Sassoon Trophy

[ATR42300]

Over the years I have read various details about this trophy awarded by Sir Philip Sassoon the Under Secretary of State for Air before the last war.

The last timer I read about it was for a Bombing and Navigation Competition and was from what i can gather last won by 249 Sqn in 1961, can anyone advise any further details ie its history, previous winners and whether it is still awarded please

Many thanks

[hval]

Some notes: -

Sir Philip Albert Gustave David Sassoon, 3rd Baronet (December 4, 1888 – June 3, 1939)as a member of the Sassoon and Rothschild families. He was a British politician, art collector and social host. He lived in North London

During the First World War Philip Sassoon served as private secretary to Field Marshal Haig. He was Parliamentary Private Secretary to David Lloyd George in 1920. Between 1924 and 1929 and again from 1931 until 1937 he served as Under-Secretary of State for Air, and gained much prominence in political circles. In 1937 he became First Commissioner of Works, a post which he held until his death two years later.

Sassoon was a cousin of the poet, Siegfried Sassoon. He had a reputation for being one of the most eligible bachelors and greatest hosts in Britain. He built the Port Lympne estate in Kent. He largely re-built his other house and estate at Trent Park, Cockfosters, London.

The Sassoon Trophy was for aerial photography (originally). It sounds as of the trophy may have changed as to its award throughout its history.

Look Here (http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/archive/index.php?t-56987.html) for some additional details

[Jackonicko]

I really doubt the 1961 win by 249 - as in '60 (and later, I'm sure), it was an RAF Germany recce competition prize.

80 Squadron won it in 1960, 17 won it in 1961, etc.

(see: http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1962/1962%20-%200402.html)

[threeputt]

Seem to remeber that it moved into V-Force keeping and was awarded at the end of Ex Double Top (UK Bomb comp; V-Force vs elements of the USAF). I can't remeber exactly what it was awarded for but, no doubt, some other knackered old goat will remember and inform us all.

3P:ok:

[Warmtoast]

A bit of history here: siskin | 1929 | 1105 | Flight Archive (http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1929/1929%20-%201105.html)

continued here: bristol jupiter | 1929 | 1106 | Flight Archive (http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1929/1929%20-%201106.html)

[shawtarce]

I won it in 1990. At that time it was awarded to 4 or 5 aircraft apprentices a year, who where suitable and likely to go aircrew.

If you won, you had 8 weeks or so at RAF Brize Norton flying club, and enough free hours to gain your PPL.

I got hit by "options for change" in 1991, when they stop recruiting pilots for a while, although they did offer me admin sec, or provost. They promised me I'd be able to tranfer to pilot when pilot training re-started.........

I went loadie instead.

No regrets at all!!!!!!

[Hipper]

My father was in Brian Wickham's 7 Squadron Valiant crew that won it in 1960. Here is what I discovered in 7 Squadron Operations Records Book at the National Archives, Kew:

(from AIR27/2728)
1-3.5.1960. 7 Squadron won Bomber Command navigation competition, the Phillip Sassoon Cup. The average error was 4 miles beating the next best by 2 miles. They are the only RAF squadron to beat the competing USAAF 6th in any field.

The best individual score in the whole navigation competition was Wickham's crew with an error of only 661 yards, being awarded individual praise.
Wickham's scores were:

Bombing 183 points position 41st
Navigation 99 points position 1st
Combined 282 points position 21st

7 Squadron was 5th in the bombing competition and 2nd overall.

(Additionally, on 13-17.6.1960 During Exercise Sunspot, Wickham won Moss Bombing Trophy with an average error for his best 6 bombs of 107 yards from 40,000'. The trophy was named after F/L A J R Moss in 1923 and was last competed for in 1932.)

This is the trophy each crew recieved:

http://i40.tinypic.com/90slue.jpg

It's a bit battered and missing the 7 Squadron badge.

This is the programme from that event:

http://i41.tinypic.com/2r420qo.jpg

Strangely it does not give a list of previous winners but it says the following about the Sassoon Trophy:

This trophy was presented to the RAF in 1953 by the Right Honourable Sir Phillip Sassoon, Bart., Under Secretary of State for Air, for competition between squadrons of the Wessex Bombing Area of the Air Defence of Great Britain.

The trophy was originally presented for an annual 'long distance' competition between night bombing squadrons. In 1951 it was competed for by H2S equipped medium bomber squadrons in a combined 'blind' bombing and navigation competition. In 1952 the trophy was awarded to the best squadron in Gee-H bombing and was won by No 12 Squadron. The trophy was not awarded again until 1957 when it was reallocated for competition as the Navigation Trophy for the Medium Bomber Force. It was won that year byNo 83 Squadron flying Vulcans, and in 1958 by No 138 Squadron in Valiant aircraft. The winners in 1959 were 617 (Vulcan) Squadron.

This is the trophy:

http://i43.tinypic.com/6y1t0p.jpg

Other trophies mentioned in the programme are the Laurance Minot Trophy and the Aramaent Officer Trophy.

[threeputt]

I left Waddington, and 44(R), in early 1980 so it was in the late 70's that Barney Barnes (Nav Plotter) and crew of 101 Sqn? won the Sassoon with a terminal error of 585 feet! Not bad after 1000mns of along and across astro shots.

3P:ok:

[scorpion63]

My late father was on 617 at the time having been the winners in 1959, I also have a copy of the 1960 programme, it makes interesting reading tracing the rise of some of those named in the crew lists.

[ATR43]

Hipper - "This trophy was presented to the RAF in 1953 by the Right Honourable Sir Phillip Sassoon, Bart., Under Secretary of State for Air, for competition between squadrons of the Wessex Bombing Area of the Air Defence of Great Britain."

