Download Thesis

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Download Thesis This electronic thesis or dissertation has been downloaded from the King’s Research Portal at https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/ Control without Occupation The missed lesson of effective air operations in irregular conflict from the RAF’s air control scheme Newton, Richard Dana Awarding institution: King's College London The copyright of this thesis rests with the author and no quotation from it or information derived from it may be published without proper acknowledgement. END USER LICENCE AGREEMENT Unless another licence is stated on the immediately following page this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ You are free to copy, distribute and transmit the work Under the following conditions: Attribution: You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work). Non Commercial: You may not use this work for commercial purposes. No Derivative Works - You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work. Any of these conditions can be waived if you receive permission from the author. Your fair dealings and other rights are in no way affected by the above. Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact [email protected] providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 29. Sep. 2021 King’s College London Control without Occupation: The missed lesson of effective air operations in irregular conflict from the RAF’s air control scheme Richard D. Newton Defence Studies Department A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Defence Studies 7 Aug 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS GLOSSARY. .......................................................................................................................................... ii LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ..................................................................................................................... iv ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………………………v Chapter One, Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1 Terminology ................................................................................................................................... 11 The Leadership ............................................................................................................................... 14 The Literature ................................................................................................................................. 14 Structure of the Thesis .................................................................................................................... 39 Chapter Two, Air Control between the Wars ....................................................................................... 47 Opportunity .................................................................................................................................... 53 Capitalising on the Success ............................................................................................................ 59 The Cairo Conference, March 1921 ............................................................................................... 72 Chapter Three, Air Control in Practice ................................................................................................. 82 Air Control on the North-West Frontier of India ......................................................................... 101 The Peculiar Case of Palestine ..................................................................................................... 107 Fully Implementing the Air Control Scheme ............................................................................... 117 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 124 Chapter Four , Intelligence, Influence, and Air Control ...................................................................... 128 Learning to Live Among the Tribes ............................................................................................. 145 Targeting and Effects ................................................................................................................... 152 Influencing the Decision-makers .................................................................................................. 155 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 159 Chapter Five, Air Control and Its Influence ....................................................................................... 160 Gaining Control ............................................................................................................................ 162 Applying Coercive Effects ........................................................................................................... 171 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 176 Chapter Six, Conclusion: Air Power, Tribal Control, and Irregular Warfare .................................... 178 Concluding Thoughts ................................................................................................................... 191 APPENDIX 1 ...................................................................................................................................... 194 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................... 