§ Mr. Perkinsasked the Secretary of State for Air whether the question of the Air Efficiency Award in relation to the Reserve of Air Force Officers has now been reconsidered?
§ Sir A. SinclairWhen the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve was formed most of the officers of the Reserve of Air Force Officers who had previously come into the Reserve from civil life, but not those who were ex-regular officers, were given an opportunity of transferring to it. Some did not do so because they were unwilling or unable to undertake the additional training obligations involved. As ray hon. Friend was informed in reply to his Question on 14th October, those who did transfer are now eligible for the Air Efficiency Award and their previous service in the R.A.F.O. will be counted for the purpose.
There are, however, two classes of officers who originally entered the R.A.F.O. direct from civil life but who have not so far had an opportunity of transferring to the R.A.F.V.R. These are (i) officers with Great War experience in the flying, administrative and technical branches, and (ii) officers without Great War experience in the technical branch only. I have gone into their case and have arranged that they shall now be given an opportunity of transferring to the R.A.F.V.R. provided that they are willing to assume the peace-time training liabilities involved. Those who elect to transfer will become eligible for the Air Efficiency Award and will be able to count their service in the R.A.F.O. towards the qualifying period.
2315WEx-regular officers in the R.A.F.O. will not be able to transfer to the R.A.F.V.R. and they will remain ineligible for the Air Efficiency Award. That award, like the Territorial Efficiency Decoration and the officers' decoration of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, is for volunteers from civil life and not for officers who, at one time or another, had made the Royal Air Force their profession.