The strange thing here is the fact that Philip Sassoon died around 1939 which might therefore imply that the Trophy was awrded obviously prior to that but re-allocated in terms of the comp it was awarded for!

[Hipper]

That Phillip Sassoon was a wiley character.

I suspect a missprint as the article goes on to say 'in 1951 it was competed for.....'.

Seems more likely it was 1933, when the Wessex Bombing Area appears to have existed - just.

[Warmtoast]

The Sassoon Cup was inaugurated in 1927 by the Under-Secretary of State for Air, Sir Philip Sassoon who presented the cup
.....to be competed for by the fighter squadrons of Air Defences....

As reported in "Flight" here: northolt | 1927 | 0399 | Flight Archive (http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1927/1927%20-%200399.html)


THE Under-Secretary of State for Air, Sir Philip Sassoon, has presented a cup to be competed for by the fighter squadrons of Air Defences. The conditions this year were a race of approximately 100 miles, each of the squadrons being represented by one machine. The machines were handicapped according to type. Each machine was to fly carrying ordinary service equipment but without such accessories as bomb-rack and radio telephony gear. Competitors had to climb at once to 2,000 ft. and were not allowed to fly below that altitude until they dived for the finishing line.
The race was held on May 26 with start and finish at Northolt aerodrome. The weather was perfect with a very light north-east breeze which scarcely filled the "stocking" at Northolt. The course was Northolt, Duxford, Halton, Northolt. Nine squadrons entered machines which are given on page 363 grouped in types.

Sir Philip Sassoon, Air Vice-Marshal Brooke - Popham, Commanding Fighting Area, and numerous senior officers were present.

The Gamecocks started scratch; the Grebes received 1 min. 14 secs the Siskin 2 mins. 57 secs., and the Woodcocks 3 mins. 33 secs. Performance figures of service aircraft are rarely published and members of the public who wish to take an intelligent interest in the equipment of the Royal Air Force do not find it easy to do so. These handicaps will give them some enlightenment; but it should be borne in mind that certain squadrons specialise on night-flying, which affects their racing speed. Pilots who have to go up to meet night raiders find good climb more useful than high speed.

The handicapping proved most successful, despite the fact that all the Gamecocks more than caught their handicap. The three of them came in together with but fractions of seconds separating them. But the next four machines, namely, the Siskin, a Woodcock, and two Grebes were very close behind, and it was certainly a very good finish. The winner was Flying Officer A. H. Montgomery of No. 32 Fighter Squadron from Kenley.

The complete order of finishing was :-
No. 32 [Sqn] Gamecock.
43 Gamecock.
23 Gamecock.
41 Siskin.
3 Woodcock.
25 Grebe.
19 Grebe.
17 Woodcock.
29 Grebe.

Flying-Officer 'Montgomery completed the course in 42 mins. 27 secs, at an average speed of 155 m.p.h. The Siskin made a speed of 142 m.p.h., the first of the Woodcocks 139 m.p.h., and the leading Grebe 136 m.p.h. The winner will give a special demonstration at the Royal Air Force Display on 'July 2 [1927].


The Flight article above contains some splendid photos of the event.

[forget]

I could've sworn I posted this earlier. :confused: Any interest?

Air Clues. August 1968.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/cumpas/sassoon.jpg

[Hipper]

You did. It was on a recent thread where I put a link to this earlier one.

http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/381423-sassoon-trophy.html

As you can see it killed the thread.http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/smile.gif

[ATR43]

Can anyone confirm that in the 1930s 25 Squadron won the trophy on at least two if not three occasions alsowhere is its present whereabouts/ current custodians.

Many thanks

[Warmtoast]

25 Sqn's history states:

In 1933 the Squadron had achieved such a high standard of proficiency that it won outright the prestigious Phillip Sassoon Fighting Area Trophy with a score of 99.9%.


First awarded in 1927 "to be competed for by the fighter squadrons of Air Defences", the trophy seems to have iterated over the years from its original purpose and has been awarded, as mentioned in posts above, to cover other worthwhile skills and proficiencies that include excellence in Bombing, Navigation and Apprentice skills among others.

Which makes me wonder whether there is but one trophy or many.

PS Digging around and a further Sassoon Trophy comes to light because in 1933 he presented another trophy, this time for photographic skills. As reported at the time:


The Sassoon Photographic Challenge Trophy

The entries for the photographic trophy presented by the Right Hon. Sir Philip A. G. D. Sassoon, Bart., G.B.E., C.M.G., M.P., Under-Secretary of State for Air, have now been judged. Eleven units entered for the competition....
1. Andover
2. Bicester
3. Farnborough, No. 4 (A.C.) Sqdn.
4. Bircham Newton, No. 35 (B) Sqdn.
5. Cattcrick
6. Old Sarum
7. Manston
8. Bircham Newton, No. 207 (B) Sqdn.
9. Upper Heyford
10. Abingdon
11. Boscombe Down

In the event Andover won the trophy.

[95i]

Sassoon Trophy for No 31 Squadron

November 1965

The Commander-in-Chief Royal Air Force Germany Air Marshal Sir Ronald Lees KCB, CBE, DFC, during his farewell visit to the station, presented the Sassoon Trophy to 31 Squadron. A short parade was held in the squadron hangar for the occasion.

Text taken from the Laarbruch F540s

31 Squadron was stationed at RAF Laarbruch from March 55 till March 71 with Canberra PR7.

[Quietplease]

I guess there must have been more than one trophy.
My log book shows practice flights on 19/20 April 1961.
24 April we won the navigation section in a PR7 WH779 thanks to my nav Jack Bennett.
Comp was a gentle 2 hour medium level bimble round Cyprus and then the bomber boys tried to at least splash the target in Episkopi Bay.
They reckoned it wasn't fair as we had Green Satin and they only had an extra nav.
Never saw the trophy.