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The Air Department of the British Admiralty (later succeeded by the Air Section and the Air Division ) was established prior to World War I by Winston Churchill to administer the Royal Naval Air Service .[ 1]
In 1908, the British government had recognised that the use of aircraft for military and naval purposes should be explored. To this end, the Prime Minister, H. H. Asquith, approved the formation of an "Advisory Committee for Aeronautics" and an "Aerial Sub-Committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence". Both committees were composed of politicians, army officers and Royal Navy officers.
The Air Department was established within the Admiralty in 1910 and had the initial responsibility of building an airship.[ 2] Directorate of Military Aeronautics for the Royal Flying Corps , which had separate military and naval wings.[ 3]
After prolonged discussion on the Committee of Imperial Defence, the Royal Flying Corps was constituted by Royal Warrant on 13 April 1912. It absorbed the nascent naval air detachment and also the Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers . It consisted of two wings: a Military Wing and a Naval Wing.
In the summer of 1912, in recognition of the air branch's expansion, Captain Murray Sueter was appointed Director of the newly formed Air Department at the Admiralty. Sueter's remit as outlined in September 1912 stated that he was responsible to the Admiralty for "all matters connected with the Naval Air Service."
The department's function was to foster naval aviation developments and later to oversee the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). Its first director was Captain Murray Sueter . In 1915, with the growth of the Naval Air Service, the position of Director of the Air Department was abolished and replaced by that of Director of the Air Service. This new post was a flag officer appointment and the first Director was Rear-Admiral Charles Vaughan-Lee .[ 7]
In July 1914 the naval wing became a separate service known as the Royal Naval Air Service , under the sole control of the Air Department. When World War I started the RNAS became responsible for co-operation with the Navy, for the bombing of all naval targets at sea and in ports.[ 3]
Originally, British naval aviation came under the authority of the Commander-in-Chief, The Nore . In February 1915, the RNAS was placed under the command of the Director of the Air Department (Captain Murray Sueter), although disciplinary powers over RNAS personnel were not granted to the Director. In July 1915 a further reorganization occurred when the post of Director of the Air Department was abolished and replaced with that of the Director of the Air Service (Rear-Admiral Charles Vaughan-Lee).[ 8]
In January 1918 control of the (RNAS), excluding airships and balloons, were the responsibility of the Director of Naval Construction as early as 1916 and which the Admiralty retained until 1919, passed to the Air Ministry in April 1918 following re-structuring it was merged with the RFC as the Royal Air Force . The Admiralty maintained control of its aircraft carriers naval operations at sea, and naval officers however its personnel transferred to the (RAF) for training and service.[ 3]
In 1920 the air department was renamed the Air Section of the Admiralty Naval Staff which in turn was renamed the Air Division in 1924.[ 1]
The Director of the Air Department (D.A.D.) was a position in the Admiralty from 1912 to 1915 succeeded by the Director of the Air Service until 1917, The Director was responsible to the Board of Admiralty on aviation issues, and administered the Admiralty Air Department.
Aircraft design and production [ edit ] The Air Department produced a few of its own designs for aircraft between 1915 and but these were built by established external aircraft manufacturers
^ a b Smith, Gordon. "British Admiralty World War 1" . naval-history.net . naval-history.net, 21 October 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2017 . ^ Archives, The National. "Admiralty and Air Ministry: Naval Aircraft Works, Later Royal Airship Works, Cardington: Correspondence and Papers" . discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk . National Archives, 1911–1939, AIR 11. Retrieved 1 March 2017 . ^ a b c "Records of Air Department, Fleet Air Arm, Royal Naval Air Service and Department of Aircraft Equipment" . The National Archives. Retrieved 2 March 2017 .Open Government Licence v3.0 . © Crown copyright.^ "British Air Service Reorganized" (PDF) . The New York Times . 9 September 1915.^ Joubert de la Ferté, Philip (1955). The Third Service . London: Thames and Hudson. pp. 37, 38.
