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Book Reviews BRITISH IMPERIAL AIR POWER the Royal Air Forces and the Defense of Australia and New Zealand Between the World Wars by Alex M Spencer

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Book Reviews BRITISH IMPERIAL AIR POWER the Royal Air Forces and the Defense of Australia and New Zealand Between the World Wars by Alex M Spencer Book Reviews BRITISH IMPERIAL AIR POWER The Royal Air Forces and the Defense of Australia and New Zealand Between the World Wars By Alex M Spencer Purdue University Press, 504 W State Street, West Lafayette, IN 49707-2058, USA. 2020, 307pp. Illustrated. $39.99. ISBN 978-1-55753-940-3. In 1967 the reviewer was fortunate to be selected to travel to New Zealand for a Rotary-sponsored study tour. The flight out, by Qantas 707 then TAA Electra, routed Heathrow - Athens - Tehran - New Above: Part of the Imperial was lucky to survive the predations of its sister Delhi - Bangkok - Singapore - Sydney - Auckland Gift, a RAAF de Havilland arms and based its case on the mobility of aircraft. DH9A from Point Cooke. and took 40 hours. The cost was a staggering RAeS (NAL). The reader is reminded that air mobility, at a time £3,000 in old money. The journey approximated the of short-range and relatively unreliable aircraft, pre-war air route and the time and distance involved depended very much on significant infrastructure was a forceful reminder of just how far away these – not just aerodromes but locally based personnel, outposts of Empire were. In those days the world armaments, fuel and other essential stores. was not a global village. Thirty years prior to the Successive chapters address the immediate trip the voyage by air would probably have taken post-war years, the early imperial defence schemes, around a week: 50 years after, it takes 24 hours arms limitation, the Empire air routes, development and costs a lot less. It is now easy to overlook how and failure of airships, the Depression, international the components of what is now the Commonwealth tension, rearmament and the lead in to WW2. interacted before the days of the Internet, television There is an emphasis on the position and role of and fast and cheap travel. Singapore as being pivotal to any Pacific Imperial According to the jacket blurb: ‘British Imperial defence scheme and questions of payment for its Air Power examines the air defense of Australia development as a base and its protection. and New Zealand during the interwar period. It also Given the lack of funds for air forces, much demonstrates the difficulty of applying new military is made of the post-war ‘Imperial Gift’ of aircraft aviation technology to the defense of the global to the dominions but, while the monetary value of Empire and provides insight into the nature of the the surplus aircraft was overstated – although of political relationship between the Pacific Dominions modern design they were otherwise scrap – there and Britain’. The spelling of defence will alert the is no reference to the supporting materials supplied, reader to this being an American publication, written which most certainly were not scrap. In 2010 Seb by Dr Alex Spencer, curator of British and European Cox, Head of the Air Historical Branch, made a military aircraft and flight materiel at the National Air presentation to the RAF Historical Society on the and Space Museum: we are in safe hands. pre-war dominion air forces in which he made The book does most of what it says on the specific reference to the gift to Australia. Remarking jacket and a lot more besides. There is clearly a that it consisted of a self-contained air force, depth of research and what is noticeable is that the Cox noted that: “In addition to the aircraft there work is flat: in other words there is no discernible were 285 motor vehicles, spare aircraft engines, bias and no hidden agenda. It is well-written and radios, machine tools, photographic equipment, highly readable, although there is, of necessity, workshop plant, instruments and test apparatus and a degree of repetition as the deliberations of flying clothing, together with armament including successive Imperial Committees of Defence covered 3,000 bombs, 13 Bessoneau hangars and other much of the same ground year-on-year. aerodrome equipment, as well as spares sufficient The challenges facing the Empire after WW1 for six months’ wastage.” were dramatic. Populations were exhausted and Although it does not spoil the main narrative, there was no money. Threats were assessed and The book does there are several references to the gifted aircraft, Japanese long-term ambition was high on the list most of what and indeed some subsequent acquisitions, as being but assumptions were made that there would no it says on the obsolete. This rather ignored the fact that the RAF major conflict for ten years. Thus the ten-year rule in India and the Middle East was operating the Avro was borne, arising out of financial review in the UK jacket and a lot 504, Bristol F.2B and