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PENSIONS AND ALLOWANCES

The rates of pensions are as shown in the Tablebelow.

The above rates are subject to periodical revision upwardsor downwards, to an extent not exceeding 20 per cent.in all, on account of a rise or fall in the cost of living. ascompared with the year 1919. A deduction of 7 per cent. isat present being made on this account.

There are additional pensions not subject to theabove reduction ranging from :B65 to 2350 per annumfor officers who have held high administrativeappointments as colonels or major-generals.

Officers on appointment are provided with free

passage to India, normally by transport. The wivesand families of officers who are married prior to thedate of the officers’ embarkation on first appointmentwill also be given free passage to India subject to thepayment of messing charges. Officers are granteda certain number of return passages home at Govern-ment expense during their career. There are specialallowances for officers whilst on study leave.

Further particulars can be obtained on applicationto the Secretary, Military Department, India Office,Whitehall, London, S.W.I. Letters should be marked" Recruitment for I.M.S."

MEDICAL BRANCH OF THE ROYAL

AIR FORCE

THE Air Council attach great importance to attract-ing into the service the best type of medical man,since on the capacity of the Medical Branch dependsin a peculiar degree the safety and efficiency of theAir Force. The duties of a medical officer in the AirForce include not only the prevention and treatmentof those ordinary diseases to which the personnel ofany fighting service are liable, but the special studyof the mental and physical stresses imposed on theairman in diverse circumstances and climates-a newbranch of medicine which still provides considerablescope for research.As promotion to the higher ranks of the Service is

by selection, and as a certain proportion of thehigher ranks are reserved for purely professionalas opposed to administrative appointments, it will beseen that there are excellent prospects for the youngmedical officer who exhibits ability and energy inhis professional work.The work to be done, therefore, has a high pro-

fessional interest, combined with good rates of payand allowances, so that a career is offered whichshould prove both attractive and interesting. Thelife is one which is certain to appeal to the man of wideoutlook who desires opportunities for travel, sport, andgames, and can find interest and enjoyment in aviation.

His duties will, as a matter of course, give himflying experience as a passenger, which is necessaryfor the proper study of the medical problems ofaviation and for gaining first-hand knowledge of theconditions under which his comrades serve. Hemay also, if he wishes, undergo a certain amount oftraining as a pilot, when this can be arranged withoutinterference with his duties.

The establishment consists partly of permanentand partly of short-service officers, and an officer onentry is granted a short-service commission for aperiod of three years on the active list (extensibleto five years if the officer so wishes, on the recom-mendation of the Director of Medical Services) andof four years in the Reserve of Air Force Officers.

Selections for permanent commissions are made fromofficers holding short-service commissions, and thosewho are not selected are transferred to the Reserveat the expiration of their period of service on theactive list.

For those entrants who desire it, the opportunity ofobtaining a permanent commission is one approaching50 per cent., so far as can reasonably be estimatedat present. But the short-service commission withits gratuity after three or five years is in itself anattraction to many entrants who desire to enlargetheir experience and outlook from the point of viewof subsequently entering private practice, and who,on entry, have not made up their minds to the adop-tion of a permanent career in the Service.

For certain purposes medical officers may beallowed to count as service their time spent inapproved whole-time post-graduate appointments incivil hospitals under certain well-defined and generousconditions.At about five years’ service all permanent officers

who are judged suitable will be given the opportunityto take a course of specialist study. The periodallowed will vary with the subject of study, butnormally about nine months will be available to eachofficer, during which full pay and allowances will beissued. Their subsequent career will normally beas follows. Approximately three-quarters of theemployment of squadron leaders and senior flightlieutenants is in specialist posts, though these are notgenerally of a full-time specialist character. Onreaching the rank of wing commander, the policyis to allow a proportion of officers to become per-manent specialists and to be employed continuouslythroughout the remainder of their career in full-timespecialist posts. Rather more than a quarter of theofficers will become permanent specialists and con-tinue to be employed as such throughout their servicein the ranks of wing commander and group captain.In addition there are a number of hygiene posts inthe former rank open to specialists in that subject,bringing the proportion of specialist posts in therank up to nearly a half of the total posts. In therank of group captain, apart from the posts alreadymentioned as available for the permanent specialist,employment is nearly equally divided between postsin charge of a large hospital and headquarter adminis-trative posts. This statement indicates the positionas regards specialist employment as at present fore-seen. No guarantee can be given, of course, that thecareer of an individual will necessarily conform tothis forecast.New entrants into the Royal Air Force Medical