Roskill, Stephen Wentworth (1969), Documents Relating to the Naval Air Service: 1908–1918 , vol. I, London: Navy Records Society
Direction and control Boards and offices under Direction of Secretariat and staff under Operational planning, policy Divisions and sections Offices of the Sea Lords Admiralty civil departments
Admiralty Area Cash Offices Admiralty Central Dockyard Laboratory Admiralty Central Metallurgical Laboratory Admiralty Civilian Shore Wireless Service Admiralty Compass Observatory Admiralty Constabulary Admiralty Constabulary Headquarters Admiralty Engineering Laboratory Admiralty Experimental Station Admiralty Experiment Works Admiralty Gunnery Establishment Admiralty Interview Board Admiralty Labour Department Admiralty Marine Technology Establishment Admiralty Materials Laboratory Admiralty Mine Design Department Admiralty Mining Establishment Admiralty Naval Aircraft Materials Laboratory Admiralty Record Office Admiralty Regional Offices Admiralty Research Laboratory Admiralty Signal Establishment Admiralty Signals and Radar Establishment Admiralty Surface Weapons Establishment Admiralty Surveying Service Admiralty Torpedo Experimental Establishment Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment Admiralty Underwater Weapons Launching Establishment Architectural and Engineering Works Department Air Equipment and Naval Photography Department Air Department Air Materiel Department Air Personnel Department Amphibious Warfare Headquarters Armament Supply Department Board of Invention and Research Board of Longitude Boom Defence Department Boom Defence and Marine Salvage Department Britannia Royal Naval College Chemical Board Chemical Department Civil Catering Department Civil Engineer in Chiefs Department Coastguard and Reserves Branch Combined Operations Headquarters Commissioner for Property and Income-tax for the Naval Department Compass Department Contract and Purchase Department Council of Naval Education Dental Examining Board Department of Radio Equipment Department of the Accountant-General of the Navy Department of Aeronautical and Engineering Research Department of Miscellaneous Weapons Development Department of Naval Assistant (Foreign) to Second Sea Lord Department of Naval Education Operational Research Department of Personal Services and Officer Appointments Department of Physical Research Department of Physical Training & Sports Department of Radio Equipment Department of Research Programmes and Planning Department of Superintendent of de-magnetisation Department of the Admiral of the Training Service Department of the Chief Inspector of Naval Ordnance Department of the Chief of Naval Information Department of the Chief Scientist Department of the Civil Engineer-in-Chief Department of the Comptroller of Steam Machinery Department of the Comptroller of Victualling and Transport Services Department of the Controller of the Navy Department of the Controller-General of Merchant Shipbuilding Department of the Controller for Navy Pay Department of the Deputy Controller for Auxiliary Shipbuilding Department of the Deputy Controller for Dockyards and Shipbuilding Department of the Director Contract-Built Ships Department of the Director-General Aircraft Department of the Director-General of Manpower Department of the Director-General, Supply and Secretariat Branch Department of the Director of Aircraft Maintenance and Repair Department of the Director of Contract Labour Department of the Director of Dockyards Department of the Director of Electrical Engineering Department of the Director of Manning Department of the Director of Merchant Shipbuilding Department of the Director of Merchant Shipbuilding and Repairs Department of the Director of Merchant Ship Repairs Department of the Director of Naval Construction Department of the Director of Naval Equipment Department of the Director of Naval Recruiting Department of the Director of Naval Weather Service Department of the Director of Personal Services Department of the Director of Physical Training and Sports Department of the Director of Torpedoes and Mining Department of the Director of Transports Department of the Director of Underwater Weapons Department of the Director of Underwater Weapons Materials Department of the Director of Unexploded Bombs Department of the Director of Warship Production Department of the Director of Welfare and Service Conditions Department of the Director of Wreck Dispersal Department of the Flag Officer Sea Training Department of the Engineer in Chief Department of the Paymaster Director-General Department of the Inspector of Anti-Aircraft Weapons Department of the Inspector of Dockyard Expense Accounts Department of the Inspector-General of Naval Hospitals and Fleets Department of the Medical Director-General of the Navy Department of the Physician of the Navy Department of the Physician General of the Navy Department of the Storekeeper-General of the Navy Department of the Surveyor of Buildings Department of the Surveyor of Dockyards Directorate-General, (Naval Manpower and Training) Directorate General Training Dockyards and Fleet Maintenance Department Dockyards Branch Dockyard Expense Accounts Department Dockyard Schools Electrical Engineering Department Engineer Branch Engineering Department Experimental Department Fire Control Group Greenwich Hospital Department Inspector