DH9A into the 1930s. In by Sir Eric Geddes, Minister of Transport. The RAF more besides 1928 the RAAF was replacing its 504s with locally 46 AEROSPACE manufactured DH Cirrus Moths. The impression is Apprentice School. A significant change of status given that the air forces only received second-rate came in 1931 with the Statute of Westminster, in aircraft of dated design and construction: for effect recognising sovereignty of the dominions and example of the Avro Anson, delivered to Australia freeing them from London. in 1937, the author refers to it as “a light liaison/ Both Pacific air forces operated a citizen reserve trainer twin-engine, which was worthless as a component as well as the regular air force and the combat aircraft.” growth of a civil aviation sector was critical. Many The relationship between Britain and the regular personnel were sent to the UK for training, a dominions was complex, especially in the light number serving in the RAF which also recruited (and of the Gallipoli fiasco where Britain was seen as paid for) locally trained personnel. The contribution being careless with the lives of Australian and New to the war effort, not just in the Pacific theatre Zealand troops. It appears that, when it suited, the but in Europe, was quite outstanding, including as dominions would want to be seen as independent it did large numbers of personnel serving within but, at other times, especially when money was RAF squadrons, in addition to nine New Zealand, tight, would prefer to expect the mother country 12 Indian, 22 Australian, 28 South African and 47 to support funding defence. While the Royal Navy Canadian squadrons operating in most Commands saw the Australian and New Zealand navies as and theatres. subordinate, the RAF offered support but not British Imperial Air Power focuses especially on dominance. A quote from Marshal of the Royal Air relationships at governmental and service level from Force Sir Hugh Trenchard in 1929 summarises well 1918 to 1939 and it does this very thoroughly. It is the situation at that time in respect of global air sensibly, if not lavishly, illustrated. For those without defence: a mental map of South-East Asia and Australasia British Imperial “The Dominions are awaiting a lead from one or two maps would have been helpful and the Imperial Government in this matter and are might have encouraged questions about the special Air Power especially interested in the possibilities of air power significance of Singapore and why Sydney rather focuses in coast defence; and any units which may be than Darwin was considered a key target to be especially on provided in the Dominions for this duty will also be defended. To keep the evolution of the dominion air relationships at available in the event of war with a non-maritime forces in context a few tables showing the orders of Power to form part of any Dominion contribution to battle would also have been helpful. However, these governmental an Imperial striking force.” are minor niggles and should not detract from an and service Trenchard’s advice was frequently sought and important contribution not just to the histories of the level from 1918 noticeable is that in Australia and New Zealand RAAF and RNZAF but also of the RAF itself. to 1939 and it there was a concentration on infrastructure, much as Trenchard had ensured that the foundations of Victor Flintham does this very the RAF were its Cadet College, Staff College and FCIPD MRAeS thoroughly NATIONAL AEROSPACE LIBRARY NOW OPEN The National Aerospace Library is open to member and non-member visitors on Wednesdays and Thursdays. To book a visit please go to the NAL website. Online services remain available so you can continue to browse the catalogue and download e-books and e-journals as well as contact our expert Librarian for advice and enquiries. E [email protected] NAL www.aerosociety.com/nal Catalogue www.aerosociety.com/catalogue Film Archive www.aerosociety.com/movies e-library www.aerosociety.com/elibrary JULY 2021 47 - Book Reviews THE DOWDING PAPERS By Lord Air Chief Marshal his time in France during WW1 – again punctured with amusing stories – highlights the embryonic Dowding and edited by Donald nature of this first use of air power, together with Spiers and James Buckley the risks and challenges facing these early airmen. He also mentions some of his initial encounters with Lightning Source, 2020, 155pp, £7.99. Trenchard which did not always go smoothly! During the inter-war years Dowding undertook For those seeking an in-depth view of Dowding’s various staff appointments in the UK, with overseas perspective on the Battle of Britain, this short book postings to Iraq and Palestine. He provides an is not the one for you. Although Dowding mentions interesting insight into the psychology of ‘air a few aspects of the battle, for a detailed analysis policing’ from his time in Iraq and the complexity he refers readers to the Dispatch he submitted to of the situation in Palestine.
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