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Aviation History
1960
1960 - 0259.PDF
•UGHT, 19 February 1960 259 rmnwell today: a typical ceremonial scene at tll III College, which celebrated its 40th n,niversary on February 5 (a reminiscenta tide wo* Pushed in "Flight" for that date) The buildings, designed by the late Sir James Grey West, were first occupied in September 1933 SERVICE AVIATION Royal Air Forces and Naval Flying News Visiting SE Asia AT the end of last month the Chief ofthe Air Staff of the RAAF, Air Marshal Sir Frederick Scherger, left Aus-tralia by Hercules of the RAAF Transport Wing to inspect RAAF personnel in south-east Asia. He was spending several days at Butterworth, the big RAAF base inNorthern Malaya where there are two fighter squadrons and a bomber squadronand nearly 1,000 Australian airmen are stationed. In Singapore the Air Marshalwas to have talks with the Australian High Commissioner and the C-in-C FEAF, AirChief Marshal the Earl of Bandon. For Cyprus Services TWENTY-THREE members of the•*• Royal Air Force have received honours and awards in recognition of distinguishedservice in Cyprus, as follows: — HONOURS Order of the Bath Companion: AVM C. T. Weir, CBE, DFC. Order of the British Empire Officer: Wg Cdr J. F. Oliver, RAF Regt. Members: Fg Off A. E. Jones, RAF Regt; Pit Off A. Greenhalgh. AWARDS AFC: Fit Lt K. W. Woodcock. Royal Red Cross (Second Class): Fit OffH. M. Cookson, Princess Mary's RAF Nursing [ Service. BEM (Mil): Ch Tech T. V. Morgan.I Mentions in Despatches: Rev A. D. H. Northridge, BA; Sqn Ldr A. Smart, BEM;Sqn Ldr L. Agar-Wilson; Fit Lt R. Ellis, MB, chB; Fit Lt A. Gavan; Fit Lt P. Morris, BEM,RAF Regt; Fit Lt D. Proctor, RAF Regt; £g»^ff«C W Cornish; Fg Off J. J. Ridge, EA,RAF Reserve of Officers; F/sgt J. Haddon, RAF Regt; Ch Tech W. H. Bradley; Sgt B. F.Naylor, RAF Regt; Sgt D. F. G. Baxter; Cpl R. D. Harding, RAF Regt; SAC E. D.Greig; SAC V. Hodgson. Prime Instrument QNE of the first things the AOC-in-C~ Transport Command, Air Marshal air Denis Barnett, said in his BranckerMemorial Lecture on February 1 on RAF transport Command was somethingabout what that command is. "In conver- sation I have heard it denned in manyquasi-exact terms," said Sir Denis. "As an airline. Or as a charter company. Orsometimes as a fire brigade. Or, in certain contexts, as a weapon system whichlaunches a khaki weapon. Or as a prime u»tnm,«,» ^ keeping ^ cola war It is, of course, not quite and not continuously any single one of thesethings, except perhaps the last, but it has something in common with all."Speaking of the Command's equipment, Sir Denis paid tribute to the Handley PageHastings and said it would endure beyond the initial stage of the introduction of theAW.660—"which is colloquially, but not quite correctly, referred to as its successor."He had a pat on the back for the Blackburn Beverley, which "has perforce been calledupon to undertake duties for which it was not intended;" of the D.H. Comets hesaid of the Middle East operations in the summer of 1958 that there was "no doubtthat our possession of the small Comet fleet saved the day;" of the Britannias, that theywould redress the shortcomings of the Transport Command fleet in range, "andsatisfy in part our need for speed and load;" and of the Command's aircrewcommented: "I am today the proud inheritor of a crew complement which,in its professional standards of crew com- petence and of captaincy, is second tonone." Of future needs, Sir Denis said thatexpansion was needed in the numbers and types of short-range transports; in long-range work, "really high and progressively contemporary performance in at least anelement of our strategic fleet;" and on "strategic poise and speed": "if one peersahead no further than the already contem- porary Comet 4 and the almost contem-porary VC10 the current times of execu- tion, which now are measured in days,become measurable in hours." It was essential to exploit, and not squander, "ouracquired store of turbojet technique." ATC Deputy Commandant T TNTIL recently attached to the Ministry*-^ of Aviation, Gp Capt A. G. Dudgeon has been made Deputy Commandant of the Air Training Corps with the acting rankof air commodore. Among his RAF posts before going to the Ministry of Aviationwere the command of RAF Benson and (from 1954) of RAF Bruggen in Germany.He was awarded the DFC in 1941 and mentioned in despatches the same year.In 1955 he was made CBE. IN BRIEF Thirty-five RAF officers are shortly leavingfor Norway to attend winter survival courses run by the RNAF. * * * A service of thanksgiving to mark the 40thanniversary of the RAF Benevolent Fund is being held at the RAF church, St ClementDanes, on April 2. A luncheon to mark the retirement ofSqn Ldr J. Mclndoe, who since 1954 has commanded No 152 (City of Hull) Sqn of theATC, was held at RAF Leconfield on January 31. AC P. Worthington was recently awardedthe Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct for assisting in the rescue of an officer indanger of drowning whilst bathing near Episcopi in Cyprus. * * * Wg Cdr W. Norrie, who recently retiredfrom command of the Aberdeen and North- east Wing of the ATC, was presented with aninscribed silver salver by Sqn Ldr A. Dale, the CO of No 107 Sqn, at a luncheon inAberdeen on January 31. .., :; * * * No 847 Naval Air Sqn, which was recentlypaid off, flew 1,687 operational sorties in Cyprus, entailing more than 4,000hr flying,from the time they started operations on April 12, 1956. Equipped with Gannets, thesquadron formed part of the Cyprus Maritime Patrol, which has now been gradually reduced. RETROSPECT! From Motor Union (Aviation Section). (CaxtonHouse, S.W.): Major J. N. C. Kennedy gave a lecture on Tuesday evening, at the RoyalSocieties Club, on "Aviation from the Military Standpoint," in which he considered howairships could be used during hostilities both ashore and afloat. By means of lantern slideshe illustrated how aerial craft might be used in future engagements. There was just apossibility, he pointed out, that aviation might effect a desirable result from a humani-tarian standpoint. With two opposing forces manoeuvring in the field there could, in "Flight" of February 19, 1910 future, be no secrecy as to their dispositionor strength—the commanders would know exactly to which side would fall the victory.In the circumstances, would the general who found himself at a disadvantage be justified inrisking an action, or would the authorities at the War Office, who, of course, would alsoknow the situation, allow the general to engage? When the conclusion was soapparent, would any useful object be attained by fighting the position? These considera-tions suggested that we were nearing the time when war would be no more.
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