of Telegraphs Inspector of Repairs Joint Warfare Establishment Medical Consultative Board Medical Examining Board Historical Section Hydrographic Department Marine Department Marine Pay Department Materials and Priority Department Medical Consultative Board Medical Department Medical Examining Board Movements Department Nautical Almanac Office Naval Artillery and Torpedo Department Naval Engineering College Naval Equipment Department Naval Historical Branch Naval Construction Department Naval Intelligence Department Naval Medical Service Naval Law Division Naval Manpower Department Naval Mobilisation Department Naval Ordnance Department Naval Ordnance Inspection Department Naval Ordnance Stores Department Naval Personnel Services and Officer Appointments Department Naval Publicity Department Naval Regional Offices Naval Reserve Department Naval Security Department Naval Stores Department Naval Training Department Naval Works Department Navy, Army and Air Force Institute Navy and Army Canteen Board Navy Works Department Navigation Department Observatory at the Cape of Good Hope Office of the Admiral Commanding Coast Guard and Reserves Office of the Admiral Commanding, Reserves Office of the Admiralty Chemist Office of the Adviser on the Naval Construction to the Board of Admiralty Office of the Assistant Controller Office of the Assistant Controller Research and Development Office of the Clerk of the Journals Office of the Chief Polaris Executive Office of the Deputy Controller of Navy Office of the Deputy Controller Production Office of Extra Naval Assistant to Second Sea Lord Office of the Inspector Gun Mountings Office of the Keeper of Records Office of the Senior Psychologist (Naval) Office of the Senior Psychologist of the Navy Office of the Translator of French and Spanish Languages Office of the Vice Controller Air Office of the Vice Controller of the Navy Organisation and Methods Department Packet Service Regional Organisation for Merchant Shipbuilding and Repairs Royal Corps of Naval Constructors Royal Flying Corps Royal Marine Police Royal Marines Office Office of the Chaplain of the Fleet Royal Naval Academy Royal Naval Aircraft Workshops Royal Naval Air Service Royal Naval Air Stations Royal Naval Armaments Depot Royal Naval Auxiliary Service Royal Naval Cordite Factories Royal Naval Propellant Factory Royal Naval College Royal Naval College and the School for Naval Architecture Royal Naval College, Dartmouth Royal Naval College, Greenwich Royal Naval College, Keyham Royal Naval College, Osborne Royal Naval Engineering College Royal Naval Film Corporation Royal Naval Hospital Royal Naval Medical Depot Royal Naval Minewatching Service Royal Naval Mine Depot Royal Naval Patrol Service Royal Naval Scientific Service Royal Naval Sick Quarters Royal Naval Torpedo Depot Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Royal Naval War College Royal Naval War College, Portsmouth Royal Navy Dockyard Royal Navy Medical Service Royal Navy Shore Signal Service Royal Observatory, Greenwich Royal School of Naval Architecture Salvage Department School of Mathematics and Naval Construction Scientific Research and Experiment Department Sea Transport Branch Sea Transport Department Sea Transport Division Ship Department Ship Design Department Signal Department Signal School Sixpenny Office Statistics Department Steam Department Superintendent of De-magnetisation Torpedo Experimental Establishment Transport Department Undersurface Warfare Department Victualling Department Volunteer Boys and Cadet Corps Weapons Department Weapons Department (Naval) Women's Royal Naval Service Wireless Telegraphy Board Direction/Command of the Fleet Naval formations after 1707
1st Fleet 2nd Fleet 3rd Fleet Commander-in-Chief, Africa Atlantic Fleet Commodore, Arabian Seas and Persian Gulf Australia Station Cape of Good Hope Station Cape and West Africa Station Battle Cruiser Fleet Battle Cruiser Force Caspian Flotilla Channel Fleet Channel Squadron Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Ireland Cork Station Coast of Scotland Commander-in-Chief, China Commander-in-Chief, Dover Flag Officer, East Africa East Indies Station East Indies and China Station Eastern Fleet Far East Fleet English Channel Grand Fleet Flag Officer Gibraltar Harwich Force Home Fleet Jamaica Station Leith Station Commander-in-Chief, Levant Levant and East Mediterranean Commander-in-Chief, Leeward Islands Mediterranean Fleet Medway Newfoundland Station New Zealand Division New Zealand Naval Forces Nore North America and West Indies Station Commander-in-Chief, North Sea Admiral Commanding, Orkneys and Shetlands Pacific Fleet Pacific Station Admiral of Patrols Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth Queenstown Station Royal East African Navy Royal Indian Navy Flag Officer Submarines Commander-in-Chief, Rosyth Reserve Fleet Scotland and Northern Ireland Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic South East Coast of America Station Commander-in-Chief, Thames and Medway West Africa Squadron Flag Officer, West Africa Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches Naval formations before 1707 Direction of Naval Finance Departments under the Direction of Naval Administration Branches and offices under the Civil Administration Departments under the Legal
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