Events

Richard Holmes Memorial Lecture 2024 Air Control from the Sea: Tactical Air Command & Control during Operation Neptune

Tuesday 19th November 2024

An anual memorial lecture for Professor Richard Holmes is organised on a rotating basis between the Battlefields Trust, The International Guild of Battlefield Guides and the British Commission for Military History. This year the Richard Holmes Memorial Lecture is hosted by the International Guild of Battlefield Guides.

The lecture will be given by Chris Finn who will examine the development of expeditionary air command and control (C2) in the European Theatre in 1942 and 1943; examine the problems facing the planners for the air aspects of Operation Neptune; describe the solutions arrived at; explain how they were implemented; examine the problems that occurred, and the successes; the implications of these factors in the different conduct of day and night air defence; and briefly describe the subsequent uses of sea-based air C2 in the final year of the war in Europe. It will be shown that the solutions employed to deliver continuous C2 of Allied airpower, in the transition from bases in UK to ones in France, were specific to that situation. And, whilst the ability to control air support assets from the naval HQ ships proved to be of limited value the ability to control day and night fighters from the Fighter Direction Tenders was of significant value and employed for much longer than envisaged.

The lecture will be at the Royal College of Defence Studies, Seaford House, 37 Belgrave Square, Belgravia, London, SW1X 8BJ from 7.00 p.m.–8.00 p.m.

The cost of the lecture is £35.00.

Seaford House is situated on the main square in Belgravia. It is in between and a short walk from three tube stations; Hyde Park Corner on the Piccadilly Line, Victoria on the Victoria Line and Sloane Square on the District and Circle Lines. For more information and to book tickets please contact the Guild Secretary at the International Guild of Battlefield Guides using the contact details below.