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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 1033.PDF
4 August 1953 187 R.A.F.'s Prestwick Pioneers for Malaya AS we briefly noted last week, the first of a batch of Prestwick r%. Pioneers (Alvis Leonides) ordered for the Royal Air Force, vvas formally handed over last Friday at Prestwick Airport—where the makers factory is situated. At least five have been ordered md in the near future two are to go into service in Malaya—in which operational theatre the Pioneers' almost-helicopter-like performance should be of the greatest value. Handing over the aircraft to Air Marshal Sir Robert Jones (Controller of Engineering and Equipment, Air Ministry) G/C D. F. Mclntyre (managing director of Scottish Aviation) said that "this end of the country" had been able to make a very great contribution to British shipbuilding. "I think," he added, "we can do the same with aircraft manufacture if sufficient employment is offered to the people of Scotland." Mr. Mclntyre paid tribute to Mr. Robert Mclntyre, the company's designer; then, referring to the forthcoming twin-engined civil version of the Pioneer, he said he thought that these two types would establish aircraft design and manufacture in Scotland. Air Marshal Sir Robert Jones, accepting the new aircraft, ex pressed his gratification at receiving the first aircraft wholly designed and wholly produced in Scotland. He had seen the Prestwick Pioneer perform, and had also seen the places—in Malaya—to which it was going, and he was perfectly convinced it would do its duty ably and well. The Air Force had a great regard for the work done by Scottish Aviation since the time when the firm looked after the Transatlantic ferry aircraft. During a luncheon following the acceptance, Sir Robert said it was a tribute to the designers and workmanship that Piom ers were being sent direct from the factory to an operational station, instead of going through the usual period with a home squad ron. Within eight to ten weeks they would be in operation in Malaya. The Duke of Hamilton, a director of the company, said that die Pioneer was the first aircraft built in Scotland since the firm of Beardmore built the Inflexible; that aircraft was of German design, whereas the Pioneer was both designed and manufactured by Scottish skill and Scottish workmanship. Skyways Directorship ANEW appointment to the board of Skyways, Ltd., is that of Mr. Charles F. Dickson, O.B.E., who is also a director of Austin Crompton Parkinson Electric Vehicles, Ltd.; Crompton Parkinson, Ltd.; I.T.D., Ltd.; and Young Accumulator Co., Ltd. The Skyways group includes a fleet of 28 Yorks, engaged in both trooping and charter work. Its chairman is Mr. David Brown and the managing director is Mr. Eric Rylands; also on the board are Brig. Gen. A. C. Critchley and Sir Wavell Wakefield. R.A.F. Senior Appointments SOME important changes in R.A.F. senior appointments were announced last week as having received the approval of Her Majesty the Queen. Air Marshal Sir John Boothman, K.B.E., C.B., D.F.C., A.F.C., Controller of Supplies (Air) at the Ministry of Supply, and an Additional Member of the Air Council, is appointed A.O.C-in-C. Coastal Command, with effect from November 15th. He will be succeeded at the Ministry by Air Chief Marshal Sir John W. Baker, K.C.B., M.C., D.F.C. Sir John Baker accordingly vacates his post as Vice-Chief of the Air Staff, giving place to A.V-M. W. A. D. Brook, C.B., C.B.E., who will be given the acting rank of air marshal. At Coastal Command, Sir John Boothman will take over from Air Marshal Sir Alick Stevens, K.B.E., C.B., who is retiring. Sir John Boothman's posting, we believe, sets a precedent. In the past it has been the custom to appoint senior officers to tech nical posts in the supply departments—moves which largely detach them from Service routine and place them in a predomin antly civil organization in which they are in daily contact with industrial and commercial affairs. Such officers—who in many SENIOR