On the formation of Mr. Lloyd George's War Cabinet in Dec. 1916, Lord Curzon resigned the position of president and Lord Cowdray took his place in Jan. 1917. This second Air Board came into being under the New Ministries and Secretaries Act of 1916; and under this Act the president of the Air Board was specifically " deemed to be a Minister," and the Air Board a " Ministry." An Order in Council of Feb. 17 1917 laid down that the Board, in addition to the presi- dent, should consist of (a) the Parliamentary Secretary, (o) the appropriate member of the Board of Admiralty ; (c) the appropriate member of the Army Council ; (d) the two controllers of aeronautical supplies and of petrol engines in the Ministry of Munitions; and such additional members as might be appointed by the president.
For carrying out its duties the Air Board comprised a secretariat, a technical department, and a directorate of requisitions and statistics. Towards the end of 1917 the staff of the technical de- partment was composed largely of officers drawn from the naval and military Air Services. Its duty was to consider and advise the Board as to the design of aeroplanes, seaplanes, engines and ac- cessories, and, with this object, to carry out the necessary experi- ments and trials, and to keep in close touch with the scientific bodies and committees which were concerned with aeronautical research.
When the Admiralty and the War Office communicated to the Air Board the numbers of aeroplanes, seaplanes, and accessories re- quired by the two Services for a given period, and when the Air Board had determined to what extent these requirements could be complied with and had come to a decision regarding design, requisi- tions were passed to the Controller of Aeronautical Supplies, whose department (a section of the Ministry of Munitions) was also housed in the Air Board Office. The Air Board also dealt with similar requisitions by Allied Governments (other than those in connexion with lighter-than-air craft and wireless tejegraphy).
The director of requisitions and statistics kept analytical records of requirements, etc., and of the progress made in construction. A Central Air Intelligence Division was also established.
Aeronautical inventions were referred for consideration to an Inventions Committee, which was in touch with the Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, and the National Physical Labora- tory. The department of the Controller of Aeronautical Supplies (Ministry of Munitions) placed contracts in accordance with the designs approved by the Air Board and carried out inspection during manufacture. The Controller of Aeronautical Supplies also had the Royal Aircraft Factory under his administration.
In addition to the departments of the Air Board and of the Controller of Aeronautical Supplies, there were also housed in the Air Board Office the H.Q. administration of the R.N.A.S. under the Fifth Sea Lord and Director of Air Services, and that of the R.F.C. under the Director-General of Military Aeronautics.
With sundry expansions in internal organization this Air Board continued to function until the new Air Ministry was created at the end of 1917, absorbing the existing Air Board organization as well as the military aeronautics directorate and the Admiralty Air De- partment (although a " division " with a similar designation was still retained at the Admiralty).
The Air Ministry came into being under the Air Force Constitu- tion Act (1917), which provided definitely for the amalgamation of the two flying services under the title of the Royal Air Force. In accordance with this Act the Air Ministry was constituted as a department of State, the final authority being vested in an Air Council which was formed in Jan. 1918 as follows:
The Secretary of State (president), chief of the air staff, deputy chief of the air staff, master-general of personnel, controller-general of equipment, director-general of aircraft production, administrator of works and buildings, parliamentary under-secretary.
IV. THE ROYAL AIR FORCE. The Royal Air Force itself did not come into being until April i 1918. At that time the R.F.C. at home consisted mainly of (a) the Training Division, (6) the 6th Brigade (Home Defence), (c) the Balloon Wing, and (d) miscellaneous establishments. The R.N.A.S. units were organ- ized into a number of groups directly under the Admiralty.
On the formation of the R.A.F. the United Kingdom was divided into five areas, comprising all units of the new service (with the exception of a few directly under the Air Ministry). Each area was further subdivided into groups. The Training Division and its brigades were done away with, the former's functions being assumed by the training directorate of the Air Ministry. The technical administration of airship stations remained under the control of the superintendent of airships at the Admiralty, naval operation groups were under the naval commander-in-chief concerned for operations, but their main- tenance and administration was the concern of the appropriate area headquarters. Units of the R.A.F. serving with the Grand Fleet were entirely controlled by the commander-in-chief.