196 i GLOSSARY AFHRA Air Force Historical Research Agency (US) AHB Air Historical Branch (UK) AIR Air Ministry Papers Air Cdre Air Commodore (1-star) AC Aircraftsman (RAF enlisted rank) ACM Air Chief Marshal (4-stars) AM Air Marshal (3-stars) AVM Air Vice Marshal (2-stars) Brig Brigadier (1-star, UK) Brig Gen Brigadier General (1-star, US) CAB Cabinet Papers CAS Chief of the Air Staff (UK) CHAR Chartwell Paper (Churchill’s papers from before 27 July 1945) CO Colonial Office Papers CP Cabinet Papers DoD Department of Defense (US) FO Foreign Office Papers Gen General (4-stars) IWM Imperial War Museum LHA Liddell Hart Archives at King’s College London Lt Gen Lieutenant General (3-stars) Maj Gen Major General (2-stars) MRAF Marshal of the Royal Air Force NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organisation RCAS Royal Central Asia Society ROE rules of engagement RUSI Royal United Service Institution SF Special Forces SOF Special Operations Forces Sqn Squadron SSO Special Service Officer TNA The National Archives (UK) TREA Treasury Papers USII United Service Institute of India WC War Cabinet Papers ii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1, British Somaliland, 1919 53 Figure 4.1, Z-Unit DH-9 Air Ambulance 129 Figure 4.2, Air Control Process 137 Figure 5.1, Credibility, Capability, & Communication 167 Figure 5.2, Power, Presence, & Perception 170 Figure 6.1, SSOs in the Centre 190 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT In January 1999, I took off my flight suit and changed my role from practitioner to educator and researcher. I was afforded the privilege of teaching the soldiers, sailors, and airmen of NATO about special operations, air power, and the interdependence of the two. Along the way, I was honoured to be included in an amazingly talented and discerning group of airmen from the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, Italy, and the United States who drafted, tested, and promulgated the first NATO doctrines and theories for special air warfare and the appropriate role for air power in conflicts of an irregular nature. Like so many others who have attempted the process of a PhD thesis, I could not have completed this journey of learning on my own. I am grateful for all who listened and challenged me as I formed my ideas, who encouraged and held me up when it all seemed ‘just too hard’, and who saw the value of this research. Thank you. There are two, however, without whom this thesis would have been consigned to the recycle bin. Dr David Jordan, Senior Lecturer in the Defence Studies Programme at King’s College London, agreed to become my supervisor at a time when the thesis and my thinking about air power and irregular warfare had become ‘lost in the clouds’. Like all great instructor pilots, he guided, nudged, and when necessary, re-focused my efforts to get me and the thesis back on course and on glide path. It is Group Captain (RAF, retired) Graham Thwaites, though, who is most responsible for this thesis being attempted in the first place and whose influence—friendship, support, and the occasional ‘kick in the trousers’, kept me going during some especially trying episodes. Without his vision, counsel and encouragement, this thesis would not have been attempted and likely would have never been completed. The one who deserves the greatest credit though, is my wife. Kathy was the one who told me to ‘go for it’ when the opportunity to attempt the PhD presented itself. She suffered through the separations caused by the year in residence at King’s and my research trips, and also the years of missed
Recommended publications
  • UNFPA Campaign
    UNFPA Somalia Country Office SAMOFAL Solidarity in Crisis Issue Number 9, April 2012 Somalia Country Office INSIDE STORIES UNFPA Zero Tolerance to FGM/C pg.2 continues fistula Delivered Kits to IDPs pg 8 campaign. Certificate of merit pg.11 And many more stories inside... In November 2011 the Ministry of Health in Somaliland opened a campaign in Borama Fistula Center. Besides the 80 cases operated there already by December, one doctor from Bassaso hospital undergone practical training on fistula management with the technical team in Borama. The same doctor from Bossaso undertook an eight weeks training in Kenya early 2011. In Puntland 41 cases were operated in Galkayo Medical Center. Almost two thirds of the patients came from South Central Somalia, especially from the Mogadishu region. Cases were identified by NGOs working in those areas and supported by UNFPA to report to Galkayo Medical Center. The costs of the campaign were totally covered by UNFPA. 18 - year old Nimo Mohamoud said she will wait five years with having another baby, just to make sure she is fine again, after having undergone a fistula operation at the National Fistula Hospital in Borama. Obstetric fistula, one of the most devastating childbirth injuries, is caused by the lack of skilled birth attendant and access to emergency care during delivery. It is a highly stigmatizing, though in most cases treatable condition that results from pro- longed, obstetric labor and cases chronic incontinence. The Somaliland campaign which is part of a larger global cam- paign, addresses all aspects of obstetric fistula, from prevention and treatment to social reintegration of woman recovering from treatment.
    [Show full text]
  • Security & Defence European
    a 7.90 D 14974 E D European & Security ES & Defence 6/2019 International Security and Defence Journal COUNTRY FOCUS: AUSTRIA ISSN 1617-7983 • Heavy Lift Helicopters • Russian Nuclear Strategy • UAS for Reconnaissance and • NATO Military Engineering CoE Surveillance www.euro-sd.com • Airborne Early Warning • • Royal Norwegian Navy • Brazilian Army • UAS Detection • Cockpit Technology • Swiss “Air2030” Programme Developments • CBRN Decontamination June 2019 • CASEVAC/MEDEVAC Aircraft • Serbian Defence Exports Politics · Armed Forces · Procurement · Technology ANYTHING. In operations, the Eurofighter Typhoon is the proven choice of Air Forces. Unparalleled reliability and a continuous capability evolution across all domains mean that the Eurofighter Typhoon will play a vital role for decades to come. Air dominance. We make it fly. airbus.com Editorial Europe Needs More Pragmatism The elections to the European Parliament in May were beset with more paradoxes than they have ever been. The strongest party which will take its seats in the plenary chambers in Brus- sels (and, as an expensive anachronism, also in Strasbourg), albeit only for a brief period, is the Brexit Party, with 29 seats, whose programme is implicit in their name. Although EU institutions across the entire continent are challenged in terms of their public acceptance, in many countries the election has been fought with a very great deal of emotion, as if the day of reckoning is dawning, on which decisions will be All or Nothing. Some have raised concerns about the prosperous “European Project”, which they see as in dire need of rescue from malevolent sceptics. Others have painted an image of the decline of the West, which would inevitably come about if Brussels were to be allowed to continue on its present course.