OFFICERS, three of whom receive new appointments, as an nounced above; one is retiring. Left to right: Mr Marshal Sir John Boothman, Air Chief Mar shal Sir John baker, A.V-M. W. A. D. Brook, Air Marshal Sir Alick Stevens; the last-named officer is retiring. ... -:-": •$&*' THE PRESTWICK PIONEER, ordered for the R.A.F. and—as related in the adjacent paragraphs—to go into almost immediate service in Malaya. instances are approaching retirement age—seldom return to purely R.A.F. duty; more often they accept senior posts in the industry, which welcomes the value of their wide experience. The Com mand H.Q. appointment of the C. of S. (A) suggests that future policy will recognize that a technical post in a supply department is not necessarily a culmination; that rather will it form a desir able and logical step in the career of a General Duties officer. If this in fact is the case, it may mean that these supply department posts will sometimes be occupied by younger men; and in saying so we cast no aspersions whatever on Sir John Boothman, who is a young 52 and whose affable efficiency in executing his M.o.S. duties is very generally recognized. Brief biographical notes on the careers of the four officers con cerned in the new appointments are as follows :— Air Marshal Sir John Boothman.—Born 1901, educated at Har row County School, and drove for the French Red Cross in the Balkans at the age of 17. Commissioned in the R.A.F. in 1921, and served in Iraq 1926-28. In 1931, as a flight lieutenant flying a Supermarine S.6B, he won the Schneider Trophy outright for Great Britain. Early in the war he was in the Directorate of Operational Requirements, Air Ministry; in 1943-44 commanded No. 106 Gp., a P.R. group in Coastal Com mand; in 1944-45 commanded the A. and A.E.E., Boscombe Down; was next A.C.A.S. (Technical Requirements), Air Ministry; went to Iraq as A.O.C.; and to his M.o.S. post in September 1950. Air Chief Marshal Sir John Baker.—Born 1897, educated at Eastbourne College and the R.M.A., Woolwich, whence he was com missioned into the Royal Garrison Artillery in 1916; seconded to the R.F.C. in 1917 and in 1919 received the first R.A.F. permanent com mission. His career in the inter-war years was typical of that of an efficient R.A.F. pilot, and when war broke out he had attained suffi ciently senior rank to be appointed Deputy Director of Plans, Air Ministry. Thereafter his successive posts were Director of Bomber Operations; S.A.S.O., Air H.Q., India and later at H.Q. Air Command S.E. Asia; A.O.C. 12 Gp., Fighter Command; Director-General of Per sonnel, Air Ministry; A.O.C-in-C. Coastal Command; A.O.C-in-C. M.E.A.F.; Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (March-November, 1952); and Vice-Chief of the Air Staff, his present post. A. V-M, W. A. D. Brook.—Born 1901 and educated at Rugby and Cranwell, whence he was commissioned in 1921. For two years during the war he was S.A.S.O. at No. 4 Gp., Bomber Command and from August 1944 until the Japanese surrender he was Director of Plans (Air Staff), first at H.Q. Air Command, S.E. Asia, then at Supreme Allied H.Q., S.E. Asia. His post-war appointments were: Director of Policy (Air Staff), Air Ministry; Deputy Chief of Staff at H.Q. Allied Air Forces Central Europe; and (from September 1051) A.O.C. No. 3 Group, Bomber Command. Air Marshal Sir Alick Stevens.—Born 1898 and educated at Vic toria College, Jersey, joined the R.N.A.S. in 1916 and was embodied in the R.A.F. in 1918. His Second World War posts included the follow ing: Director of Operations (Naval Co-operation), Air Ministry; S.A.S.O., No. 18 Gp., Coastal Command; and A.O.C. Gibraltar. After trie war he was successively A.O.C. of Nos. 47, 48 and 4 Gps., Trans port Command; A.O.C. No. 22 Gp., Technical Training Command; A.O.C. British Forces Aden; A.O.C. East Africa; S.A.S.O., Coastal Command (from* June, 1950); and A.O.C-in-C. Coastal Command since June, 1951. . Further senior appointments are listed, with portraits, on page 211,
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