Inter War Years
Day was promoted to lieutenant in 1919 and his first command was with a marine detachment on HMS Isis, an Eclipse-class cruiser, before joining HMS Malaya.
Later he commanded the Marine detachment from HMS Caledon at the burning of Smyrna, helping to evactuate Greek survivors of the Turkish massacres. He also saw service with the Fleet during the League of Nations involvement at Memel.
He stayed with the marines until 1924 when he moved to the Fleet Air Arm as a flying officer serving with the Royal Air Force during the late 1920s before receiving a permanent commission in 1930 as a flight lieutenant.
He joined No. 23 Squadron RAF flying Gloster Gamecocks, with which he led the RAF Synchronised Aerobatics Display Team, which included Douglas Bader at the 1931 Hendon Air Show, and other displays.
He held posts at RAF Abu Sueir and Khartoum, was promoted to squadron leader in 1936, then commands at Aboukir, Netheravon before commanding an Advanced Flying Training School at RAF Little Rissington.
When war was imminent, he was promised a staff job at RAF Bomber Command headquarters, however he requested to join an operational squadron. This was approved, and in July 1939 he was promoted to wing commander and placed in command of 57 Squadron stationed at RAF Upper Heyford.
Read more about this topic: Harry Day
Famous quotes containing the words war and/or years:
“Come Vitus, are we men, or are we children? Of what use are all these melodramatic gestures? You say your soul was killed, and that you have been dead all these years. And what of me? Did we not both die here in Marmaros fifteen years ago? Are we any the less victims of the war than those whose bodies were torn asunder? Are we not both the living dead?”
—Peter Ruric, and Edgar G. Ulmer. Hjalmar Poelzig (Boris Karloff)
“Of all the errors which can possibly be committed to the education of youth, that of sending them to Europe is the most fatal. I see [clearly] that no American should come to Europe under 30 years of age.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)