    [Show full text]
  • Britain, British Petroleum, Shell and the Remaking of the International Oil Industry, 1957-1979
    Empires of Energy: Britain, British Petroleum, Shell and the Remaking of the International Oil Industry, 1957-1979 Author: Jonathan Robert Kuiken Persistent link: http://hdl.handle.net/2345/bc-ir:104079 This work is posted on eScholarship@BC, Boston College University Libraries. Boston College Electronic Thesis or Dissertation, 2013 Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. Boston College The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Department of History EMPIRES OF ENERGY: BRITAIN, BRITISH PETROLEUM, SHELL AND THE REMAKING OF THE INTERNATIONAL OIL INDUSTRY, 1957-1979 [A dissertation by] JONATHAN R. KUIKEN submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy August, 2013 © copyright by JONATHAN ROBERT KUIKEN 2013 Empires of Energy: Britain, British Petroleum, Shell and the remaking of the international oil industry, 1957-1979 Jonathan R. Kuiken Dissertation Advisor - James E. Cronin Dissertation Abstract This dissertation examines British oil policy from the aftermath of the Suez Crisis in 1956-1957 until the Iranian Revolution and the electoral victory of Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative Party in 1979. It was a period marked by major transitions within Britain’s oil policy as well as broader changes within the international oil market. It argues that the story of Britain, and Britain’s two domestically-based oil companies, BP and Shell, offers a valuable case study in the development of competing ideas about the reorganization of the international oil industry in the wake of the rise of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting countries and the companies’ losing control over the production of oil.
    [Show full text]
  • The Visiting Forces (Relative Ranks) Regulations 1983
    44 1983/6 THE VISITING FORCES (RELATIVE RANKS) REGULATIONS 1983 DAVID BEATfIE, Governor-General ORDER IN COUNCIL At the Government Buildings at Wellington this 7th day of February 1983 Present: THE RIGHT HON. D. MAcINTYRE PRESIDING IN COUNCIL PCRSCA:\"T to section 6 (5) of the Visiting Forces Act 1939, His Excellency the Governor-General, acting by and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council, hereby makes the following regulations. REGULATIONS 1. Title and conunencement-(l) These regulations may be cited as the Visiting Forces (Relative Ranks) Regulations 1983. (2) These regulations shall come into force on the day after the date of their notification in the Ga;:.ette. 2. Declaration of relative ranks-For the purposes of section 6 of the Visiting Forces Act 1939, the relative ranks of members of the home forces and of the naval, military, and air forces of the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth of Australia, and Tonga respectively shall be those specified in the Schedule to' these regulations. 3. Revocation-The Visiting Forces (Relative Ranks) Regulations 1971* are hereby revoked. ·S.R. 1971/223 1983/6 Visiting Forces (Relative Ranks) Regulations 45 1983 SCHEDULE Reg.2 *TABLE OF RELATIVE RA"KS Ranks in the Home Forces Royal C\'ew Zealand C\'avy New Zealand Army Royal New Zealand Air Force 1. 2. 3. Vice-Admiral Lieutenant-General Air Marshal 4. Rear-Admiral Major-General Air Vice-Marshal 5. Commodore Brigadier Air Commodore 6. Captain Colonel Group Captain Matron-in-Chief 7. Commander Lieutenant-Colonel Wing Commander Principal Matron B. Lieutenant-Commander Major Squadron Leader Matron 9.
