THE ELITE FEW

摘要

A key element of Marshal of the Royal Air Force Hugh Trenchard's vision for the development of an independent air service, was the creation of a college equivalent to Sandhurst and Dartmouth, to develop future senior leaders of the then new RAF. The college opened at Cranwell, Lincolnshire on February 5,1920 with an initial entry of 52 cadets. There were two entries per annum for the two-year course, following which they were posted as qualified pilots to operational squadrons. By the start of World War Two, many Cranwellians had moved through the ranks and a number were in mid-level command and staff appointments; others followed as Fighter Command expanded by the start of the Battle of Britain (BoB) on July 10,1940. Officers in very senior appointments, of course, predated the college. However, pilots on short service commissions, NCO aircrew or members of the Auxiliary Air Force and Volunteer Reserve, largely manned Fighter Command's squadrons.