SOME FINE AIRMEN

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 76, 27 September 1927, Page 9

SOME FINE AIRMEN

DISTINGUISHED CAREERS

The British.team which.went, to Venice for the International Schneider Maritime Trophy race for seaplanes consisted entirely of Royal Air Force personnel, and is under the. command of Air Vice-Marshal I\ B. Scarlett, Air Officer Commanding Coastal Area. : It was also expected that a number of other.notable British air officials would be present to watch the race, which has a great bearing on flying progress.The winner of the race, Flight-Lieu-tenant S. N. Webster, A.F.C., R.A.F., is 27 years old, having been born in 1900 at "Wallsall (Staffordshire), where he was also educated, and'is the youngest member of the team. He joined the R.A.F. as a second lieutenant in September, 1918, after having: previously served in the infantry ,as a private. He was granted a short service commission as a flying officer in' December, 1919, and became a permanent commissioned officer in 1924, He was only promoted, flight lieutenant last July. Previously he" had been awarded -the Air Force Cross, which, as is known, is given for meritorious flying service. ' Flight Lieutenant 0. E. Worsley, fi.A.F., who secured second place with an almost equally phenomenal speed, was born in 1898 at Kensington, and was educated at .Mertoin House .'■ and Westbourne Schools. He joined the R.N.A.S. as a mechanic in 1914 and became a flight officer in the same Bervice in January, 1917. He was promoted flight sub-lieutenant in June, 1917, and. became a lieutenant, 8.A.F., on the formation of the Air Force. He served in the Mediterranean during 1918, and was specially mentioned in dispatches. . He was out of the Service between 1919 and 1921,- but returned as a short service officer' in July of that year, and was granted a permanent commission with, the same rank early in 1925. He was promoted flight lieutenant in the July promotion. Although he did not complete the full course, the honour of attaining • the highest speed goes to Flight-Lieutenant b. M. Kinkead, D.8.0.;.. D.S.C., D.F.C., E.A..F., who was born in February, 1897, and is a South African. He was educat-

Ed at the High School,< 'Johannesburg, and at the Marist College. He joined the B.N; A.S. as a flight sub-lieutenant in September; 3915. During the war he saw flying service in the Dardanelles for a year, and in the Dunkirk area during 1917-18. He was rcsuon-

sible for the ground organisation'on the Northern Sector in connection with the' first Cairo-Cape flight carried out by R.A.F. Fairey lIID. aircraft in 1925. Recently he has been, an instructor at No. 5 Plying Training School, Sealand, Chester. He was promoted flight-lieu-tenant, R.N.A.S., in' June, 1917, > became captain, R.A.F., on-the formation N}f the Royal Air Force/ was. granted a permanent commission as-flying--officer in August, 1919,.. andf was -'promoted flight-lieutenant in January, 1922.