70
“Argus’s” deck in October 1919, Commander Richard Bell Davies lead the fist
squadron to be embarked on a carrier. But by then, the Royal Naval Air Service had
ceased to exist.
When the case for a “unified air service” was debated in 1917, the Admiralty
through indifference, or lingering doubts about the value of air power at sea, did not
fight the Navy’s corner with any force or conviction. When the Air Force Bill became
law on 1 April 1918, the Royal Naval Air Service was abolished at stroke, and all its
resources – more than 100 air stations, some 55.000 officer and men, any over 2.500
aircraft – were transferred to the newly-created Royal Air Force.
“Air” officer who stayed in the Navy, with dual RNRAF ranks, suffered
perennially from an occupational unease, constantly aware that their long-term career
prospects were in Jeopardy because they were aircrew. Having let control of their air
arm go the RAF, the Navy spent the best part of the next 20 years trying to wrest it
back.
Notes:
1)
a packet – суденышко, посудина
2)
unease = uneasiness – неудобство, беспокойство, стесненность
3)
perennially – всегда, вечно, постоянно
4)
to wrest – (1) вырывать, выдергивать; (2) получать ценой больших
усилий; вырвать (победу у врага); (3) искажать, извращать
