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Sidney Wallingford
Air Commodore Sidney Wallingford, (12 July 1898 – 25 July 1978) was a British-born New Zealand aviator and senior officer in the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) during the Second World War. Born in Hythe, Kent, Hythe, England, Wallingford's family moved to New Zealand in 1911. Working as a seaman after completing his schooling, he returned to England soon after the First World War began and joined the British Army. In 1918, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, soon to become the Royal Air Force (RAF) and flew with No. 142 Squadron RAF, No. 142 Squadron in the final weeks of the war. He remained in the RAF until 1920 when he returned to New Zealand. He was a policeman in Fiji for a time before rejoining the RAF in 1924. Five years later his service ended and he subsequently joined the New Zealand Permanent Air Force, the predecessor to the RNZAF. During the early stages of the Second World War, he served in the United Kingdom at the Air Ministry before returnin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hythe, Kent
Hythe () is an old market town and civil parish on the edge of Romney Marsh in Kent, England. ''Hythe'' is an Old English word meaning haven or landing place. History The earliest reference to Hythe is in Domesday Book (1086) though there is evidence of the area having been settled since Roman times. The town has mediaeval and Georgian buildings, as well as a Saxon/ Norman church on the hill and a Victorian seafront promenade. Hythe was once defended by castles at Saltwood and Lympne. Hythe Town Hall, a neoclassical style building, was completed in 1794. Hythe's market once took place in Market Square (now Red Lion Square) close to where there is now a farmers' market every second and fourth Saturday of the month. Hythe has gardening, horse riding, bowling, tennis, cricket, football, squash and sailing clubs. Lord Deedes was once patron of Hythe Civic Society. As an important Cinque Port, Hythe once possessed a bustling harbour which, over the course of 300 years ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force and civil aviation that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State for Air. Organisations before the Air Ministry The Air Committee On 13 April 1912, less than two weeks after the creation of the Royal Flying Corps (which initially consisted of both a naval and a military wing), an Air Committee was established to act as an intermediary between the Admiralty and the War Office in matters relating to aviation. 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. The increasing separation of army and n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
National Shooting Centre
The National Shooting Centre, commonly referred to as Bisley, is the UK's largest shooting sports complex, comprising several shooting ranges as well as the large Bisley Camp complex of accommodation, clubhouses and support services. The centre is located between the villages of Bisley (from which it takes it colloquial name) and Brookwood in Surrey. The site is wholly owned by the National Rifle Association (NRA). History The NRA Imperial Meeting (the Association's national championship) was first held on Wimbledon Common in 1860. In 1890, the village of Bisley became the location for the Imperial Meeting. The headquarters of the British NRA was also moved from Wimbledon to Bisley Camp at that time. Bisley hosted most of the shooting events in the 1908 Olympic Games, and all the shooting for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. During the 2012 Olympic Games the shooting was held at the Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich. As well as the rifle ranges, there are two clay target sh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flying Officer
Flying officer (Fg Offr or F/O) is a junior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Flying officer is immediately senior to pilot officer and immediately below flight lieutenant. It is usually equivalent to the rank of sub-lieutenant in the navy and of the rank of lieutenant in other services. The equivalent rank in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force was "section officer". Canada The rank was used in the Royal Canadian Air Force until the 1968 unification of the Canadian Forces, when army-type rank titles were adopted. Canadian flying officers then became lieutenants. In official Canadian French usage, the rank title was . United Kingdom Origins The term "flying officer" was originally used in the Royal Flying Corps as a flying appointment for junior officers, not a rank. On 1 April 1918, the newly created RAF adopted its officer rank titles ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Commission (document)
A commission is a formal document issued to appoint a named person to high office or as a commissioned officer in a territory's armed forces. A commission constitutes documentary authority that the person named is vested with the powers of that office and is empowered to execute official acts. A commission often takes the form of letters patent. Commissions are typically issued in the name of or signed by the head of state. In Commonwealth realms, the documentation is referred to as a King's Commission or Queen's Commission (depending on the gender of the reigning monarch). However, in Commonwealth realms other than the United Kingdom, they may be signed by the governor-general, the representative of the monarch of that realm. Terminology Because the word "commission" can also refer generally to an individual's duty, the more specific terms commissioning parchment or commissioning scroll are often used to specify the commissioning document. However the document is not usually ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Territorial Air Force (New Zealand)
The Territorial Air Force, or TAF, is a Military reserve force, reserve air force that operates in New Zealand. The service traces its lineage back to a 1919 report that proposed an air force for the country manned by part-time volunteers, with the first recruits arriving in 1923. However, it was not until 1930 that the Territorial Air Force was formally constituted. The pilots had all previously served with the Royal Air Force, many in the World War I, First World War. Structurally, the force consisted of a wing of four Squadron (aviation), squadrons, each allocated to one of the major cities of the country, with major sites at RNZAF Base Auckland, Auckland, Wigram Aerodrome, Christchurch, Taieri Aerodrome, Dunedin and Wellington Airport, Wellington. The Territorial Air Force suffered from a lack of equipment, particularly aircraft, throughout its existence. Initially, it relied on aircraft operated by the Royal New Zealand Air Force, New Zealand Permanent Air Force, including o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
