British require:ikets for technical OFFICERS FRO?!
THE UNITED   STATES, ' ,
(Previous References: BOXES 107, H.I.:.(41) 25th
Meeting. Item 1 and GLEAil 13,9. /,Y
Note by Mr. V/.C.G. Cribbett of the Royal
Air Force Delegation.
139
GLEAM Ho. 132 proposed that technical officer
requirements of the three Services should be discussed
in London with ?.fejor General Beaumont-Nesbitt and myself
and that I should bring back a statement of co-ordinated
requirements.
Major General Beaumont-Nesbitt and I were
accordingly invited to attend a meeting of the
Clement Jones Sub-Committee on the 10th October to discuss
these requirements, and also the proposed formation of an
American Civilian Technical Corps,
Technical Officer Requirements.
Technical Officer requirements fall into two
categories, viz:
(i)   Defence Force commissions, and
(ii)   Civilian Technical Officers for the Supply
Departments.
Although both needs would be met from the same source, the
differing conditions of service require a different approach.
The primary object of the Defence Forces is to secure
Technical personnel of professional status as commissioned
officers in the forces able to undertake combatant service
if necessary in any sphere of operations. Both
Major General Beaumont-Nesbitt and I expressed grave doubts
whether there would be any material response to an offer
of commissions in the lowest ranks of the three Services
even if the more favourable Canadian rates of pay were
offered.
The Navy representatives (Captain R.A. Jacjcson
and Mr. P.E. Marrack) stated that the Admiralty were
prepared to grant commissions on entry in the rank of
Acting Lieutenant at the rate of 35 a day, but the Army and
R.A.F. did not consider it expedient or feasible to follow
the example of the Navy for fear of creating dissatisfaction
on seniority grounds.     The difficulty here is that all war
promotions in the Army and R«A,F, are on an acting basis,
v/hereas the Navy continues to make a proportion of
-1
substantive promotions and thus are able to deal more easily
with the problem of the direct "acting" entrant.
The anticipated probable failure to secure the
numbers required by direct entry into the services led to
the consideration of two alternative possibilities, viz:
(a) An extension of the "Conant" observer scheme;
(b) An approach to the U.S. authorities with a
view to the creation of a section of officer
status in the projected American C.T.C.
There seemed to be some conflict of opinion
among members of the committee about the real nature of
the "Conant" scheme.     The Defence Forces assumed that
"Conant" officers, who are reserve officers of the U.S.
Forces, were sent to the U.K. in the capacity of observers
for a maximum period of eight months, literally for the
avowed purpose of gaining experience.
The Ministry of Labour (;Ir, Markham) stated that
he had understood that it might be possible to secure an
extension of the period of service on request and that
the services of the officers could be utilised in active
constructive employment.     If the latter view is correct -
and I have been asked to clarify the issue - the Defence
Departments would welcome assistance in this or a similar
form.
The alternative of assistance from an officer
section of the C.T.C. was generally agreed to offer a
satisfactory means of dealing with the need for civilian
technical officers in the Supply Departments, but the
difficulties of the limitations imposed by non-combatant
status, and the problems of "Powers of Command" would lead
to a materially reduced demand for the Defence forces.
Two statements are annex, Annex 'A1 detailing
the requirements of the fighting services on the basis
either of direct entry commissions or the "Conant" scheme
of observers as understood by the Ministry of Labour, and
Annex 'B' detailing the requirements of the Supply
Departments for civilian technical officers and the reduced
needs of Defence Departments if made from an officer
section of the C.T.C.
It was emphasised by the representatives of the
three Defence Departments that the time factor was of
extreme importance and that the assistance, to be of real
value, should be available by 31.3.42.
