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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0088.PDF
86 FLIGHT FROM ALL Duke of Edinburgh's R.A.F. Commission O N January 15th the Air Ministry announced that Her Majesty the Queen had been graciously pleased to appoint H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh to a commission in the Royal Air Force, in the rank of Marshal of the Royal Air Force, with effect from that date. Simultaneous announcements by the Admiralty and War Office gave news, respectively, of the Duke's promotion to ranks of Admiral of the Fleet (he is already a commander in the Royal Navy) and of Field Marshal. As most Flight readers are aware, His Royal Highness is re ceiving flying lessons from an R.A.F. instructor (F/L. C. R. Gordon); he had his first on November 12th, and on December 20th he'went solo in the D.H. Chipmunk. The Duke, who re cently succeeded the late King as Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Air Training Corps, now becomes the third member of the Royal Family to have held the highest rank in the R.A.F. King George V did not hold the rank as such, but assumed the title of Chief of the Royal Air Force. The Duke of Windsor was appointed a Marshal of the Royal Air Force on his accession in 1936 and has retained that rank since his abdication, and the late King George VI also assumed the rank on his accession. Both the Duke of Windsor and King George VI learned to fly, the former being taught by A. Cdre. Sir Edward Fielden and the latter by Air Chief Marshal Sir Alec Coryton. Coronation Review: Odiham Chosen ODIHAM, the well-known Fighter Command station near Basingstoke, Hants, and Farnham, Surrey—about 40 miles from London—has been chosen as the venue of the Coronation Review of the Royal Air Force by Her Majesty the Queen, which will take place on July 15th. This permanent station, constructed in 1936, has, since the war, become one of the best known bases of Fighter Command. It was originally used by Nos. 4 and 13 Army Co-operation Squadrons. When these units left for France early in 1940 Odiham was taken over by Fighter Command, and after the fall of France it was used primarily as a training base for Allied personnel. After the war, Transport Command operated it for a time as a Dakota base; then it became a fighter station again. QUARTERS i Zurich Show IN June, from the 19th to the 28th (the Paris Show also starts on June 26th) a British Chamber of Commerce Show is being organized in Zurich at which British aviation interests are to be represented. The Hawker Siddeley Group are expected to exhibit an Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire turbojet and models of Group aircraft, including the Hunter. It is possible also, development programme permitting, that a Javelin (two Sapphires) may be flown to Switzerland for demonstration. Obviously this aircraft, with its short take-off and rapid climb and other qualities, is ideally suited to operation in such a country. The Swiss are also understood to be particularly interested in the Sapphire turbojet. A licence to build the de Havilland Ghost is held in Switzerland and the Sulzer company have had under development an axial unit of their own design. Recently an official of the company said that a new licensing agreement was under negotiation. Recognition Trophy Winners THE Sixth All-England Aircraft Recognition Competition of the Aircraft Recognition Society was held at the Royal Insti tution, London, last Saturday, and the coveted Silver Hurricane Trophy was again won by the Royal Observer Corps team from Post 19/Y2, Wallington. The Silver Heracles Trophy went to No. 305 (Ashford, Kent) Squadron of the Air Training Corps, and the new Air Pictorial cup for the highest individual score was won by Obs. M. N. Hook, a member of the winning R.O.C. team. A further report on the proceedings will appear next week. Boyd Trophy Awarded PRESENTED annually for the most outstanding feat in naval aviation, the Boyd Trophy for 1952 has been awarded jointly to Nos. 802 and 825 Squadrons, for their operational achievements in the Korean war zone. It will be held by H.M.S. Ocean, the light fleet carrier from which their aircraft flew for the period May to October last year. After paying tribute to the "offensive spirit, skill, fine airmanship and courage" shown by the pilots the citation quotes the following figures : In 79 flying days a daily sortie-rate of 76.3 was achieved; the highest rate for any one day's operations was 123. No. 825 Squadron had only four incidents on deck, resulting in a deck- landing accident-rate of 1.496. The longest accident-free sequence was 1,613 landings. No. 802 Squadron has Sea Furies and accounted for the first Mig-15 to be shot down by Naval aircraft. It was initially com manded by Lt. Cdr. S. F. F. Shotton, D.S.C., R.N., who was relieved by the late Lt. Cdr. D. A. Dick, D.S.C., R.N. After Lt. Cdr. Dick's death the unit was taken over by Lt. Cdr. P. H. London, D.S.C., R.N., who brought it back to Britain. The present CO. is Lt. Cdr. D. M. Steer. No 825 is equipped with Fairey Firefles. Cdr. C. K. Roberts, R.N., who led the unit in the Korean operations, is still the com manding officer. The unit has a remarkable 1939-1945 war record. Sycamores for Australia and Malaya ON Friday last H.M.A.S. Vengeance, in the English Channel, embarked the three Bristol Sycamore Mk 50s which are going into service with the Royal Australian Navy for air/sea rescue and general communications duties. A photograph taken during the flying-on is reproduced on the left. It was after completion of take-off and landing trials on the aircraft-carrier Triumph, during which wind speeds over the flight deck rose as high as nearly 40 knots, that the order for the Syca mores was placed by the Australian naval authorities. The differences in equipment between the Mk 50 and the earlier Sycamore models were described in an article in last week's issue. Another Sycamore is in the news, this time one destined for tropical trials in Malaya; it was due to leave England last Monday in the hold of a Bristol Freighter. The trials, which are to last ten weeks, will include evaluation for casualty-rescue duties, and for this purpose the equipment will include a rope-ladder by which the observer (in service, the medical orderly; can make a preliminary reconnaissance of the touch-down point. IN LINE ABREAST : The three Bristol Sycamore Mk SO helicopters orbiting H.M.A.S. "Vengeance" before landing on the fight deck. (Be/ow) With Capt. H. M. Burre//, R.A.N., who commands the "Vengeance," are (left to right) Lt. N. D. MacMillan, R.A.N.; Lt. G. McPhee, R.A.N.; and Lt. D. F. Farquharson, R.N., who is on loan to the Australian Navy (see news-item above). "Flight" photographs .
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