FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1951
1951 - 2064.PDF
IGHT, 12 October 1951 481 FOR THE LAST TIME On the final flight, in its old pilot's hands. Spitfire J MR is posed for -Flight's" camera. Air Chief Marshal Sir James M. Robb makes his Farewell Service Flight THIRTY-FIVE years and sixty-seven days after makinghis first solo flight at C.F.S., then based at Upavon,Air Chief Marshal Sir James Robb recently marked his retirement by making his last flight as a Service pilot. This was also at C.F.S., but now at Little Rissington. He was flying his famous "five-star" Spitfire 16 which, with a brief ceremony at the conclusion of the flight, was handed over to A. Cdre. Selway, the Commandant of C.F.S. The occasion was perhaps a little sad, for the Air Chief Marshal has retained through the years the pure joy of flying. At the conclusion of the air-to-air photography for this page he was loath to leave a lovely autumn sky, and for a while became the despair of the occupants of Little Rissington control tower. Twice they told him he was over the airfield and twice he went off again before deciding to make his final approach. Sir James has had this Spitfire for his personal use since 1947, and for a time he had a Meteor in addition. While C-in-C. Air Forces, Western Europe, Sir James also had a D.H. Devon, and during the 440 hours which he spent in its cockpit he made over 200 cross-Channel flights. His log- book records some 176 different types, 70 of which have been flown since 1936, when he was appointed Commandant of Central Flying School. It will be remembered that 1936 marked the great change-over in the R.A.F. to modern monoplane types, starting with the Blenheim, Battle and Hurricane. C.F.S. was given the job of writing the pilot's handling notes for all these aircraft. Sir James left George Watson's School in Edinburgh in 1912 and went to Durham University, but the outbreak of war in 1914 interrupted his studies. He enlisted as a private in the Northumberland Fusiliers, and was commissioned in the same regiment in November. In 1916 he was seconded to the R.F.C. and was taught to fly at C.F.S. After 20 hours' solo he was posted to No. 32 Squadron to fly D.H.2S in the Battle of the Somme. The following year he came home for a while as a flying instructor and on returning to France flew S.E.5AS with No. 92 Squadron—then commanded by Major A. Coningham, D.S.O., M.C., who in the last war commanded the 2nd T.A.F. During the 1914-18 war Sir James was credited with having destroyed seven enemy aircraft and was awarded the D.F.C. His inter-war service was very varied. From 1922 to 1925 he was in the Middle East and commanded No. 6 (Army Co-operation) Squadron and No. 30 (Bomber) Squadron. It was while serving with No. 30 that he was awarded the D.S.O. This decoration was for his share in the operations over Kurdistan in 1925. On returning to England he became CO. of No. 3 (Fighter) Squadron, then stationed at Upavon alongside C.F.S. The squadron was the only night-fighter unit at that time and flew Hawker Woodcocks. The next appointment, as Chief Flying Instructor at C.F.S., was a prelude to five years spent with the Royal Navy. He passed through the R.N. Staff College in 1932, serving in (Continued at foot of page 489) In the cockpit. Sir jamesJsMtearingtbe badge of the C.F.S. on his overalls Lady Robb hands over the Spitfire's log-book to A. Cdre. Set h-\
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