Proposed formation of American Civilian Technical Corps,
The committee agreed that the question of
establishing an American C.T.C. should be pursued by the
R.A.F. Delegation.     It was agreed that it would probably
be found impracticable to continue recruitment for the
British C.T.C. concurrently with the attempt to develop an
American C.T.C., which would be offering higher rates of
pay.     The view was also expressed by the Ilinistry of
Labour representatives that absorption of the British C.T.C.
into its American counterpart would probably be necessary
in order to obviate dissatisfaction among members of the
British C.T.C, who would be in receipt of lower rates of
pay.
Lord Hankey, in the course of conversation
following the meeting, informed me that he was prepared to
delegate authority to the R.A.F. Delegation to decide if and
when the appropriate time had arrived to discontinue
recruitment for the British C.T.C.     Meanwhile, it was
the accepted policy to encourage recruitment into the
British C.T.C. and all reasonable measures should be
taken to maintain the quicker tempo in the flow of
recruitment which had recently become manifest.
(Signed)   Y/.C.G. CRIBBETT.
Washington, D.C.,
31st October, 1941
ANNEX 'A'
Class of Technical Admiralty
Officer Require-
ment s.
Engineer Officer 50
Electrical Engineer
Officer
Radio Officer
Signals Officer
Armament Officer
Civil Engineering
Officer
R.A.F. V/ar Office
Require- Require-
ments, ments.
250 250
150
50
150
25
100
1-
ANNEX VB!
REQUIREMENTS FROM AN OFFICER SECTION
OF THE C.T.C.
1#   Requirements of Supply Departments,
(1) Admiralty
(a) 12 highly skilled radio engineers age 30-40
with sound training in physics or electrical
engineering and some years of practical
experience in either research, experimental
development or design.
(b) ?0 University graduates of a standard comparable
to a 2nd Class honours degree in physics or
electrical engineering who have specialised in
radio during their course.
(c) 1 experienced man in each of the following
subjects
Acoustics
Light current electrical engineering
Small mechanical design
(d) 6 Mechanical Designers for design work in
fire   control gear.
(e) 6 Production Engineers.
(f) 3 assistant Chief Mechanical Engineers (these
should be qualified mechanical engineers of
about 28-30 years of age).
(g) 4 Technical Assistants in Mine Depots. (Good
electrical training is required in conjunction
with general engineering experience).
(2) Ministry of Supply.
(a)   460 Mechanical Engineers composed of the
following categories:
PESION DUTIES:
Principal Design Officers 3
Senior 11 11 9
Design Officers 10
Chief Draughtsmen 18
Senior        11 10 50
FACTORY MANAGEMENT:
Production duties in Ordnance
Factories 80
Services (gas, steam, heating,
etc.) 30 110
INSPECTION COKTROL:
Engineers sufficiently
qualified to supervise
Inspectors of finished
stores £c 50
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TECHNICAL ASSISTANTS;
(Headquarters duties):
Including a proportion
capable of supervising
layout, repair and
maintenance at con-
tractors' works 250 250
TOTAL 460
(b) 60 professionally qualified electrical
engineers,
(c) 30 professionally qualified civil engineers*
(d) 6-8 Chemical Engineers.
(e) 6-10 Physical Chemists.
(f) 6-10 Organic Chemists.
12 Physicists (50 per cent. General
(50   "       11 Electrical)
(3i   Ministry of Aircraft Production.
100 engineers spread over the following
categories!
30 Aircraft Engineers with experience in
aerodynamic constructional design, or
experience of performances in other flight
tests.
15 Physicists with experience of instrument
design, development and construction.
15 Electrical Engineers with experience in the
design, development and construction of
electrical accessories,
15 professionally trained engineers with
experience of aero-engine design, development
and construction.
10 Engineers with experience of aircraft armament
and bombs.
50 Radio Engineers of graduate standard or in
process of graduating with experience of
airborne and ground communications equipment>
television and valve design.
2,   Reduced Requirements of Defence Departments.
Class cf Technical Officer      Army.        Navy R.A.F.
Mechanical Engineers 50
Civil Engineers 10
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