Branch are commissioned as Flying Officers (Medical),and are eligible for promotion to the rank of FlightLieutenant (Medical) after one year’s service on fullpay. Permanent officers are normally promotedto the rank of Squadron Leader after ten years’total service. Accelerated promotion may be grantedafter the completion of eight years’ service to officersqualified to hold specialist appointments. Promotionwithin establishment to the ranks of Wing Commanderand above is by selection. The number of permanentcommissions granted yearly is regulated with a viewto all suitable permanent officers being promoted toWing Commanders and of a substantial majorityof Wing Commanders being promoted to GroupCaptains. While the aim is to give entrants a careeras above, no guarantee of promotion can be givento the individual officer, of course, since the numberof vacancies for promotion must depend on the require-ments of the Service from time to time.There is no competitive examination on entry;

candidates must be under 28 years of age, Britishsubjects, the sons of British subjects, and of pureEuropean descent, and are interviewed by a Boardpresided over by the Director of Medical Services,Royal Air Force, before acceptance. Each candidatemust produce :-

1. Birth certificate. 2. Medical registration certificate.3. A declaration containing the following information:

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(a) Age and place of birth. (b) That he is a British subject,the son of British subjects, and of pure European descent.(c) That he is ready to engage for general service at homeor abroad as required. (d) The qualifications he is possessedof, and what medical or other appointments he has held(if any). (e) That he is willing to fly as a passenger whenevercalled upon to do so.

Each candidate is required, before acceptance, topass a medical examination to ensure that he laboursunder no constitutional or mental disease or weakness,nor any imperfection or disability which may interferewith the efficient discharge of the duties of a medicalofficer in any climate, in peace or war.On appointment entrants undergo an initial course

of three months, during which they are given instruc-tion in the special medical aspects of aviation, theorganisation and administration of the Royal AirForce, and the general and special duties to be per-formed by officers in the Medical Branch.In order to avoid the necessity for further examina-

tions the position of entrants in order of seniorityin the Air Force List is determined at the end of theinitial course by a system of marking and reports onthe actual work done during their instruction.

UNIFORM AND EQUIPMENT

Medical officers are required to provide themselveswith the uniform, service dress, and mess dress of theirrank, and with the distinguishing badges of the RoyalAir Force Medical Branch. The provision of full dressis entirely optional at present. An allowance of 250towards the cost of uniform is made on joining tocandidates who have not had previous commissionedservice in H.M. Forces.

EMOLUMENTS

The emoluments of medical officers of the Royal AirForce are given in outline below. The rates of pay

,are fixed on an inclusive basis, and the fact thatspecialist pay and charge pay are not payable asseparate emoluments was taken into account whenthe rates were fixed. The standard rates of payand retired pay were fixed on the basis of the highcost of living in 1919, 20 per cent. of each standardrate being detachable and subject to alteration inrelation to the cost of living. The rates were accord-ingly altered periodically between 1919 and 1932,but in the latter year it was decided in principle thatvariations in relation to the cost of living should ceaseand that pay should be consolidated; no finaldecision as to the date or terms of consolidation hasbeen reached. The current rates represent a reductionof approximately 10 per cent. on the standard rates,and will continue to be issuable until further notice.

ALLOWANCES AT STATIONS ABROAD

In addition to the current pay shown above,officers stationed abroad are provided with furnishedquarters (with fuel and light) and rations, or allowancesin lieu, and receive colonial and servant allowances.The present total of the allowances (including colonialand servant allowances) payable when provision inkind is not available is as follows :-

M. = married : S. = single.

The married rates are payable only when the officer isaccompanied by his family. If unaccompanied he is treatedas unmarried for the purposes of his own accommodation,or allowances in lieu, and receives a consolidated allowancein respect of the separated family as follows :-

Flying Office ;S109 p.a.

Flight Lieut. and Squadron Leader.. n36 "

Wing Cmdr. and Group Captain .. E173 "

Iraq and <S’M<a.&mdash;Familiea are normally not allowed inthese countries, and officers are provided with accommoda-tion, &c., for themselves, and receive colonial and servantallowances. The present rates of colonial allowance amountto n42 p.a. (Iraq) and 46 p.a. (Sudan). In addition,married officers receive the consolidated allowance for

separated families at the rates shown above.Aden and Transjordan.&mdash;Families are only allowed at

these stations if public married quarters are available.Married officers accompanied by their families are accord-ingly provided with married accommodation, &c.. andreceive a servant allowance of 2s. a day and a colonialallowance of 10s. a day at Aden and 7s. in Transjordan.All other officers are provided with unmarried accommoda-tion and receive servant allowance of 2s. a day and colonialallowance of 5s. a day at Aden and 3s. 3cd. a day in Trans-jordan. In addition, married officers separated from theirfamilies receive the consolidated allowance at the ratesshown above.

ROYAL AIR FORCE MEDICAL BRANCH : RATES OF PAY AND ALLOWANCES

* Except for periods of service under Indian administration. For such periods officers receive pay and allowances at ratesand subject to conditions authorised from time to time by the Government of India.

t These allowances are issued only when accommodation, fuel and light, rations, and personal attendance are not availablein kind. Normally, provision in kind is available for junior omcers. " Married " rates of allowances are payable only to marriedofficers who have reached the age of 30 or the rank of Squadron Leader. The rates and general scheme of allowances are liableto revision as circumstances may require.

