Royal Flying Corps - Christmas Greetings Card (front)
A Christmas Greetings Card, 1913 - sent by C. A. H. Longcroft of the 2nd Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, Montrose (see: 10528927). Air Vice Marshal Sir Charles Alexander Holcombe Longcroft (1883-1958) was a pilot and squadron commander in the Royal Flying Corps who went on to become a senior commander in the Royal Air Force. After obtaining his Royal Aero Club certificate in March 1912, Longcroft was attached to the Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers at his request. With the establishment of the Royal Flying Corps in the following month, he was seconded to the new Corps. Shortly after the sending out of this card, Longcroft was promoted to major and was appointed Officer Commanding No. 1 Squadron RFC. During the period 1915 to 1918 he was promoted several times and had command of the RFC's Training Wing, 2nd Wing, V Brigade and Training Division. Longcroft finished WW1 as General Officer Commanding the 3rd Brigade. In 1919, Longcroft was awarded a permanent RAF commission in the rank of group captain and just four days later (!) he was promoted to air commodore. He was subsequently appointed as the first commandant of the world's first air academy, the RAF (Cadet) College at Cranwell
