DOCSLIB.ORG

Supreme Air Command: the Development of Royal Air Force Practice in the Second World

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Supreme Air Command: the Development of Royal Air Force Practice in the Second World SUPREME AIR COMMAND THE DEVELOPMENT OF ROYAL AIR FORCE COMMAND PRACTICE IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR By DAVID WALKER A Thesis submitted to The University of Birmingham For the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY School of History and Cultures College of Arts and Law The University of Birmingham January 2017 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT This thesis examines the development of RAF high command of the Metropolitan Air Force (MAF) during the Second World War. It sheds new light on the re-organisations of the Air Ministry in 1934, the RAF Command structure in 1936, and the tri-service debate in 1937 concerning the RAF proposal to establish a Supreme Air Commander (SAC). It reveals that while frontline expansion created an impetus for re-organisation, it was operational readiness that was the dominant factor in the re-structuring of the RAF. It examines the transition in RAF frontline organization from the mono-functional command system of 1936 to the multi- functional organisation that emerged after 1943 by looking at command structure and practice, personalities, and operational thinking. This study builds on the established historiography but challenges the accepted explanation of RAF reforms in the 1930s. It addresses a significant gap in the literature concerning the way the frontline was directed by the War Cabinet and the Air Ministry. In doing so it seeks to establish a new starting point for the analysis of RAF high command by providing an assessment of the effectiveness of the reforms of the 1930s to the higher command of MAF operations during the Second World War. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND DEDICATION I must begin with my great thanks to Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy for his creation of the Chief of the Air Staff’s Portal Fellowship which I was so fortunate to secure and which has guided my study and this thesis. I would also like to thank Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach and Sebastian Cox who, more than any others, have through their interest, enthusiasm, encouragement, intellect and knowledge stimulated and sustained my lifelong interest in the history of the Royal Air Force. I have been enormously fortunate to have been mentored by Dr Peter Gray who has expertly guided me through the foggier times that inevitably afflict the part- time PhD student. Dr Gray’s supervision allowed me the freedom to explore this subject as the evidence demanded and his leadership prevented the descent into the many rabbit holes of ‘great interest’ that enticed me along the way. I would also like to thank the staff of The National Archives at Kew, Mr Mike Hatch and the Staff of the RAF Historical Branch, the RAF Museum, and Mr Chris Hobson of the Joint Services Command and Staff College for all their help and friendly support. My final thanks, appreciation, and acknowledgement must go to Catherine, my wife, for all her encouragement, love, and support during the many hours I have spent in researching and writing this work; a work which is rightly dedicated solely to her. ii ABBREVIATIONS The listed abbreviations and codewords will be used throughout this document without further explanation after their first use. This will be either in full in the text or for abbreviations that feature little in the subsequent discussion in an associated footnote. On a small number of occasions, such as a title, they may be used in full to preserve the style of the paper. They have been placed into functional or institutional groupings to make reference easier than there being contained in a long unstructured but alphabetical list. MILITARY RANKS Royal Air Force MRAF Marshal of the RAF (5*) ACM Air Chief Marshal (4*) AM Air Marshal (3*) AVM Air Vice-Marshal (2*) Air Cdre Air Commodore (1*) Gp Capt Group Captain Wg Cdr Wing Commander Sqn Ldr Squadron Leader Flt Lt Flight Lieutenant Fg Off Flying Officer Plt Off Pilot Officer Royal Navy Adm Admiral (4*) in both RN and USN VAdm Vice Admiral (3*) in both RN and USN RAdm Rear Admiral (2*) in both RN and USN Cdre Commodore (1*) in RN Capt Captain in RN iii British Army Gen General (4*) in British and US Army Ground and Air Forces Lt Gen Lieutenant General (3*) in British and US Army Ground and Air Forces Maj Gen Major General (2*) in British and US Army Ground and Air Forces Brig Brigadier in British Army, Brigadier General in US Army Col Colonel in British and US Army Ground and Air Forces Lt Col Lieutenant Colonel in British and US Army Ground