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The rates of colonial allowance payable in Aden andPalestine and Transjordan are under review and willprobably be reduced.

Retired PayThe minimum period of service qualifying foi

retirement on retired pay is 20 years.Standard scales of retired pay are as follows :-

AIR OFFICERS

Air Vice-Marshal .....8790 to B1010 per annum.

Air Commodore 9650 " &pound; 950

OFFICERS BELOW AIR RANK

* Limited to five years.

The maximum standard rates of retired pay andthe compulsory retiring ages for the several ranksare :-

Gratuities.-A permanent officer allowed to retirebefore having qualified for retired pay may be granteda gratuity, namely :-&pound;1000 if he has 5 but less than 10 years’ commissioned service.<81500 " 10 11 " 15 " "

&pound;2800 15 or more than 15

Short-service officers who complete their fullperiod of service on the active list will normally begranted gratuity as follows on transfer to theReserve :-

After 3 completed years .. .. .. .. &pound;400

5 .. .. .. .. &pound;1000

These gratuities will not be payable to officersgranted permanent commissions, but their serviceon a short-service commission will count towardsretired pay.

THE GUILD OF ST. LUKE was founded 70 years agoby a few medical students, chiefly to meet theirown religious needs. It now makes a wider appeal,and its membership is open to all students andpractitioners of medicine, both men and women, whoare members of the Church of England, the clergyof which are eligible as Clerical Associates. TheChapter meets at St. Nicholas Cole Abbey, London,E.C. Particulars of the objects and activities of theGuild can be obtained on application to the Secretary,Guild of St. Luke, 43A, Matheson-road, W.14.

COLONIAL MEDICAL SERVICE

THE Colonial Medical Service consists of theMedical Services in Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda,British Guiana, British Honduras, British SolomonIslands Protectorate, Ceylon, Cyprus, Falkland Islands,Fiji, Gambia, Gibraltar, Gilbert and Ellice IslandsColony, Gold Coast, Hong-Kong, Jamaica, Kenya,Leeward Islands, Malaya, Mauritius, Nigeria, NorthernRhodesia, Nyasaland, Palestine, St. Helena, Seychelles,Sierra Leone, Somaliland, Tanganyika, Trinidad,Uganda, Windward Islands, and Zanzibar.The various Colonial government medical depart-

ments employ some 1200 European medical officersand about the same number of qualified Asiatic andAfrican medical officers who are appointed locally.Included in this total are about 30 qualified Europeanwomen medical officers. About 850 trained nursingsisters and health visitors are employed, most ofwhom are Europeans. There are large numbers ofsubordinate personnel, sanitary inspectors, medicalassistants, and dressers, most of whom are nativesof the areas in which they serve.Throughout nearly the whole of the Colonias

Empire such diseases as malaria, yaws, leprosy, andhookworm disease menace the health of the indigenouspeople and retard the progress of development. Inequatorial Africa sleeping sickness and plague persist,in West Africa yellow fever has not yet been eradi-cated, and in the Near and Far East outbreaks ofcholera and plague occur from time to time. But inaddition to tropical diseases, those maladies usuallymet with in this country are prevalent throughoutthe Empire.An officer in the Colonial Medical Service thus has

unique opportunities for the practice of his profession.On joining his medical department his duties includemedical, surgical, and public health work. He maybe posted to an outlying or bush station where he willbe responsible for all the medical activities in con-nexion therewith ; or he may be attached for dutyat one of the large hospitals. Every encouragementwill be given him to pursue any specialist work inwhich he may be interested in so far as the exigenciesof the Service permit. Great importance is attachedto a candidate’s post-graduate experience, as in theoutlying districts he will frequently be called on todeal with emergencies without being able to seek theadvice and assistance of his colleagues.

VACANCIES

Vacancies for medical officers may occur at anytime of the year, and are dealt with as circumstancesrequire. The almost complete cessation of recruit-ment during the war period, coupled with the post-warexpansion of staffs, particularly in the larger Colonies,resulted in an abnormally high rate of recruitment.The average for the six years, 1924 to 1929, was 104vacancies per annum. In 1930 the number of vacanciesfell to 77, due to the establishments of medical depart-ments being almost at full strength. As a result of thegeneral financial depression only 35 vacancies werefilled in 1931, and the number was further reduced to12 and 22 in 1932 and 1933 respectively. For thepresent, therefore, vacancies are likely to be veryinfrequent. In normal circumstances vacancies occurmost frequentlv and regularly in Tropical Africa andMalaya. In the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda,Ceylon, Jamaica, and Mauritius, junior posts are

practically always filled by the appointment ofqualified local candidates. The vacancies for whichcandidates are selected from outside the Service arethose for ordinary medical officers. Appointments forspecialists are almost invariably reserved for officerswho are already in the Service, and who have shownoutstanding merit in a particular branch of medicineor surgery. Under normal conditions about sixvacancies were to be expected annually, usually in