At the same time it was decided to form an Independent Air Force. In Oct. 1917 it had already been decided to return to the
policy that had been visualized when, in 1916, the dispatch of the 3rd Wing R.N.A.S. to Belfort was being contemplated. Squadrons No. 55, 216 and too, were then sent to the Nancy area, and they carried out bombing operations against German towns during the closing months of the year and the spring of 1918. By April 1918 the 8th Brigade, as the force was designated, had been reenforced by No. 99 Squadron; and when now it was reestablished as the Independent Air Force six more squadrons (104, 97, 215, 115, no and 45) were added.
In planning the post-war organization of the R.A.F., it was assumed that in the immediate future nothing in the nature of a general mobilization need be contemplated, that efforts should be concentrated on providing for existing needs, and on founding a highly trained and efficient force, inherently capable of expan- sion should the necessity arise. The purpose was, accordingly, to limit the number of service squadrons to what was considered essential to meet existing responsibilities, to devote the remain- ing resources to perfecting the training of officers and men, and to construct a sound framework on which to build the R.A.F. of the future. In forming the framework it was felt that the main portion of the R.A.F. would consist of an independent force, together with the personnel required to carry out aero- nautical research. In addition, there would be a small part of it specially trained for work with the navy, and a small part specially trained for work with the army. It seemed possible that the main portion, the Independent Air Force, would grow larger and larger, and become the predominating factor.
The training for officers and men is briefly as follows: The channels of entry for permanently commissioned officers are through the Cadet College at Cranwell, from the universities, and from the ranks. The Cadet College is the main channel. The course lasts two years, during which the cadets are thoroughly grounded in theory and practice and learn to fly the approved training machine. On leaving the College, the cadets are commissioned and posted to a squadron. Apart from courses that every officer will normally pass through, such as gunnery and air pilotage, officers will be required, after five years' service, to select the particular technical subject they will make their special study during their subsequent career, e.g. navigation, wireless, engines.
The career of an officer commissioned from the universities or from the ranks will be identical with that of those from the Cadet College, except that they will be taught to fly at training wings before joining the squadron. Short-service and seconded officers will be taught to fly at training wings, and will attend a course of aerial gunnery and probably one of air pilotage.
With regard to the other ranks the most difficult problem it was decided to enlist the bulk of those belonging to long apprenticeship trades as boys, who will undergo a course of three years' training before being passed into the ranks. The boys, on successfully passing their final examination, will be graded as leading aircraftsmen, and a certain number will be specially selected for a further course of training, at the end of which they will either be granted commissions or promoted to N.C.O.'s. Those granted commissions will join the Cadet College. The mechanics, of whom more than half will be- long to short apprenticeship trades, are enlisted as men and re- ceive 12 months training before being posted to units. Non- technical men are given a short course of recruit training at the R.A.F. depot at Uxbridge.
The R.A.F. estimates for 1920-1 provided for an establishment of 29,730 officers, warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, air- craftsmen and boys (exclusive of those serving in India).
V. THE FUTURE OF AIR-FIGHTING. It is now universally recognized that in future wars the operations of naval and land forces will be largely influenced by the degree of assistance that can be rendered by aircraft. It is equally clearly under- stood that such assistance can only be rendered to the full extent of the resources available if air supremacy has been definitely established and can be successfully maintained. It is realized that, as is the case with sea command, air supremacy is an issue that can only be settled by combat (assuming a certain degree of equality and of readiness to fight in the opposing air forces). It is therefore by the air fighting and consequently by the air fighter that subsequent operations, whether on sea or on land or in the air, will be influenced.
Whether the last word in air fighting would always rest with the small, swift, easily manoeuvred machine was in 1921 still an open question. It is possible that we shall see, in the future, armament replacing speed as the determining factor in aerial
