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Aviation History
1958
1958 - 0109.PDF
24 January 1958 HI THE ARMY AIR CORPS A Visit to its Centre at Middle Wallop "r | \HE Army Air Corps?" queried the rather serious young I Royal Air Force policeman at the main gate of R.A.F. JL Middle Wallop. His voice had that slight touch of disdain which characterizes one Service's reference to another, and implied some suspicion about the Army having anything to do with the air at all—especially on and around a Fighter Command station. Then his police mind reverted to routine and he made formal entries in the arrivals log and proffered some brisk direc- tions : "Turn to the right when you get to the top of this road and you will see three hangars ahead numbered three, four and five. It's No. 3." Outside No. 3 hangar stood a businesslike line of camouflaged Auster 6s, 7s and 9s and also a Skeeter 10; inside it were silver Chipmunks with "Army" painted on their sides; along the front of the hangar were lecture rooms where small classes were in progress, and offices marked Chief Flying Instructor, Chief Instructor, Commandant. Through several windows could be seen a sprinkling of R.A.F. blue amongst khaki uniforms which bore variously R.A.F. and Army pilots' brevets. This picture symbolizes the Army Air Corps Centre at Middle Wallop, the home of the A.A.C., which officially came into being on September 1 last year when the Army assumed full financial responsibility for all existing A.O.P. and light liaison units and when the Glider Pilot Regiment was absorbed into the new organization—which will be almost completely independent of the R.A.F. when on April 1 this year the Army takes over responsibility for the first- and second-line servicing of its aircraft. Thus a quiet Service revolution has taken place without daggers or assassinations being em- ployed by either generals or air marshals; and on a part of Salisbury Plain equally venerated by the Army and the R.A.F. for its past associa- tions, the sight of khaki-dad officers flying aircraft strikes a chord which jangles back forty-five years to hallowed names like Lark- hill and Bulford, Netheravon and Old Sarum. But the AAC. is too busy getting into gear at Middle Wallop to have tune for reflection on pious memories; it is careful to paint out that it is not setting up as a rival to the R.A.F. (since its aircraft are limited to 4,000 lb a.u.w.); and the impression made on a visitor to its Centre is of exuberant keenness in concentrating on present organizational tasks, setting its own standards and anticipating future commitments. There is a pioneering wind whistling round the offices in No. 3 hangar. At the head of the AA.G. organization there is the Com- mandant, Brig. G. P. L. Weston, D.S.O., O.B.E., who wears an R.A.F. pilot's brevet as well as a paratrooper's badge and whose flying experience with both R.A.F. and Army symbolizes the Brig. G. P. L Weston, D.S.O., O.B.E.. Commandant of the Army Air Corps Centre, with (right) the Chief Instructor, Lt-Col. CDS. Kennedy, R.A. An official sketch of the badge designed for the Army Air Corps and recently approved. foundation on which the new Air Corps is being built up. His bluff enthusiasm augurs well for its independent outlook in its future activities. Army Air Corps operations are—and will be—world-wide, with its units at present based in Germany, Northern Ireland, North Africa, the Middle East and Hong Kong; but all its training and central administration will be carried out at Middle Wallop. Under the Commandant and in charge of training there is the Chief Instructor, Lt-Col. C. D. S. Kennedy, R.A. Under Col. Kennedy's jurisdiction is the Pilot Training Wing, which has an R.A.F. chief flying instructor (S/L. M. Jones) and is divided into four flights—elementary, intermediate, exercise and heli- copter. There are two other Wings at the Centre—Tactics and Technical (the latter being staffed at present by both R.E.M.E. and R.A.F. personnel)—and R.EJV1.E. workshops. The work of these flying and maintenance wings can be understood by a description of the purposes of the A.A.C. and the strin- gent conditions laid down by the Army Council for membership of it. The Corps comes under the spon- sorship of the Director of Land/Air Warfare and operationally will have two main tasks, carried out by Recon- naissance and Liaison Flights. The former's work includes photography; special-to-arm duties for the armoured corps, engineers, signals and infantry; air observation (with particular refer- ence to artillery fire); and additional work like traffic control, line-laying, maintaining a security courier service and carrying first-class mail. The Liaison Flights will have (as their title implies) communication and liaison duties. Like the Reconnaissance Flights they are to do line-laying and courier work, and in addition collect casualties and carry tactical stores. Officers and N.CO.s who come to Middle Wallop for pilot training are volunteers from all branches of the Army (officers, N.C.O.S and O.R.s from all Arms, except the women's branches, are eligible), must have a minimum of three years to serve at the conclusion of their training, must possess high educational standards and have passed through the R.A.F. aircrew selection board at Hornchurch. Thus the Centre receives for training a type of student who is not only keen to fly but has the physical and mental equipment to do so; and it subjects him to an arduous and intensive 33 weeks' (or longer) course, at the end of which he is expected not only to go straight into an A.A.C. squadron but to be of use to it and able to survive. All the time emphasis is placed on the prospective pilot's ability as part of Aircraft with which the A.A.C. is being equipped for opera- tional purposes: a Saunders- Roe Skeeter 10 (due to be replaced in the future by the more powerful Mk 72 version) and an Auster 9. Skeeter 70s, Auster 6s, 7s and 9s and Chipmunks are in use at the Centre at Middle Wallop, which houses No. 6 Inde- pendent Liaison Flight in addi- tion to its training aircraft. "Flight" photographs
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