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SUMMARY:The British Commonwealth Air Training Schemes in World War II - Ia
 in Johnston\, Christ's College
DTSTART:20111115T173000Z
DTEND:20111115T190000Z
UID:TALK34081@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Derek L. Elliott
DESCRIPTION:Described as “the greatest concerted effort the nations of t
 he British Commonwealth… ever made”\, the Empire Air Training Scheme w
 as a resounding success in facilitating British air strategy in the Second
  World War. Alongside the South African Joint Air Training Plan\, the EATS
  made a global British air effort possible - something which was often as 
 significant to land and naval operations as to the RAF’s offensives. \n\
 nNevertheless the inauspicious Dominion air forces of the interwar period 
 and failed pre-war proposals for cooperation in training had not suggested
  the vast air network which eventually spread throughout the Commonwealth 
 would be possible. Furthermore some Dominion historians have viewed the re
 sults of the scheme negatively. Conflict over a national or “British” 
 identity persisted through debates over the distribution of trained Domini
 on airmen\, as well as through negotiations on the number and composition 
 of Dominion squadrons within the RAF. Additionally political and military 
 considerations meant South Africa did not opt to join the EATS at its init
 iation\, instead choosing to create a separate training arrangement with t
 he RAF. \n\nYet in spite of these problems the training schemes flourished
  due to the unique political\, cultural and geographical environment of th
 e British Commonwealth and became an indispensable part of the Allied war 
 effort\, providing a vital contribution to victory. The air training schem
 es form one of several areas of World War II historiography in which the i
 mportance of the Dominion contribution to the British war effort is seriou
 sly undervalued.
LOCATION:Seminar Room N7\, Pembroke College
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