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Air Commodore E A D Masterman


Air Commodore E A D Masterman Edward Alexander Dimsdale        

b: 15 Apr 1880        r: 1 Mar 1929             d: 26 Aug 1957

CB - xx xxx 1928, CMG - 3 Jun 1919, CBE - 7 Jan 1918, AFC - 1 Jan 1919.

(RN): - Mid’n: 15 Jun 1896, Act Sub Lt:  15 Jul 1899, Sub Lt: 15 Jul 1899, Lt: 15 Jan 1900, Cdr: 31 Dec 1910, Wg Cdr: 1 Jul 1914, Wg Capt: 30 Jun 1916, Act Capt: 14 Jul 1917.

(RAF): - (T) Col [Lt Col]: 1 Apr 1918, (T) Brig-Gen: 3 Jul 1918, Act Brig-Gen: 1 May 1919, (T) Brig-Gen: 2 Jul 1918, Gp Capt: 1 Aug 1919, A/Cdre: 8 Aug 1919.

Photograph © Crown Copyright

15 Jan 1894:         Attended HMS Britannia.

15 Jan 1896:         Midshipman, HMS Revenge.

 2 Oct 1897:          Midshipman, HMS Resolution.

 5 Aug 1898:          HMS St Vincent for ?

19 Oct 1898:          Midshipman, HMS Resolution.

 3 Jul 1900:            HMS Duke of Wellington whilst commanding Torpedo Boat No 42

 1 Oct 1900:           Lieutenant, HMS Seal (Nile)

 1 Nov 1900:          ? Cruise

 1 Feb 1901:          Officer, HMS Alert

 1 Sep 1903:           Attended Torpedo Specialist Course, HMS Vernon

 1 Sep 1904:           HMS Vernon for Higher Course at RN College, Greenwich

 3 Jan 1905:          Torpedo Officer, HMS Resolution.

10 Mar 1905:        Torpedo Staff, HMS Vernon

15 Jul 1905:          Officer, HMS New Zealand

29 Jun 1907:          Torpedo Requalification Course, HMS Vernon

24 Aug 1907:         HMS Victory whilst studying Russian in Russia.

30 Jul 1908:           Qualified as Interpreter (Russian)

 1 Oct 1908:           Staff Officer (Russia Interpreter), HMS Vernon.

11 Jun 1909:         Lent to HMS Diadem for manoeuvres

15 Jul 1909:          Torpedo Officer, and Russian Interpreter, HMS Vesuvius

16 Feb 1911:         Officer Commanding, HMS Rocket

12 Apr 1911:          On strength of HMS Hermione

27 Jan 1912:          ?

 1 Mar 1912:         HMS Blake whilst commanding HMS Lyra

xx xxx 1912:          Officer Commanding, Naval Airship Section RFC.

 1 Jul 1914:            Officer Commanding, Farnborough Airship Station.

13 Aug 1915:          Inspecting Commander of Airships (Temporary)

 1 Sep 1915:           Assistant Superintendent of Aircraft Construction (Lighter-than-Air)

 1 Mar 1916:          Officer Commanding, Rigid Airship Trial Flight, Barrow in Furness/Howden (from December)

xx xxx 1917:           Officer Commanding, Barrow-in-Furness Airship Station

 3 Jul 1918:             GOC/AOC, No 22 (Operational) Group.

 1 May 1919:          Specially Employed

 1 Aug 1919:           Awarded Permanent Commission as a Colonel

10 Aug 1919:          President, Aeronautical Committee of Guarantee (Germany).

22 Jan 1920:           Removed from the Navy Lists on being awarded Permanent Commission in RAF

 8 May 1922:          Supernumerary, HQ Coastal Area attached to Directorate of Intelligence.

10 Jun - 2 Oct 1922:    Placed on half pay list, scale ?

 2 Oct 1922:           Supernumerary, Central Flying School

 9 Oct 1922:           Commandant, Central Flying School.

 1 Jan 1923:            AOC, No 7 Group.

 1 Dec 1924:           AOC, No 10 Group.

 1 Jun 1928:            Placed on half pay list, scale A.

 1 Mar 1929:          Commandant, Observer Corps. (Ret'd)

xx xxx 1937 - xx xxx 1942:            Area Commandant, Western Area, Observer Corps. (Ret'd)

By 1911 he had become involved in the Navy's early experimental work on airships which resulted in the unsuccessful Rigid Airship No 1, 'Mayfly'.  Prior to his move to Barrow, he was tasked by Admiral Fisher (28 February 1915)  to design some small fast airships for anti-submarine duties.  Within three weeks, together with Commander N F Usborne, he devised the SS airships, which used existing components becoming one of the main types used by the RNAS during WW1.  He was awarded RAeC Certificate No 1210Fr on 31 January 1913.  Sent to Germany as President of the Inter Allied Aeronautical Committee of Control, his task was to oversee the implementation of the articles of the Treaty of Versailles that referred to the disposal of all military aircraft.  In 1929 he became the first Commandant appointed by the Air Ministry Observer Corps, control of which had just been transferred from the Army.   Retired at his own request.

This page was last updated on 24/08/19

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