The Air Ministry was formerly a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force. Her Majesty's Government, or when the monarch is male His Majesty's Government, is the title used by the Government of the United Kingdom, based at
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Organizations before the Air Ministry
The Air Committee
On 13 April 1912, less than two weeks after the creation of the Royal Flying Corps, an Air Committee was established to act as an intermediary between the Admiralty and the War Office in matters relating to aviation. Events 1111 - Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 1204 - The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting The Royal Flying Corps (RFC was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. The War Office was a former department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1963 when The new Air Committee was composed of representatives of the two war ministries and although it could make recommendations, it lacked executive authority. The recommendations of the Air Committee had to be ratified by the Admiralty Board and the Imperial General Staff and, in consequence, the Committee was not particularly effective. For the Admiralty Board of Imperial Russia see Admiralty Board (Russia. Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS was the title of the professional commander of the British Army from 1908 until 1964 The increasing separation of army and naval aviation from 1912 to 1914 only exacerbated the Air Committee's ineffectiveness and the Committee did not meet after the outbreak of World War I. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All
The Joint War Air Committee
By 1916 the lack of co-ordination of the Army's Royal Flying Corps and the Navy's Royal Naval Air Service had led to serious problems, not only in the procurement of aircraft engines, but also in the air defence of Great Britain. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British However, it was the supply problems to which an attempt at rectification was first made. The War Committee meeting on 15 February 1916 decided to immediately establish a standing joint naval and military committee to co-ordinate both the design and the supply of materiel for the two air services. Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year This committee was titled the Joint War Air Committee and its chairman was Lord Derby. Edward George Villiers Stanley 17th Earl of Derby KG, GCB, GCVO, TD, PC (23 St [1] It was also at the 15 February meeting that Lord Curzon proposed the creation of an Air Ministry. Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor George Nathaniel Curzon 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, KG, GCSI, GCIE, PC ( 11 January 1859 &ndash 20 March As with the pre-war Air Committee, the Joint War Air Committee lacked any executive powers and therefore was not effective. After only eight sittings, Lord Derby resigned from the Committee stating that "It appears to me quite impossible to bring the two wings closer together . . . unless and until the whole system of the Air Service is changed and they are amalgamated into one service. "[2]
Membership
The Joint War Air Committee was composed as follows:
- Chairman - Lord Derby
- Director of Air Services (Admiralty) - Rear Admiral C L Vaughn Lee
- Superintendent of Aircraft Design (Admiralty) - Commodore M F Sueter
- Squadron Commander W Briggs
- Director of Military Aeronautics (War Office) - Major-General Sir David Henderson
- Lieutenant-Colonel E L Ellington
Advisory Members were also appointed as required. Edward George Villiers Stanley 17th Earl of Derby KG, GCB, GCVO, TD, PC (23 St Rear Admiral Charles Lionel Vaughan-Lee CB ( born 1867- died 1928 was a senior Royal Navy officer in the early 20th century Sir Murray Fraser Sueter ( September 6, 1872 in Alverstoke &ndash 3 February, 1960 in Watlington Oxfordshire) was a David Henderson may be David B Henderson (1840&ndash1906 a prominent U Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Edward Leonard Ellington GCB, CMG, CBE ( 30 December 1877 &ndash 13 June
The Air Board
The first Air Board
The next attempt to establish effective co-ordination between the two air services was the creation of an Air Board. The first Air Board came into being on 15 May 1916 with Lord Curzon as its chairman. Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year The inclusion of Curzon, a Cabinet Minister, and other political figures was intended to give the Air Board greater status than the Joint War Air Committee. In the Politics of the United Kingdom, the Cabinet is a formal body composed of the most senior government ministers chosen by the Prime Minister In October 1916 the Air Board published its first report which was highly critical the arrangements within the British air services. The report noted that although the Army authorities were ready and willing to provide information and take part in meetings, the Navy were often absent from Board meetings and frequently refused to provide information on naval aviation.