    [Show full text]
  • Kings RAF Booklet
    Combined Cadet Force Royal Air Force A Commissioning Aide Memoire for the Officer Cadre Version 1 “Where else could you learn to fly aerobatics, visit Royal Air Force Stations, tour foreign countries, play sports from local to international level, learn the skills to lead expeditions, become a target shooting marksman, gain your Duke of Edinburgh Awards, canoe through white water, assist your community, join a band, learn aviation subjects, go caving, parachute, climb, sail, ski...? These and much more are readily available to you as a member of the Air Cadet Organization.” Air Commodore Jon Chitty OBE. Introduction The school cadet organisation originates from 1859, when schools at Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Rossall, Felsted, Hurstpierpoint, Winchester and Tonbridge formed armed uniformed units as part of a national reserve to counter a perceived threat from abroad. By 1900, cadet units were established in over 100 schools across the country and in 1908, these units were re-titled the Officer Training Corps (OTC). In 1948, the OTC was renamed the Combined Cadet Force. The aim of the Combined Cadet Force is to provide a framework through which young people develop the qualities of team work, self-reliance, resourcefulness, leadership and responsibility. A weekly programme of military training is designed to give young people at King’s a chance to exercise responsibility and leadership, to provide them with knowledge of our defence forces, and to encourage those who might be interested in becoming officers of the Armed Services. Uniform members of the Combined Cadet Force will regularly stay on Royal Air Forces bases, therefore it is important that cadets are able to demonstrate an awareness of the structure and organisation of the Royal Air Force, its role in the defence of the United Kingdom and her interests and the operations in which the Royal Air Force are currently engaged.
    [Show full text]
  • TWICE a CITIZEN Celebrating a Century of Service by the Territorial Army in London
    TWICE A CITIZEN Celebrating a century of service by the Territorial Army in London www.TA100.co.uk The Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association for Greater London Twice a Citizen “Every Territorial is twice a citizen, once when he does his ordinary job and the second time when he dons his uniform and plays his part in defence.” This booklet has been produced as a souvenir of the celebrations for the Centenary of the Territorial Field Marshal William Joseph Slim, Army in London. It should be remembered that at the time of the formation of the Rifle Volunteers 1st Viscount Slim, KG, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, DSO, MC in 1859, there was no County of London, only the City. Surrey and Kent extended to the south bank of the Thames, Middlesex lay on the north bank and Essex bordered the City on the east. Consequently, units raised in what later became the County of London bore their old county names. Readers will learn that Londoners have much to be proud of in their long history of volunteer service to the nation in its hours of need. From the Boer War in South Africa and two World Wars to the various conflicts in more recent times in The Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan, London Volunteers and Territorials have stood together and fought alongside their Regular comrades. Some have won Britain’s highest award for valour - the Victoria Cross - and countless others have won gallantry awards and many have made the ultimate sacrifice in serving their country. This booklet may be recognised as a tribute to all London Territorials who have served in the past, to those who are currently serving and to those who will no doubt serve in the years to come.
    [Show full text]
  • 20 Years After Kargil 26
    Event Report-07/2019 20 years after Kargil: Military operations, perceptions, and decision-making July 2019 Brookings India hosted its second “Back to the Future” panel discussion, marking the 20th anniversary of the Kargil War, to explore the political, military, and diplomatic challenges of the war and the lessons it holds for India’s future strategy. e series involves inviting former decision-makers to revisit a historic episode in India’s foreign and security relations to draw lessons and improve future policies. e expert panel included Gen. V.P. Malik, Chief of Army Sta, Indian Army (1997-2000); Lt. Gen. Mohinder Puri, Major General, GOC, 8 Mountain Division (1999); Air Marshal Narayan Menon, Air Ocer Commanding (AOC), Jammu and Kashmir; Shakti Sinha, Private Secretary to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1996-1999) and Indrani Bagchi, Diplomatic Correspondent, e Economic Times (1999). e session was moderated by Dr. Anit Mukherjee, Non-Resident Fellow, Brookings India. e event was open to the public and on-the-record. In attendance were ocials from various ministries, from the Indian Armed Forces, foreign diplomats, academics from leading universities and think tanks, as well as members of the media and civil society. Kargil Revisited What was the nature of intrusions which triggered the Kargil Mukherjee contended that such calls have gone largely War in 1999? What were some of the major contentions, costs, unanswered, posing the larger question of whether democracies and consequences of the war? Twenty years later, where do we necessarily need crises to usher in change. stand today? Moderator Anit Mukherjee not only addressed Mukherjee also brought up the need to teach the present these questions by providing a general outline of the war, but generation of ocers the main lessons that emerged from the also evoked certain issues of contemporary relevance to set the war.
