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Public and Political: General: Royal Navy and Fleet Air Arm., 11 Feb 1936 - 21 Dec 1936

 File
Reference Code: GBR/0014/CHAR 2/272

Scope and Contents

Correspondents include: 1st Lord Lloyd [of Dolobran, President of the Navy League] on WSC speaking to the League (2); Sir John Thornycroft [President and Director, J I Thornycroft and Company Limited] on his firm's designs for an aircraft carrier and anti-submarine craft and cuts in the shipbuilding industry (with a description of the anti-submarine craft); Maitland Boucher [former member of the Naval Air Division] on meeting WSC about the Fleet Air Arm (3); Vice-Admiral Sir Reginald Henderson [3rd Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy] on the destroyer situation and confusion between the Navy and RAF over control of the Fleet Air Arm (2); Reginald Portal, Assistant Director, Naval Air Division; Admiral of the Fleet Sir [Alfred] Ernle Chatfield, 1st Sea Lord [and Chief of Naval Staff] on WSC's speech on the Fleet Air Arm, their shortage of pilots and aircraft, the destroyer situation, the relatively minor threat from submarines, anti-aircraft defence, including for merchant shipping, the need for new battleships, the restricted nature of the Battleship Committee, aircraft design, scrapping cruisers, difficulties in mobilizing the reserve, coastal craft and bomb defences (2); Sir Austen Chamberlain; Admiral Sir Herbert Richmond on the dual command of the Fleet Air Arm; Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Keyes on WSC's support for naval control of the Fleet Air Arm, the refusal of Stanley Baldwin [Prime Minister] to examine the issue, and differences between the Fleet Air Arm and RAF (2); Henry Markham, Principal Private Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty, on capital ship armaments; Sir Samuel Hoare [later 1st Lord Templewood], First Lord of the Admiralty, on capital ship armaments and the urgent need to replace the Battle Fleet (2); Air Commodore John Chamier, Secretary-General, Air League of the British Empire, on fears that the Fleet Air Arm controversy could split the RAF (2); Marshal of the RAF Sir John Salmond; John Moore-Brabazon [later 1st Lord Brabazon of Tara], on Chamier's argument.Other subjects include: the slow progress of anti-aircraft experiments by F A Lindemann [later 1st Lord Cherwell]; the effectiveness of armour-piercing shells; the poor standard of civil aircraft.Also includes: statistics from H T Bishop, General Secretary, Navy League, on British naval armaments, compared with other naval powers, the British and German submarine programmes, and British naval construction figures, 1930 - 5, compared with the other naval powers; notes by Boucher on the practical working of the Fleet Air Arm, including training, the use of RAF officers, its dual command, supply failures, lack of training aerodromes and poor aircraft design; press cutting from the Times with a letter from Air Vice-Marshal Sir Oliver Swann on the problem of dual command of the Fleet Air Arm; report by Beverley Ker on problems with Fleet Air Arm aircraft; cutting from Flight on German aircraft; leaflet on the Imperial Airways aircraft; memoranda by Chamier on responsibility for the Fleet Air Arm and keeping the RAF together, with notes by Moore-Brabazon; press cutting from the Daily Record on the number of British warships compared with the other naval powers; copies of correspondence by WSC to individuals listed above, and also to Desmond Morton.

Dates

  • Creation: 11 Feb 1936 - 21 Dec 1936

Conditions Governing Access

Open

Extent

1 file(s) (1 bound file (135 folios))

Language of Materials

English