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Aviation History
1947
1947 - 1187.PDF
u . by a "'narrow margin, denied hostileaccess across the channel to our shores, and preserved this bastion of freedom." Having been escorted to the MemorialChapel, His Majesty ordained that This Chapel be set aside for all timeas a memorial of the men of the flying forces who gave their lives jn the Battleot Britain," and called upon* the Dean to perform the dedication. The memorial,in the form of a stained and painted idndow, the work of Hugh Easton, waspnveiled by The King, who drew aside 4n K.A.F. ensign. The window is com-posed of 48 lights and extends across the entire east wall. Incorporated in thelower lights are the badges of the 63 squadrons which took part in the Battle.The most perfect quotation possible" is embodied: "We Few, We Happy Few,We Band of Brothers." The Royal Family also saw the English•waLnut altar, designed by Professor A- E. Richardson, R.A., with the RoyalCipher, supported by sculptured figures representing King Arthur and St. George,the work of A. F. Hardiman, R.A., the cross of silver and crystal, the twocandlesticks, the two flaming candelabra, and the chapel rail—all of silver, and de-3'gued by •$.. Seymour Lindsay, in col- laboration with Professor Richardson. Three Battle of Britain- pilots com- , 1947 MEMORIAL WINDOW: Thet Rattle of Britain Memorial Chapel was dedicated in Westminster Abbey on July 10. On these pages are Hugh Easton's original drawings for his commemorative stained and painted window—a fitting tribute. prised the Ensign Party—W/C. F. E. Rosier, O.B.E., D.S.O., W/C. J. Ellis,D.F.C., and W/O. A. W. Eade, A.F.C. Acting asushers were 37 Battle of Britain fighter pilots holdingbetween them 2 M.B.E.s, 4 D.S.O.s, 22 D.F.C.s and 6D.F.M.s. They were drawn from units of Fighter, Coastal,Technical Training and Re- serve Commands, and fromthe Air Ministry. Thirty other pilots formed a guard ofhonour outside the Abbey. Sir. Douglas EvillT HE appointment of AirChief Marshal Sir Doug- las Evill as Director-Generalof the English - Speaking Union is announced. Apprentices and Boy Entrants AFTER selection tests atNorth Weald now a Com- bined Selection Centre, morethan 850 boys aged under 17! have just begun their R.A.F.careers as apprentices or boy entrants. Of the 857 success-ful applicants 421 have be- come aircraft apprentices, 378boy entrants, and 58 ad- ministrative apprentices. Company Freedom for Viscount TrenchardT HE Court of the Worshipful Companyof Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers have presented Marshal of theRoyal Air Force, Viscount Trenchard, and Admiral Sir John Cunningham withthe Honorary Freedom of the Company. Britannia Shield PresidentM ARSHAL of the Royal Air ForceLord Portal of Hungerford, who was Chief of Air Staff during the war,has accepted the presidency of the Britannia Shield Committee. He willpresent the shield at the conclusion of the international competitions at theEmpire Pool and Sports Arena at Wembley on Friday, September 19th. ReunionsT HE first annual reunion dinner for allex-members of 644 Squadron will be held in London on Saturday, August 23.For full details write to B. R. Tough, 468, Staines Road, Twickenham, Middx,enclosing stamped addressed envelope. # * * A reunion dinner for all officers andaircrew of 219 Squadron is being held in the Clarendon Hotel, HammersmithBroadway, on September 27th, ^47. Tickets £1 is. Will all those interestedcontact F/L. D. V. B. Farrar, Head- quarters 12 Group, R.A.F. Newton, Notts. R.A.F. Fund Representatives THE number of honorary area andcounty representatives appointed by the R.A.F. Benevolent Fund through-out the country has now passed fifty. Their appointment is part of a schemeinaugurated last year by the Fund for the strengthening of the administrativeand executive organization to facilitate assistance and appeals generally by keep-ing in closer touch with ex^-members of the R.A.F. and W.A.A.F. and their de-pendants. It is intended to appoint a representative for every county. "617" for the New World A NON-STOP crossing of the Atlanticwill be made this month by 16 Lincolns of No. 617 Squadron, BomberCommand, on the first stage of a train- ing aiid good will mission to Canada andthe United States. They will take-off from Binbrook, Lincolnshire, on theevening of Tuesday, July 22nd, and will fly through the night to reach Ganderin Newfoundland the following morning. Although formed as late as 1943, No.617 is used to making R.A.F. history— the breaching of the Mohne and Ederdams, the great radar "spoof" of D- day and, with No. 9 Squadron, the sink-ing of the Tirpitz. The leader of this forthcoming missionis G/C. W. J. P. Thomson, D.F.C., and the squadron commander is W/C.G. D. Milne, D.F.C., who spent five years as a prisoner-of-war, including along spell in Stalag Luft III. Both the flight commanders, S/L. C. K. Saxelby,D.F.C., and S/L. A. G. Lang, D.F.C., were also in Stalag at the same time asthe Wing Commander. The 2,000-mile flight to Gander willbe the longest hop the squadron will make, but formation flights of more thana thousand miles will be undertaken in the crossings of the United States. Thejquadron will arrive at Washington on July 28th and take part in a mass fly-past with the U.S.A.A.F. over the sky- scrapers of New York on the occasion oiAir Force Day. Subsequently, the Lincolns will go on to Detroit, Salina,Sacramento, Los Angeles, Fort Worth (Texas), and Montgomery (Alabama).Before making a non-stop return flight across the Atlantic the squadron willtake part in a Dominion exhibition to be held in Toronto, and spend altogether aweek in Canada. No. 24 (Commonwealth) Squadron '"THE Air Ministry announces that-*- authority has been given for the "re- organization of No. 24 Squadron, Trans-port Command, R.A.F., to include representation from the R.A.A.F.,R.N.Z.A.F. and S.A.A.F., and for the squadron to be renamed No. 24 (Com-monwealth) Squadron. The object o! the reorganization is threefold—to ex-tend the close co-operation existing between the R.A.F. and the DominionAir Forces; to foster the development of a common technique in air transportmatters; and to provide experience of flying conditions and routes in all partsof the world, thus maintaining a nucleus of highly trained personnel in the R.A.F.and in each of the Dominion Air Forces represented in the Squadron. In orderthat aircrews are conversant with the routes over which they may be required
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