Page 4 - Terence J Arbuthnot

Terence John Arbuthnot spent his service career in the Royal Air Force and
thereafter working with veterans in the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.

Terence John Arbuthnot’s maternal Grandfather Sir Henry Blake GCMG, was the
Governor of Hong Kong at the time of the acquisition of the New Territories. Terence
Arbuthnot’s father was Blake’s A.D.C and married Sir Henry’s daughter, Olive.

Terence Arbuthnot was educated at Eton Collage, Berkshire. After leaving Eton
Terence, determined to fly was commissioned into the Royal Air Force (General
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Duties Branch) on 11 December 1926 as a Pilot Officer, taking his Officer training
course at the RAF Cadet Collage, Cranwell, Lincolnshire. There he earned a
reputation as a dare-devil stunt flyer. Attempting to deliver a letter to his younger
brother at Eton he miscalculated and force landed his aircraft on
colleges playing field.
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Promoted Flying Officer on June 11 1928 and Posted to 41 Squadron at RAF
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Northolt in 1930, he was involved on August 17 1930 in a mid-air collision with
Sergeant. B. J. Marsden in their Siskin III aircraft whilst practicing formation flying.

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September 1 1930 saw Terence posted to the Electrical & Wireless School,
Cranwell, for a Signals Course.

Promoted Flight Lieutenant on April 1 1932 and posted on October 18 1932 to
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20 (Army Co-Operation) Squadron (Peshawar) (Mohmand Operations, on the North
West frontier of India).The tribal area of Waziristan was in a region of India, which is
now North West Pakistan.
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He was mentioned in despatches on August 5 1936.It was here he created a
mobile donkey borne radio pack, this being adopted by the Forces as the standard
communications equipment.
Promoted Squadron Leader on April 1 1937 and on April 20 1937 he was posted
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to 5 (Army Co-operation) Squadron at RAF Chaklala, India for Signals duties.
June 13 1937 saw Terence awarded the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of
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Saint John of Jerusalem, as an Officer in this Order (known as confrères).

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September 12 1937 saw Terence back in the UK Commanding
26 (Army co-operation) Squadron stationed at RAF Catterick, North Yorkshire.
The unit being equipped with the Hawker Hector.

The squadron, part of 12 Fighter Command (22 Army Co-operation Group) was in
February 1939 re-equipped with the Westland Lysander Mk1 and in June 1940

Terence and his squadron flew to France as part of the British expeditionary Force
equipped with 18 Lysanders.