and Air Forces Maj Major in British and US Army Ground and Air Forces MILITARY SERVICES RAF Royal Air Force RFC Royal Flying Corps RN Royal Navy RNAS Royal Naval Air Service FAA Fleet Air Arm GAF German Air Force USA United States Army USN United States Navy USAAF United States Army Air Forces USSTAF United States Strategic Air Forces iv GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS and APPOINTMENTS British Government and War Cabinet PM Prime Minister CID Committee of Imperial Defence MAP Ministry for Aircraft Production MEW Ministry for Economic Warfare JIC Joint Intelligence Committee JPC Joint Planning Committee JPS Joint Planning Staff COS Chiefs of Staff (UK) DCOS Deputy Chiefs of Staff (UK) CCS Combined Chiefs of Staff (UK/US) JCS Joint Chiefs of Staff (US) 1SL/CNS First Sea Lord/Chief of the Naval Staff VCNS Vice Chief of the Naval Staff DCNS Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff CIGS Chief of the Imperial General Staff DCIGS Deputy Chief of the Imperial General Staff Air Ministry SofS Secretary of State CAS Chief of the Air Staff (4/5*) VCAS Vice Chief of the Air Staff (4/3*) DCAS Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (3/2*) ACAS Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (2*) ACAS(I) Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Intelligence) ACAS(O) Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operations) v ACAS(P) Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Plans) ACAS(T) Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Training) AMDP Air Member for Development and Production AMP Air Member for Personnel AMRD Air Member for Research and Development AMSO Air Member for Supply and Organisation AMSR Air Member for Supply and Research DGSR Director General for Supply and Research DOI Director of Operations and Intelligence DofI Director of Intelligence DofOps Director of Operations DofO Director of Organisation DofP Director of Plans DofT Director of Training DofWB Director of Works and Buildings D Ops (H) Director of Operations (Home) D Ops (MC) Director of Operations (Military Co-operation) D Ops (NC) Director of Operations (Naval Co-operation) D Ops (O) Director of Operations (Overseas) DSD Director of Staff Duties DDOI Deputy Director of Operations and Intelligence IG Inspector General SD Staff Duties PS Private Secretary PSO Personal Staff Officer vi Commands and Structures AASF Advanced Air Striking Force ADGB Air Defence of Great Britain AOC Air Officer Commanding AOA Air Officer Administration BAFF British Air Forces in France BEF British Expeditionary Force C-in-C Commander-in-Chief Cs-in-C Commanders-in-Chief MAF Metropolitan Air Force SASO Senior Air Staff Officer Operations CBO Combined Bomber Offensive COA Committee of Operations Analysts COPC Combined Operational Planning Committee RDF Radio Direction Finding (aka by the US term RADAR) SAC Supreme Air Commander WAP Western Air Plans vii CODEWORDS Allied Conferences (in chronological order) ARCADIA UK/US Conference in Washington, December 1941 SYMBOL UK/US Conference in Casablanca, January 1943 TRIDENT UK/US Conference in Washington May 1943 QUADRANT UK/US Conference in Quebec, August 1943 SEXTANT UK/US Conference in Cairo, November-December 1943 EUREKA UK/US/Soviet Conference in Tehran, November-December 1943 OCTAGON UK/US Conference in Quebec, September 1944 Codewords ADLER TAG GAF Plan for the Air Attack against Britain in 1940 ARGUMENT USAAF Plan for to defeat the GAF Fighter Force in Feb 44 BOLERO US Ground Forces build-up in the UK COLD WATER RAF pre-emptive plans to disrupt GAF Bomber Force in 1940 POINTBLANK Directive for the Combined Bomber Offensive, Jun 43 OVERLORD Allied invasion of North West Europe SEALION Planned German invasion of Britain in 1940 SICKLE US bomber force build-up in the UK SPARTAN RAF Exercise to develop 2TAF in 1943 viii NAMED PERSONALITIES Arnold Gen Henry ‘Hap’ Arnold Ashmore Maj Gen Edward Ashmore Bader Gp Capt Douglas Bader Baker ACM Sir John Baker Baldwin Mr Stanley Baldwin Barratt ACM Sir Arthur Barratt Blount AVM Charles Blount Bottomley ACM Sir Norman Bottomley Bowhill ACM Sir Frederick Bowhill Brooke-Popham ACM Sir Robert Brooke-Popham Bufton AVM Sidney Bufton Burnett ACM Sir Charles Burnett Courtney ACM Sir Christopher Courtney Coryton ACM Sir Alec Coryton Dickson MRAF Sir William Dickson Douglas MRAF The Lord Douglas of Kirtleside Douhet Gulio Douhet Dowding ACM The Lord Dowding of Bentley Priory Durston AM Sir Albert Durston Eaker Lt Gen Ira Eaker USAAF Eisenhower Gen Dwight D Eisenhower USA Ellington MRAF Sir Edward Ellington Elliott ACM Sir William Elliott Evill ACM Sir Douglas Evill Freeman ACM Sir Wilfrid Freeman ix Game AVM Sir Philip Game Garrod ACM Sir Guy Garrod Gibson Wg Cdr
