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Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
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(Anthony) Allen Joseph b: 24 Sep 1910 r: 3 Oct 1960 d: 2 Aug 1982
AFC - 16 Apr 1943, KCVSA - 1 Jan 1949.
(RCAF): Fg Off: 3 Oct 1939, (T) Flt Lt: 1 Nov 1940, (T) Sqn Ldr: 1 Jun 1942, Wg Cdr: 1 Feb 1944
(RAF): Sqn Ldr: 16 Jul 1946 (backdated to 1 Jan 1941 on 28 Feb 1947), Wg Cdr: 1 Jul 1947, Gp Capt: 1 Jul 1953, Act A/Cdre: 20 Nov 1956
3 Oct 1939: Appointed to a Commission in the Royal Canadian Air Force (C/1263)
3 Oct 1939: U/T Flying Instructor, RCAF Trenton
12 Dec 1939: Flying Instructor, Flying Instructors' School, ('B' Category)
xx May 1940: Flying Instructor, CFS, RCAF Trenton
xx Aug 1940: Re-categorised 'A2'
xx Nov 1940: Re-categorised 'A1'
xx Dec 1940: Flight Commander, CFS, RCAF Trenton
xx Jan 1941: Officer Commanding, Visiting Flight, CFS, RCAF Trenton
xx xxx 1941 Revising the Sequence of Flying Instruction for advanced types of training aircraft
xx Sep 1941: Officer Commanding, Visiting Flight, CFS, RCAF Trenton
25 Jan 1943: Attached to 'Y' Depot
27 Jan 1943: En-route to the UK
xx xxx xxxx: Attended Course No 4, Empire Central Flying School
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Sqn Ldr Shelfoon is seated extreme right |
xx Dec 1943: CFI, Empire Central Flying School
16 Jul 1946: Appointed to a Permanent Commission in the General Duties Branch in the rank of Squadron Leader.
xx xxx xxxx: Attended RAF Staff College.
xx xxx xxxx: Officer Commanding, No 7 Sqn
xx xxx xxxx: Assistant Director of Training (All Weather Flying) (1947-1948)
24 Feb 1950: Organisation Staff, HQ Middle East Air Force.
xx xxx xxxx: Officer Commanding, RAF ?
24 Aug 1954: Senior Officer i/c Administration, HQ AHQ Iraq
20 Nov 1956: Air Officer i/c Administration, RAF Levant
17 Feb 1958: Deputy Director, Directorate of Personal Services (A)
Recommendation and Citation for the award of the Air Force Cross
SHELFOON, S/L Anthony Allan Joseph (C1263) - Air Force Cross - Central Flying School
"Squadron Leader Shelfoon volunteered his services to the RCAF in September 1939, and reported to Camp Borden with the first class, “Bush Pilots”, to undergo training as an instructor. He was commissioned as Flying Officer, October 3rd, 1939, successfully completed his Instructor’s Course on December 12th, 1939, and was awarded “B” Category. In view of his previous flying experience in civilian life, he was retained on the staff of the Flying Instructor’s School as an instructor.
In May 1940, he was posted to RCAF Station Trenton, to the staff of Central Flying School, and in August of that year was awarded A2 Category for his above average instructional ability, and proceeded out with the first Visiting Flight from Central Flying School. In November 1940 he was promoted to Flight Lieutenant, and that same month recatogorised as an A1 instructor whose ability and experience warranted the highest category.
In December 1940, he was appointed a Flight Commander in Central Flying School, and in January 1941, assumed the position of Officer Commanding, Visiting Flight, and upon his return to Trenton he voluntarily undertook to revise the Sequence of Flying Instruction for advanced types of training aircraft, and his invaluable assistance and hard work, a great deal of which was outside normal working hours, contributed in no small measure to the compilation of CAP 1, Volume 2 which is, at present, the standard Sequence of Instruction in use in the JATP Service Flying Training Schools.
In August 1941, he was promoted to the rank of Squadron Leader, and in September 1941 was placed in command of Central Flying School Visiting Flight and spent six months in the field standardizing and raising the quality of instruction at all EFTS and SFTS in the Western Training Commands. At the present time, Squadron Leader Shelfoon is again on Visiting Flight completing a tour of all EFTS, SFTS and AOS Schools in No.3 Training Command. At the conclusion of this tour he will have completed a Visiting Flight Inspection of the standard of training at all Elementary and Service Schools in the JATP.
In view of this officer’s excellent record as a pilot and instructor, his extraordinary ability to demonstrate and explain flying technique, his invaluable contribution in the compilation of CAP 1, Vol.2, the effort he has put forth to standardize training which has contributed so much to the success of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan and his exemplary devotion to duty, it is strongly recommended that he be considered for the award of the Air Force Cross."
(There is no citation in AFRO or biographical file, but DHist file 181.009 D.1721 (PAC RG.24 Vol.20606) has a letter dated 27 December 1941 from W/C F C Carling-Kelly to Commanding Officer, Station Trenton, shown above)
This led to a recommendation dated 30 December 1942:
"Squadron Leader Shelfoon was a pilot of some distinction in civilian life, and volunteered his services to the RCAF in September of 1939. He was retained after a course of instruction on the staff of the Flying Instructor School. Squadron Leader Shelfoon revised the Sequence of Flying Instruction for advanced types of training aircraft and his invaluable work in the compilation of the Syllabus of Advanced Flying Instruction in use throughout the CFS has proved invaluable. He is in command of the Visiting Flight. This officer is an A1 category instructor and is showing extraordinary ability in his demonstration of flying technique. He is an outstanding pilot with marked devotion to duty and his work is well deserving of the award of the Air Force Cross."
This differs from the proposed citation that eventually went to Government House. The following citation found in Governor General's Records, RG.7 Group 26, Volume 57, file for 1943.
"Since the commencement of the war Squadron Leader Shelfoon has been continuously employed on flying instructor duties. As a member of the staff of the Flying Instructor School he revised the Sequence of Flying Instruction for advanced types of training aircraft and his work in the compilation of the Syllabus of Advanced Flying Instruction in use throughout the CFS has proved invaluable. He is now in command of the Visiting Flight and is showing extraordinary ability in his demonstration of flying technique. He has flown 1,415 instructional hours over a period of three years."
Citation for the award of the King’s Commendation for Valuable Services in the Air
SHELFOON, Allen Joseph, Wing Commander, AFC (58281) – Royal Air Force - Directorate of Flying Training, Air Ministry (Originally prepared as a recommendation for an OBE, January 1948 List.)
"Wing Commander Shelfoon is Head of T.F.1. By his ability, persuasiveness and knowledge of both technical and practical aviation and all that appertains thereto, he has had a great effort on the strides made in all-weather flying, flying control and the use of aids to flying. As a technical aviator, he is outstanding and by his example and far-seeing and practical outlook, he has been able to remove some of the fetters which were confusing the issue. In addition, his work, in connection with the preparation of the All-Through Syllabus of Pilot Training and in the preparation of the Instrument Rating Scheme, which made the RAF more weather-conscious, has been most praiseworthy. To further these projects, this officer has foregone his leave and worked unremittingly with no thought of self. Wing Commander Shelfoon’s work, both practical and academic, has been of the highest order. By his personal example and very wide knowledge of instrument flying problems, he has done very valuable work in furthering the aim of making the RAF an all-weather flying service and his work will undoubtedly have a real and lasting effect on operational efficiency."
(Source - Air 2/9816)
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