    [Show full text]
  • Equivalent Ranks of the British Services and U.S. Air Force
    EQUIVALENT RANKS OF THE BRITISH SERVICES AND U.S. AIR FORCE RoyalT Air RoyalT NavyT ArmyT T UST Air ForceT ForceT Commissioned Ranks Marshal of the Admiral of the Fleet Field Marshal Royal Air Force Command General of the Air Force Admiral Air Chief Marshal General General Vice Admiral Air Marshal Lieutenant General Lieutenant General Rear Admiral Air Vice Marshal Major General Major General Commodore Brigadier Air Commodore Brigadier General Colonel Captain Colonel Group Captain Commander Lieutenant Colonel Wing Commander Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant Squadron Leader Commander Major Major Lieutenant Captain Flight Lieutenant Captain EQUIVALENT RANKS OF THE BRITISH SERVICES AND U.S. AIR FORCE RoyalT Air RoyalT NavyT ArmyT T UST Air ForceT ForceT First Lieutenant Sub Lieutenant Lieutenant Flying Officer Second Lieutenant Midshipman Second Lieutenant Pilot Officer Notes: 1. Five-Star Ranks have been phased out in the British Services. The Five-Star ranks in the U.S. Services are reserved for wartime only. 2. The rank of Midshipman in the Royal Navy is junior to the equivalent Army and RAF ranks. EQUIVALENT RANKS OF THE BRITISH SERVICES AND U.S. AIR FORCE RoyalT Air RoyalT NavyT ArmyT T UST Air ForceT ForceT Non-commissioned Ranks Warrant Officer Warrant Officer Warrant Officer Class 1 (RSM) Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Warrant Officer Class 2b (RQSM) Chief Command Master Sergeant Warrant Officer Class 2a Chief Master Sergeant Chief Petty Officer Staff Sergeant Flight Sergeant First Senior Master Sergeant Chief Technician Senior Master Sergeant Petty Officer Sergeant Sergeant First Master Sergeant EQUIVALENT RANKS OF THE BRITISH SERVICES AND U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • STRIKING FIRST – Preemptive and Preventive Attack in U.S. National
    THE ARTS This PDF document was made available CHILD POLICY from www.rand.org as a public service of CIVIL JUSTICE the RAND Corporation. EDUCATION ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT Jump down to document6 HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit NATIONAL SECURITY research organization providing POPULATION AND AGING PUBLIC SAFETY objective analysis and effective SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY solutions that address the challenges SUBSTANCE ABUSE facing the public and private sectors TERRORISM AND HOMELAND SECURITY around the world. TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE WORKFORCE AND WORKPLACE Support RAND Purchase this document Browse Books & Publications Make a charitable contribution For More Information Visit RAND at www.rand.org Explore RAND Project AIR FORCE View document details Limited Electronic Distribution Rights This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law as indicated in a notice appearing later in this work. This electronic representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for non- commercial use only. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of our research documents. This product is part of the RAND Corporation monograph series. RAND monographs present major research findings that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND mono- graphs undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity. STRIKINGFIRST Preemptive and Preventive Attack in U.S. National Security Policy KARL P. MUELLER JASEN J. CASTILLO FORREST E. MORGAN NEGEEN PEGAHI BRIAN ROSEN Prepared for the United States Air Force Approved for public release; distribution unlimited The research described in this report was sponsored by the United States Air Force under Contract F49642-01-C-0003.
    [Show full text]
  • By the Seat of Their Pants
    BY THE SEAT OF THEIR PANTS THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONFERENCE HELD AT THE RAAF MUSEUM , POINT COOK BY MILITARY HISTORY AND HERITAGE VICTORIA 12 NOVEMBER 2012 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS AAC Australian Air Corps AFC Australian Flying Corps AIF Australian Imperial Force AWM Australian War Memorial CFS Central Flying School DFC Distinguished Flying Cross DSO Distinguished Service Order KIA Killed in Action MC Military Cross MM Military Medal NAA National Archives of Australia NAUK The National Archives of the UK NCO Non-Commissioned Officer POW Prisoner of War RAAF Royal Australian Air Force RFC Royal Flying Corps RNAS Royal Naval Air Service SLNSW State Library of New South Wales NOTES ON CONTRIBUTOR MR MICHAEL MOLKENTIN Michael is a PhD candidate at the University of New South Wales where he is writing a thesis titled ‘Australia, the Empire and the Great War in the Air’. His research will form the basis of a volume in the Australian Army’s Centenary History of the Great War series that Oxford University Press will publish in 2014. Michael is a qualified history teacher and battlefield tour guide and has worked as a consultant for programs screened on the ABC and Chanel 9. Michael has contributed articles to the Journal of the Australian War Memorial , Teaching History , Wartime , Cross & Cockade , Over the Front and Flightpath , and is the author of two books: Fire in the Sky: The Australian Flying Corps in the First World War (Allen & Unwin, 2010) and Flying the Southern Cross: Aviators Charles Ulm and Charles Kingsford Smith (National Library of Australia, 2012).