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Air Commodore Rob Woods OBE Chief of Staff (Air), Defence Equipment & Support Royal Air Force the Team…
    A Warfighters View: Weapon System Availability – A Collaborative Challenge Air Commodore Rob Woods OBE Chief of Staff (Air), Defence Equipment & Support Royal Air Force The Team….. Air Cdre Rob Woods Mr Richard Hamilton MoD DE&S BAE Systems plc Gp Capt Simon Vicary Mr Geraint Spearing MoD DE&S MoD DECA Mr Ian Manley Mr Ian Cole MoD DE&S MoD DECA UK Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) “To equip and support our Armed Forces for operations now and in the future” DE&S’s Role • Procure & support equipment, through life, for UK’s Armed Forces for both current & future operations • MOD’s lead department for commercial activities • Manage relationships with MOD, the Front Line & Industry DE&S HQ, MOD Abbey Wood, Bristol, UK DE&S Budget to Spend 2019/20 • £10.8 Billion Core Spend: − £5.4 Billion for Purchase of New Equipment − £5.4 Billion for Equipment Support • £3.9 Billion budget for Air Domain, 56% of which for Support Air Domain Portfolio Backdrop for Transformation in Support: 2000-05 • Strategic Defence Review 1998 • Similar lessons learnt over multiple –Smart Acquisition operations; urgent need to improve • DLO Strategy • Increasing demand for UK military –20% Savings & ‘Transformation capability across the globe Staircase’ • Nature of operations changed • Air & Land End-to-End Review • Defence White Paper 2004 • Need to find efficiencies • Government Efficiency Review 2004 – Preserve current & future capability • Formation of DE&S End-2-End Review of Air & Land Logistics - 2003 • Simplified lines & levels of support - From 4 x Lines of
    [Show full text]
  • Fstate Scientist: Omond Mckillop Solandt and Government Science
    fState Scientist: Omond McKillop Solandt and Government Science in War and Hostile Peace, 1939-1956/ Scientifique.de l'Etat: Omond McKillop Solandt et la Science du Gouvernement lors de la Guerre et de la Paix Hostile, 1939-1956 A Thesis Submitted to the Division of Graduate Studies of the Royal Military College of Canada by Jason Sean Ridler, MA Royal Military College of Canada, 2001 BA (Hons.) York University, 1999 In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 2008 ©This thesis may be used within the Department of National Defence but copyright for open publication remains the property of the author. Library and Bibliotheque et 1*1 Archives Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-47901-8 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-47901-8 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives and Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par Plntemet, prefer, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans loan, distribute and sell theses le monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, worldwide, for commercial or non­ sur support microforme, papier, electronique commercial purposes, in microform, et/ou autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats.
    [Show full text]
  • Volume 7, Issue 2, July 2021 Introduction: New Researchers and the Bright Future of Military History
    www.bjmh.org.uk British Journal for Military History Volume 7, Issue 2, July 2021 Cover picture: Royal Navy destroyers visiting Derry, Northern Ireland, 11 June 1933. Photo © Imperial War Museum, HU 111339 www.bjmh.org.uk BRITISH JOURNAL FOR MILITARY HISTORY EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD The Editorial Team gratefully acknowledges the support of the British Journal for Military History’s Editorial Advisory Board the membership of which is as follows: Chair: Prof Alexander Watson (Goldsmiths, University of London, UK) Dr Laura Aguiar (Public Record Office of Northern Ireland / Nerve Centre, UK) Dr Andrew Ayton (Keele University, UK) Prof Tarak Barkawi (London School of Economics, UK) Prof Ian Beckett (University of Kent, UK) Dr Huw Bennett (University of Cardiff, UK) Prof Martyn Bennett (Nottingham Trent University, UK) Dr Matthew Bennett (University of Winchester, UK) Prof Brian Bond (King’s College London, UK) Dr Timothy Bowman (University of Kent, UK; Member BCMH, UK) Ian Brewer (Treasurer, BCMH, UK) Dr Ambrogio Caiani (University of Kent, UK) Prof Antoine Capet (University of Rouen, France) Dr Erica Charters (University of Oxford, UK) Sqn Ldr (Ret) Rana TS Chhina (United Service Institution of India, India) Dr Gemma Clark (University of Exeter, UK) Dr Marie Coleman (Queens University Belfast, UK) Prof Mark Connelly (University of Kent, UK) Seb Cox (Air Historical Branch, UK) Dr Selena Daly (Royal Holloway, University of London, UK) Dr Susan Edgington (Queen Mary University of London, UK) Prof Catharine Edwards (Birkbeck, University of London,
    [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]
