Jun, Jul, Aug 1962 - Navy League of Australia

NAVY'S NEW PERSONNELCHIEF TAKES OVERA ni'w member of the NavalBoard began duty at Navy OHicein Canberra on the 9th July.He is Rear - Admiral V. A.Smith, D.S.C, who took over asSecond Member ol the NavalBoard, res|x>nsible for Navalpersonnel and training. AdmiralSmith was formerly in commandof the Australian flagship,H.M.A.S. MELBOURNE. AtNavy Office he succeeds Rear-Admiral G. G. O. Gatacre,C.B.E.. D.S.O.. n.S.C, who hasbeen appointed Flag Officer-in-Charge, East Australia Area.COMPRESSED YEASTVACUUM PACKED"Orilmrm" is a special iorm ol compressed yeast,dried under scientific conditions and carefully compoundedwith a suitable yeast ICXMI. lis the qualityseast mat is as constant as tomorrow and is packedto the high specifications ol the Australian Navy.MAIRI BROTHERS & THOMSON LIMITEDPINNACLE HOUSE2-6 Barrack Street, Sydney. Telephone: 29-2601.To "The Navy,"Box 3850. G.P.O.,Sydney. NSW.SUBSCRIPTION FORMI enclose 23/- for Annual Subscription to "The Navy,"post free, commencing January, 1963.NameStreetTownDate-StatePlease not< that all annul subscriptions now connnci in January. Newsubscribers after January should send only l/ll for each month remainingup to and including December. Otherwise back copies from January will beposted.Admiral Smith is a "pioneer"of the Fleet Air Arm,and won his observer's wingsin 19)7. He was mentioned indespatches for air torpedoattacks against the SCHARN-HORST off Norway in 1940.The loltowing year he wasawarded the O.S.C. ill fightersquadron operations fromII M.S. ARK ROYAL.He w-as serving in H.M.A.S.CANBERRA when she was sunkoil Savo Island in 1942.In the post-war years. AdmiralSmith has held many importantappointments at sea and ashore,hit hiding those ol Director olAii Warfare, Captain ol the FirstFrigate Squadron, and CommandingOfficer ol the NavalAir Station at Nowra.HALF A CENTIRYWITH THE NAVYA man who began work as aNaval ilerk ill the same searthai the R.A.N, look deliveryol it-, first Fleet, retired fromthe Department of the Navyon the 1.1th |ulv. alter a careerol 49 years. 'He is Mr. W. J. Kenny, whois the Head ol the Naval PersonnelBranch at Navy Office,Canberra.Mr. Kenny began work aithe original Navy OHice inLonsdale Sireet. Melbourne, inNovember. 191.1. He becameHead of the Naval PersonnelBranch in 1951 after 88 yearsin Accounts Branches of NavyOHice. Between 1929 and 19.17.he worked at Australia Housein London as the NavalAccounts Officer.For the past 11 years, he hasl>een responsible for the tensof thousands of detailed recordson the men who are serving, andhave served, in the Royal AustralianNavy.Shortly after the First WorldWar. Mr. Kenny was well-knownill Melbourne sporting circles asa South Melbourne footballerand as a professional runner.THENAVYFIFTY YEARS OF SERVICE FLYINGTHE NAVY'S SHAREWHEN the Golden Jubileecelebrationslo mark the">0th Anniversary ol the formationol the Royal Flying Corpswere held on Mas 11th. theRoyal Navy, in every sense,shared the honours. It was,ill lad. all inter-Service occasion,lor the Government WhilePaiH-r ol Mas 1.1th. 1912. approved(he formation ol the newCorps with both Naval andMilitary Wings. The NavalWing was lormecl from thoseNaval pilots and ratings alreadyin existence and who had receivediheir training ihe yearbefore under the aegis ol iheRoyal Aero Club ai Easlchurch.Known unofficial!} from thestall as ihe Royal Nasal AirService, this tide was olliciallsrecognised on Inly 1st. 1911,when ihe Navy also look overall responsibility lor this newarm.The large pall played by iheWHEN the then Mr.Churchill wrote in theExplanatory Statement to the1912 Navy Estimates, making itclear thai the Navy was takingheavier - than - air-machines seriously,there were many — bothinside and outside the Admiralty— who were still unconvincedthat there was an immediateRoyal Naval Air Service in theFirst World War is often millulls realised. For the first twoyears, ihe R.N.A.S. was responsiblelor the air defence ol GreatBritain; the first British air raidon Germany, on the ZcpiH'liusheds al Dusselclorf, was carriedout by a formation of R.N.A.S.planes.Naval aircraft played, also, amost importani part in antisubmarinewarfare, carrying milextensive patrols and attackingsome 9.1 enemy submarines. Byihe lime ol the amalgamationwith tile Royal Flving Corps inApril, 1918, lo iorm ihe RoyalAir Force, ihe R.N.A.S. had nofewer than 1.IMH) aircraft (includingseaplanes and Hyingboats) over fill airships, morethan HHi air stations all over theworld, and a strength ol 55.IHHIofficers and ratings. Ihe needlor seaplane carriers was earlyFLYING IN THE NAVY - EARLY YEARSpractical use for aeroplanes inthe Navy. But at this time it wasbecoming increasingly difficult toignore the enthusiasm for thisnew concept of Naval warfare.Although the above date was oneof the earliest occasions on whichthe Navy officially recognisedand publicly announced the needfor aircraft, the attempts of farseen,and one of the formermerchantmen converted to thisrole was 11.M.S. Ark Royal, fittedto carry 1(1 seaplanes.Nor must the very considerabletechnical achievement beforgotten; the pioneer workdone al Easic lunch on wirelesstelegraphy in the air, so that,by the lime war broke out in1914. Hi seaplanes had been fittedwith wireless. Naval pilots werealso instrumental in developingthe fit'sl bond) sight, and wereihe first to (it machine-guns inaeroplanes.'File events ol ihe SecondWorld War are nearer lo us andbetter known, and many memorieswill be recalled when, at theFlying Display al Upavon onJune loth, the Swordlish, associatedwith so many ol the exploitsol the Fleet Air Arm,llew again, together with theearlier Sopwiih Pup and otherfamous ly|>cs."'We have now acquired some land at Eastchurch .... for flying purposes.The buildings and sheds for the Naval Aviation School are in course oltrectitm, A considerable number of aeroplanes both lor training and experimentalpurpose* have been pun based, principally in England, and some olthem are being adapted lor the special needs of the Navy . . . ."WINSTON CHURCHILL,First Lord of Admiralty.18th March, 1912.seeing Naval officers and civilianslo persuade the Admiraltyto lake up aircraft for use withthe Fleet went back some yearsbefore.In 1907, the Wright brothers— who four years earlier had forthe first time achieved controlledflight in an aeroplane — offeredto sell their patent for aircraftAUGUST, 1962 19