PAST EVENTS

Group Captain Rupert Taylor, OBE, was the guest speaker at our May meeting, when he spoke on "The Royal Air Force - the time of change in the '30s". The early '30s found the Royal Air Force at its 1920 post-disarmament strength of 35 Squadrons at Home and 18 Overseas - still flying lightly armed bi-planes from grass fields with almost no Ground Control beyond elementary Fighter-control. Performance, speed and height were slightly improved but otherwise financial stringency had resulted in the Cinderella Service "training for the Last War in Last War aircraft". The very limited orders for new aircraft were deliberately spread among manufacturers to keep these sources of independent research and wartime supply alive.

In 1932, when all Service Chiefs warned the Government that there were no Reserves, and the rise of the Nazi Party indicated a 'where' for the next War, the Government scrapped the '10 Year Rule' which, sliding from year to year, had predicted no major War for 10 years. But the rise of Hitler to Chancellorship of Germany in 1933, and Germany' s departure from The League of Nations, really triggered events and a series of expansion schemes - from Code 'A', with a total RAF budget for 1934 of £9.4-million, to Code M of £110-million for 1939, were approved.

In 1933 the only Aircrew were Pilots, mostly Officers, but some NCO's and, where carried, NCO WOp Air Gunners. More than 50% of the pilots were short service men with 5 years Service and 6 years Reserve.

Distinctive RAF customs had emerged and were encouraged - to induce a sense of belonging to and pride in a brotherhood for men who would sortie into danger alone and, time after time, fight individually.

Thus Marriage Allowance was only given at age 30 and until then life had to be in a Mess with its' formal dinners and standards of behaviour - leading to the immortal remark that 'Married men have better halves, but single men have better quarters'.

Flying started immediately. It was never allowed to become the subject of Drama but, with cheap aircraft, humour was common even though flying was in itself dangerous - as witness about 50 or 60 casualties a year in almost any major Air Force. Thus, pilots emerging 'somehow' from cloud were given the age-old advice to find a Railway; fly between a station's platforms; gain a safe height and then try to locate "Bovril" on the map!

'Characters' were encouraged tacitly, in that small Service, and, overseas, somewhat spartan homes for the next few years were relieved by friendly humour. Thus, at Shaibah, in the Iraq Desert, newcomers from the Trooper were greeted, in temperatures of over 100° by a mess full of people in Great coats, drinking hot toddies and speaking of the 'cold snap'!

The Expansion was first directed towards bombers which had shown something of the menace of that new weapon as early as 1913 in the Independant Air Force of the RAF. Later, the obvious weakness of France demanded concentration on fighters as 'when' was added to 'where'.

New airfields, for fighter satellites, and for new Commands in the East and North, for a German enemy; Balloons; Maintenance and Reserve Commands; use of Civil Air Schools; a RAFVR for 2 500 pilots and, now navigators, bomb aimers (observers); air gunners. Shadow factories and salvage units appeared. Flight lieutenants were promoted after 2 years instead of 4 and so on.

Aeroplanes developed to metal monoplanes; closed cockpits; retractable undercarriages; V.P. airscrew's. And on the ground Radar, UHF radio, lights, W/T aids and others developed to serve aircraft as performances improved so much as to gain speed, height and distance world records.

Such was the RAF, with all its impossible-to-prove theories - for example it was not possible to black-out the United Kingdom to test night-navigation. It entered the war with 141 squadrons (now 16 aircraft average instead of 12). Casualties were over 73 000 killed in the battle to save the "Aircraft Carrier" 15 miles off the Coast, which was England, and to attack Germany continuously from 1939 to 1945 - not least to relieve a desperate Russia where the Germans were only stopped in the suburbs of Moscow - all in addition to Army and Navy support, not least in antisubmarine wars.

Our Chairman, Cmdt 'SB' Bourquin, moved a vote of thanks for a talk which was not only crammed with much detail but also richly interspersed with down-to-earth humour.

FUTURE EVENTS

1. A one-day visit to the WILLOW GRANGE BATTLEFIELD (Anglo-Boer War, 22nd/23rd Nav 1899) is planned for Sunday, 22 July 1984. Rendezvous 09h30 at the glide-off from the National Road marked "Lowlands - Estcourt". "Foat-sloggers-" will climb Beacon Hill, follow the axis of the British attack (about 5km) and climb Bryn Bella Hill (Boer positions). Less active participants will receive a description of the battle from a view site. It may be necessary to organise the ferrying of cars from the starting point of the hike to the finish. To facilitate planning intending participants are requested to advise Chairman' SB' a few days beforehand of the number of licenced drivers among their non-hikers. (16, O'Connor Rd, westville, or Tel. nnpnn) BRING PICNIC LUNCH.

2. A small group of members of the Merchant Navy Officer's Club will join in the abovementioned outing. As they wish to make a week-end outing of it our Chairman has offered to take them on a tour of the armoured train disaster site and military cemetery at Chievely, Clouston's Koppie of Remembrance, battle of Colenso, Fort Wylie, on the preceding day, Saturday 21 July Rendezvous at 10h00 at Good's Shell Garage Estcourt (this is the second garage on the left as one enters Estcourt from the Durban side. - Bring picnic lunch. Members of the Military History Society who wish to participate in this outing as well are most welcome. The Willow Grange Hotel (on the old main road) has offered accommodation at about R18 per person, DBB, for the night 22/23 July.

3. Watch the June newsletter for further information.

NEXT MEETING

JUNE 7TH

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS MEETING WILL BE HELD ON THE FIRST THURSDAY IN JUNE. Our National Chairman, Major Darrell Hall, will give an illustrated slide talk entitled "MAFEKING REVISITED". The venue will be the canteen, lower ground floor, 'SB' Bourquin Building, the Port Natal Development Board's head office, on the corner of Jan Smuts Highway and Buro Crescent, Mayville, on the second Thursday in the month (unless otherwise announced) commencing at 8 p.m. There is ample parking under guard in the grounds. Glasses and ice will be supplied so please bring your own canned or bottled refreshments. Friends and interested persons are welcome to come along.

WELCOME A warm welcome is extended to new member Mr. M.T. Burns.

(Mrs) Tania van der Watt,
Secretary, Durban Branch,
S.A. Military History Society,
Box 870, HILLCREST, 3650.
Tel. (031) vvvvvv