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CATHCART-JONES
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1. Name
2. Date Commissioned
3. Date Retired
4. Rank
5. Awarded Wings
6. Flying Schools
7. Aircraft Types Flown
8. Squadrons
9. Aircraft Carriers
10. Senior Appointments
11. Decorations
Owen CATHCART-JONES
1 January 1919
17 Febuary 1930. To half pay for six months.
Joined National Flying Services Ltd.
Did not return to Corps Duties.
Lieutenant RM
August 1925
10 January 1925 R.A.F Netheravon
10 August 1925 R.A.F Leuchars
Fleet Fighters - Fairey Flycatcher,.Dart. IIIF
Civilian types including record breaking D.H. Comet (England - Australia 1934)
403 Flight - Hermes.
404 Flight - Courageous
Argus, Eagle, Hermes, Courageous
None
McRobertson Centenary Gold Medal 1934
Royal Aero Club Silver Medal 1934
Holder of 8 Long Distance World Records 1934
12. General
13. RAF Rank
After the usual period of general service on completion of 2/Lt's courses he volunteered for flying and. joined R.A.F Netheravon on 12. January 1925 Seven RM Officers were already under training and altogether no less than 18 RM Officers were on three consecutive pilots courses in addition to Jones. Officers on his course were Bryan, Holford, Teek, and Woodhall, others on courses at the same time were "Wings" Day, Ellison, Fuller, Giddy, Giles, Hunt, Knowles, Warren, Wildman-Lushington and Woolley.
Much of his flying time was spent in China and the Mediterranean and he established a reputation as a forceful and daring pilot. One of his escapades became the talk of the Fleet - on 22 Aug. 1929 he was on exercises with the Fleet and loaded plane with a large packet of "service brown" toilet paper intending to drop it H.M.S. Revenge which should have been last in the line. Unfortunately the C-inC had inverted the line and he dropped the "bunph" very accurately on the Flagship H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth. His Flycatcher aircraft was clearly numbered "7" and the Captain of H.M.S. Courageous was called to the Flagship on return to harbour to explain. Cathcart-Jones duly appeared before the Admiral with his reasons in writing and had to be on his best behaviour for some time.
On 26 November 1929 he made the first ever night deck landing in a fighter aircraft flying Fairey Flycatcher from H.M.S Courageous.
It is a reminder of our one time presence in the Middle East that his record shows his Flight carrying out patrols in Palestine, and the Courageous Flights being shore based at GAZA and ABOUKIR in 1929 during the "Civil War".
During his Fleet Air Arm service he became very friendly with a wealthy Naval Officer, Glen Kidston, with a similar passion for flying. Kidston was himself leaving the Navy and Cathcart - Jones decided that it was time to do likewise and to transfer his interests entirely to civil flying. He went on to half pay on 17 Febuary 1930 and joined National Flying Services Ltd. and never returned to the Service.
In company with Kidston he broke 8 World records for long distance flights in 1934 including England to South Africa. His best feat was to co-pilot with Ken Waller the specially built D.H. Comet in the McRobertson England to Australia Centenary air race in which they came in third. On arrival they immediately turned round and flew back to England and established a record for the round trip.
Cathcart - Jones finally retired to California but in World War II he served as, Lieut. Cdr. in the U.S.N.R and commanded his own ship in the Seventh Fleet in the New Guinea and Leyte campaigns. He also worked with the Fifth Air Force and after Leyte served on the staff of General McArthur at Lake Sentana above Hollandia.
As at February 1976 he had his own horse ranch and trained polo ponies at Montecito, Santa Barbara California, and was President of the Polo Club.
Flight Lieutenant
Flying Marines
A History of Royal Marines Aviation
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