  • 1 P247 Musketry Regulations, Part II RECORDS' IDENTITY STATEMENT Reference Number
    P247 Musketry Regulations, Part II RECORDS’ IDENTITY STATEMENT Reference number: GB1741/P247 Alternative reference number: Title: Musketry Regulations, Part II Dates of creation: 1910 Level of description: Fonds Extent: 1 volume Format: Paper RECORDS’ CONTEXT Name of creators: The War Office Administrative history: The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence. The name "War Office" is also often given to the former home of the department, the Old War Office Building on Horse Guards Avenue, London. The War Office declined greatly in importance after the First World War, a fact illustrated by the drastic reductions in its staff numbers during the inter-war period. On 1 April 1920, it employed 7,434 civilian staff; this had shrunk to 3,872 by 1 April 1930. Its responsibilities and funding were also reduced. In 1936, the government of Stanley Baldwin appointed a Minister for Co-ordination of Defence, who worked outside of the War Office. When Winston Churchill became Prime Minister in 1940, he bypassed the War Office altogether and appointed himself Minister of Defence (though there was, curiously, no ministry of defence until 1947). Clement Attlee continued this arrangement when he came to power in 1945 but appointed a separate Minister of Defence for the first time in 1947. In 1964, the present form of the Ministry of Nucleus: The Nuclear and Caithness Archives 1 Defence was established, unifying the War Office, Admiralty, and Air Ministry.
    [Show full text]
  • Freeman's Folly
    Chapter 9 Freeman’s Folly: The Debate over the Development of the “Unarmed Bomber” and the Genesis of the de Havilland Mosquito, 1935–1940 Sebastian Cox The de Havilland Mosquito is, justifiably, considered one of the most famous and effective military aircraft of the Second World War. The Mosquito’s devel- opment is usually portrayed as being a story of a determined and independent aircraft company producing a revolutionary design with very little input com- ing from the official Royal Air Force design and development process, which normally involved extensive consultation between the Air Ministry’s technical staff and the aircraft’s manufacturer, culminating in an official specification being issued and a prototype built. Instead, so the story goes, de Havilland’s design team thought up the concept of the “unarmed speed bomber” all by themselves and, despite facing determined opposition from the Air Ministry and the raf, got it adopted by persuading one important and influential senior officer, Wilfrid Freeman, to put it into production (Illustration 9.1).1 Thus, before it proved itself in actuality a world-beating design, it was known in the Ministry as “Freeman’s Folly”. Significantly, even the UK Official History on the “Design and Development of Weapons”, published in 1964, perpetuated this explanation, stating that: When … [de Havilland] found itself at the beginning of the war short of orders and anxious to contribute to the war effort they proceeded to design an aeroplane without any official prompting from the Air Minis- try. They had to think out for themselves the whole tactical and strategic purpose of the aircraft, and thus made a number of strategic and tactical assumptions which were not those of the Air Staff.
    [Show full text]
  • Sir Frank Cooper on Air Force Policy in the 1950S & 1960S
    The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors concerned and are not necessarily those held by the Royal Air Force Historical Society Copyright © Royal Air Force Historical Society, 1993 All rights reserved. 1 Copyright © 1993 by Royal Air Force Historical Society First published in the UK in 1993 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in writing. Printed by Hastings Printing Company Limited Royal Air Force Historical Society 2 THE PROCEEDINGS OFTHE ROYAL AIR FORCE HISTORICAL SOCIETY Issue No 11 President: Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael Beetham GCB CBE DFC AFC Committee Chairman: Air Marshal Sir Frederick B Sowrey KCB CBE AFC General Secretary: Group Captain J C Ainsworth CEng MRAeS Membership Secretary: Commander P O Montgomery VRD RNR Treasurer: D Goch Esq FCCA Programme Air Vice-Marshal G P Black CB OBE AFC Sub-Committee: Air Vice-Marshal F D G Clark CBE BA Air Commodore J G Greenhill FBIM T C G James CMG MA *Group Captain I Madelin Air Commodore H A Probert MBE MA Group Captain A R Thompson MBE MPhil BA FBIM MIPM Members: A S Bennell Esq MA BLitt *Dr M A Fopp MA PhD FMA FBIM A E Richardson *Group Captain N E Taylor BSc D H Wood Comp RAeS * Ex-officio The General Secretary Regrettably our General Secretary of five years standing, Mr B R Jutsum, has found it necessary to resign from the post and the committee.