    [Show full text]
  • THE BRITISH AIR CAMPAIGN DURING the BATTLE of the SOMME APRIL-NOVEMBER, 1916: a PYRRHIC VICTORY by Thomas G. Bradbeer M.A., Univ
    THE BRITISH AIR CAMPAIGN DURING THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME APRIL-NOVEMBER, 1916: A PYRRHIC VICTORY By Thomas G. Bradbeer M.A., University of Saint Mary, 1999 Submitted to the graduate degree program in History and the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Kansas In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy ___________________ Chairperson Theodore A. Wilson, PhD Committee members ____________________ Jonathan H. Earle, PhD ____________________ Adrian R. Lewis, PhD ____________________ Brent J. Steele, PhD ____________________ Jacob Kipp, PhD Date defended: March 28, 2011 The Dissertation Committee for Thomas G. Bradbeer certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: THE BRITISH AIR CAMPAIGN DURING THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME APRIL-NOVEMBER, 1916: A PYRRHIC VICTORY ___________________ Chairperson Theodore A. Wilson, PhD Date approved March 28, 2011 ii THE BRITISH AIR CAMPAIGN DURING THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME, APRIL-NOVEMBER, 1916: A PYRRHIC VICTORY ABSTRACT The Battle of the Somme was Britain’s first major offensive of the First World War. Just about every facet of the campaign has been analyzed and reexamined. However, one area of the battle that has been little explored is the second battle which took place simultaneously to the one on the ground. This second battle occurred in the skies above the Somme, where for the first time in the history of warfare a deliberate air campaign was planned and executed to support ground operations. The British Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was tasked with achieving air superiority over the Somme sector before the British Fourth Army attacked to start the ground offensive.
    [Show full text]
  • British Campaign Groups and Pairs
    BRITISH CAMPAIGN GROUPS AND PAIRS This is a PDF document and is fully searchable using keywords. You can also download and save the document to view when not connected to the internet. Back to index page Ref Description Sterling Euro BG2419 THE BOER WAR AND WW1 CAMPAIGN GROUP TO MAJOR E.C. £2,250.00 €2,700.0 HOLLAND, 6TH INNISKILLING DRAGOONS AND REMOUNT SERVICE, 0 WHO WAS AWARDED THE ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY’S MEDAL FOR SAVING TWO SOLDIERS FROM DROWNING DURING THE BOER WAR, AND ADDITIONALLY DECORATED BY THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT DURING WW1. Eight: Queen's South Africa Medal, 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg, Belfast, officially engraved (Captain, 6th Dragoons); Kings South Africa Medal, 2 clasps officially engraved (Captain, 6th Inniskilling Dragoons); 1914-15 Star (Major, Remount Service); British War Medal and Victory Medal with MID oakleaf on ribbon (Major); Victoria, Jubilee Medal 1897, silver (unnamed, as issued); France, Medaille d'Honneur des Affaires Etrangeres, silver gilt, with ornate crossed swords and oak leaves suspension unnamed, as issued, rim struck twice with the Paris mint mark for medals of the period, a Horn of Plenty, and additionally impressed "Argent" (silver) between the two mint marks; Royal Humane Society Lifesaving Medal, bronze, small size (38mm), successful (officially engraved: CAPT: E.C. HOLLAND. FEB: 21. 1901.) Campaign medals, Jubilee Medal and French decoration mounted loose style, as worn, Royal Humane Society Medal mounted separately, two small nicks to obverse rim of Medaille d’Honneur (test marks?) at 7 o’clock and 8 o’clock, otherwise generally Almost Extremely Fine, and undoubtedly a unique combination of medals, certainly to the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons and probably to any branch of the British armed forces.
    [Show full text]