The second Air Board
In January 1917 the Prime Minister Lloyd George replaced the chairman Lord Curzon with Lord Cowdray. David Lloyd George 1st Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor OM, PC (17 January 1863 &ndash 26 March 1945 was a British Statesman and the only Weetman Dickinson Pearson 1st Viscount Cowdray GCVO ( July 15, 1856 &ndash May 1, 1927) was an Engineer, Oil Godfrey Paine, who served in the newly created post of Fifth Sea Lord and Director of Naval Aviation, sat on the board and this high level representation from the Navy helped to improve matters. Rear Admiral Sir Godfrey Marshall Paine KCB MVO ( 21 November 1871 &ndash 23 March 1932) was a senior commander Additionally, as responsibility for the design of aircraft had been moved out of single service hands and given to the Ministry of Munitions, some of the problems of inter-service competition were avoided. [3][4]
Establishment of the Air Ministry
Despite attempts at reorganization of the Air Board, the earlier problems failed to be completely resolved. In addition, the growing number of German air raids against Great Britain led to public disquiet and increasing demands for something to be done. As a result Lloyd George, the British Prime Minister, established a committee composed of himself and General Jan Smuts, which was tasked with investigating the problems with the British air defences and organizational difficulties which had beset the Air Board. David Lloyd George 1st Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor OM, PC (17 January 1863 &ndash 26 March 1945 was a British Statesman and the only Field Marshal Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM, CH, PC, ED, KC, FRS (24 May 1870 &ndash 11 September 1950 was a prominent
Towards the end of the First World War, on 17 August 1917, General Smuts presented a report to the War Council on the future of air power. Events 986 - A Byzantine army was destroyed in the pass of Trajan's Gate by the Bulgarians under the Comitopuli Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Because of its potential for the 'devastation of enemy lands and the destruction of industrial and populous centres on a vast scale', he recommended a new air service be formed that would be on a level with the Army and Royal Navy. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) The new air service was to receive direction from a new ministry and on 29 November 1917 the Air Force Bill received Royal Assent and the Air Ministry was formed just over a month later on 2 January 1918. Events 1777 - San Jose California, is founded as el Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers invading the Roman Empire. Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Lord Rothermere was appointed the first Air Minister. Harold Sidney Harmsworth 1st Viscount Rothermere ( 26 April 1868 – 26 November 1940) was a highly successful British Newspaper The Secretary of State for Air was a cabinet level British position in charge of the Air Ministry.
The creation of the Air Ministry resulted in the disestablishment of the Army Council's post of Director-General of Military Aeronautics. The Army Council was created in 1904 with other the institutional changes made in that year to the British Army. [5]
Operation
The Air Ministry issued specifications for aircraft that British aircraft companies would supply prototypes to. These were then assessed, if ordered the Ministry assigned the aircraft name. (see List Of Air Ministry Specifications)
Disestablishment
In 1964 the Air Ministry merged with the Admiralty and the War Office to form the Ministry of Defence. This is a partial list of the British Air Ministry (AM specifications for Aircraft. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. The War Office was a former department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1963 when The Ministry of Defence ( MoD) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters
See also
References
- ^ British Military Aviation in 1916, RAF Museum. The Secretary of State for Air was a cabinet level British position in charge of the Air Ministry. The Royal Air Force Museum ( RAF Museum) is a Museum dedicated to the history of Aviation, and the British Royal Air Force in particular Retrieved on 19 January 2007. Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
- ^ Boyle, Andrew [1962]. Andrew Philip More Boyle ( 27 May 1919 &ndash 22 April 1991) was a Scottish journalist and biographer "Chapter 8", Trenchard Man of Vision. St. James's Place London: Collins, 173.
- ^ The evolution of an Air Ministry, Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved on 19 January 2007
- ^ Baker, Anne (2003). Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Anne Baker (nee Salmond is a British Writer of romantic novels and historical biographies From Biplane to Spitfire. Pen And Sword Books, 109. Pen and Sword Books is a British publisher which specializes in printing ISBN 0 85052 980 8.
- ^ The organisation and function of the War Office, The Long, Long Trail - The British Army in the Great War of 1914-1918. Retrieved on 19 January 2007. Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
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