    [Show full text]
  • Journal 21 – Seminar – Malaya, Korea & Kuwait
    ROYAL AIR FORCE HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOURNAL 21 2 The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the contributors concerned and are not necessarily those held by the Royal Air Force Historical Society. First published in the UK in 2000 Copyright 200: Royal Air Force Historical Society All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in writing. ISSN 1361-4231 Printed by Fotodirect Ltd Enterprise Estate, Crowhurst Road Brighton, East Sussex BN1 8AF Tel 01273 563111 3 ROYAL AIR FORCE HISTORICAL SOCIETY President Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael Beetham GCB CBE DFC AFC Vice-President Air Marshal Sir Frederick Sowrey KCB CBE AFC Committee Chairman Air Vice-Marshal N B Baldwin CB CBE Vice-Chairman Group Captain J D Heron OBE General Secretary Wing Commander C G Jefford MBE BA Membership Secretary Dr Jack Dunham PhD CPsychol AMRAeS Treasurer Desmond Goch Esq FCAA Members *J S Cox BA MA *Dr M A Fopp MA FMA FIMgt *Group Captain P J Greville RAF Air Commodore H A Probert MBE MA Editor, Publications Derek H Wood Esq AFRAeS Publications Manager Roy Walker Esq ACIB *Ex Officio 4 CONTENTS Malaya, Korea and Kuwait seminar Malaya 5 Korea 59 Kuwait 90 MRAF Lord Tedder by Dr V Orange 145 Book Reviews 161 5 RAF OPERATIONS 1948-1961 MALAYA – KOREA – KUWAIT WELCOMING ADDRESS BY SOCIETY CHAIRMAN Air Vice-Marshal Nigel Baldwin It is a pleasure to welcome all of you today.
    [Show full text]
  • (June 1941) and the Development of the British Tactical Air Doctrine
    Journal of Military and Strategic VOLUME 14, ISSUE 1, FALL 2011 Studies A Stepping Stone to Success: Operation Battleaxe (June 1941) and the Development of the British Tactical Air Doctrine Mike Bechthold On 16 February 1943 a meeting was held in Tripoli attended by senior American and British officers to discuss the various lessons learned during the Libyan campaign. The focus of the meeting was a presentation by General Bernard Montgomery. This "gospel according to Montgomery," as it was referred to by Air Chief Marshal Arthur Tedder, set out very clearly Monty's beliefs on how air power should be used to support the army.1 Among the tenets Montgomery articulated was his conviction of the importance of air power: "Any officer who aspires to hold high command in war must understand clearly certain principles regarding the use of air power." Montgomery also believed that flexibility was the greatest asset of air power. This allowed it to be applied as a "battle-winning factor of the first importance." As well, he fully endorsed the air force view of centralized control: "Nothing could be more fatal to successful results than to dissipate the air resource into small packets placed under the control of army formation commanders, with each packet working on its own plan. The soldier must not expect, or wish, to exercise direct command over air striking forces." Montgomery concluded his discussion by stating that it was of prime importance for the army and air 1 Arthur Tedder, With Prejudice: The war memoirs of Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Lord Tedder (London: Cassell, 1966), p.
