy during the weekend prior to the mission's departure for home on February 4th. This will be the second liaison missioncarried out by the Tactics Wing of tin- Central Bomber Establishment, the firstol which was a tour of the Fur East, Australia and New Zealand, in Septem-ber. The captain of the aircraft will b;.Sqn. Ldr. C. B. Owen, D.S.O., D.F.C., " who will also lecture on pathfinder tech-nique. F/O. C. Taylor, D.F.C., A.F.M. is second pilot, and the flight engineer i-.Fit. Lt. L. E. Flatt, D.F.C., who will also lecture on engine handling and en- "giue development. Sqn. Ldr. C. H. Shaw .-'-: is the navigator and lecturer on radar 5navigation; F/O. B. J. Fry, D.F.C., is . i the second navigator, and the wireless •operator is Fit. Lt. W. Wing, D.F.'M. Other members of the mission and thesubjects upon which they will' lecture are Wing Cdr. A. G. Wilson, D.F.C., airsupport officer at the C.B.E. (tactical bomber support) and Wing Cdr. C. T.Weir, armament staff officer (armament development). Sqn. Ldr. K. M. S.Mathews accompanies the mission a-> medical officer. The Central Bomber Establishment...^was set up in October, 1945, to be tin ^ R.A.F.'s Empire, centre for the study and*development of bomber tactics and equipment, and consists at present of twowings—a Tactics Wing and a Develop- ment Wing. The Tactics Wing existschiefly to study the tactical doctrine of bomber forces and maintain effectiveliaison on questions relating to bomber;, and their equipment with the R.A.F.throughout the world, with certain civi- lian establishments,, rind with theDominions' Air Forces. The Development Wing is responsible for the operationaltesting and development of bomber air- craft armament and equipment.
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