    [Show full text]
  • Of the 90 YEARS of the RAAF
    90 YEARS OF THE RAAF - A SNAPSHOT HISTORY 90 YEARS RAAF A SNAPSHOTof theHISTORY 90 YEARS RAAF A SNAPSHOTof theHISTORY © Commonwealth of Australia 2011 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission. Inquiries should be made to the publisher. Disclaimer The views expressed in this work are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defence, the Royal Australian Air Force or the Government of Australia, or of any other authority referred to in the text. The Commonwealth of Australia will not be legally responsible in contract, tort or otherwise, for any statements made in this document. Release This document is approved for public release. Portions of this document may be quoted or reproduced without permission, provided a standard source credit is included. National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry 90 years of the RAAF : a snapshot history / Royal Australian Air Force, Office of Air Force History ; edited by Chris Clark (RAAF Historian). 9781920800567 (pbk.) Australia. Royal Australian Air Force.--History. Air forces--Australia--History. Clark, Chris. Australia. Royal Australian Air Force. Office of Air Force History. Australia. Royal Australian Air Force. Air Power Development Centre. 358.400994 Design and layout by: Owen Gibbons DPSAUG031-11 Published and distributed by: Air Power Development Centre TCC-3, Department of Defence PO Box 7935 CANBERRA BC ACT 2610 AUSTRALIA Telephone: + 61 2 6266 1355 Facsimile: + 61 2 6266 1041 Email: [email protected] Website: www.airforce.gov.au/airpower Chief of Air Force Foreword Throughout 2011, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has been commemorating the 90th anniversary of its establishment on 31 March 1921.
    [Show full text]
  • Lord Healey CH MBE PC
    ROYAL AIR FORCE HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOURNAL 31 (Incorporating the Proceedings of the Bomber Command Association’s 60th Anniversary Symposium) 2 The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the contributors concerned and are not necessarily those held by the Royal Air Force Historical Society. Photographs credited to MAP have been reproduced by kind permission of Military Aircraft Photographs. Copies of these, and of many others, may be obtained via http://www.mar.co.uk First published in the UK in 2004 by the Royal Air Force Historical Society All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in writing. ISSN 1361 4231 Typeset by Creative Associates 115 Magdalen Road Oxford OX4 1RS Printed by Advance Book Printing Unit 9 Northmoor Park Church Road Northmoor OX29 5UH 3 CONTENTS RECOLLECTIONS OF A SECRETARY OF STATE FOR 4 DEFENCE – The Rt Hon The Lord Healey CH MBE PC HOW DECISIVE WAS THE ROLE OF ALLIED AIR POWER 17 IN THE WAR IN THE PACIFIC, 1941-1945? by Sqn Ldr S I Richards SUMMARY OF THE MINUTES OF THE SEVENTEENTH 47 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING HELD IN THE ROYAL AIR FORCE CLUB ON 10 JUNE 2003 FEEDBACK 51 DEREK WOOD – AN OBITUARY 55 BOOK REVIEWS 56 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOMBER COMMAND 82 ASSOCIATION 60TH ANNIVERSARY SYMPOSIUM HELD AT THE RAF MUSEUM, HENDON ON 12 OCTOBER 2002 UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF AIR MSHL SIR JOHN CURTISS KCB KBE 4 RECOLLECTIONS OF A SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE The Rt Hon The Lord Healey CH MBE PC I should perhaps start by saying that there is no specific theme to what I have to say.
    [Show full text]
  • PDF File, 139.89 KB
    Armed Forces Equivalent Ranks Order Men Women Royal New Zealand New Zealand Army Royal New Zealand New Zealand Naval New Zealand Royal New Zealand Navy: Women’s Air Force: Forces Army Air Force Royal New Zealand New Zealand Royal Women’s Auxilliary Naval Service Women’s Royal New Zealand Air Force Army Corps Nursing Corps Officers Officers Officers Officers Officers Officers Officers Vice-Admiral Lieutenant-General Air Marshal No equivalent No equivalent No equivalent No equivalent Rear-Admiral Major-General Air Vice-Marshal No equivalent No equivalent No equivalent No equivalent Commodore, 1st and Brigadier Air Commodore No equivalent No equivalent No equivalent No equivalent 2nd Class Captain Colonel Group Captain Superintendent Colonel Matron-in-Chief Group Officer Commander Lieutenant-Colonel Wing Commander Chief Officer Lieutenant-Colonel Principal Matron Wing Officer Lieutentant- Major Squadron Leader First Officer Major Matron Squadron Officer Commander Lieutenant Captain Flight Lieutenant Second Officer Captain Charge Sister Flight Officer Sub-Lieutenant Lieutenant Flying Officer Third Officer Lieutenant Sister Section Officer Senior Commis- sioned Officer Lieutenant Flying Officer Third Officer Lieutenant Sister Section Officer (Branch List) { { Pilot Officer Acting Pilot Officer Probationary Assistant Section Acting Sub-Lieuten- 2nd Lieutenant but junior to Third Officer 2nd Lieutenant No equivalent Officer ant Navy and Army { ranks) Commissioned Officer No equivalent No equivalent No equivalent No equivalent No equivalent No
    [Show full text]