Air Vice Marshal James Rowland Scarlett-Streatfeild, (17 February 1909 – 10 May 1945) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. He was killed in an air crash as he travelled to accept the surrender of German forces in Norway.
Early life
James Rowland Scarlett was born at Southsea, Hampshire one of the sons of Air Vice Marshal Francis Rowland Scarlett and Dora Scarlett (née Blakiston-Houston). His father was an early naval aviator and his grandfather had been colonel of the 5th Dragoon Guards. He was a member of the Streatfeild family of Rossington Hall, Bawtry, and added the Streatfeild to his own name in 1939.
RAF career
Scarlett joined the Royal Air Force in 1927 as a flight cadet in "B" Squadron, Royal Air Force College Cranwell and on 15 December 1928 was commissioned pilot officer with service number 26093, and posted to the staff at RAF Calshot a flying boat base, commencing his training on the "flying boat course" on 5 March 1929 preliminary to becoming a permanent member of staff and pilot at RAF Calshot. He was promoted flying officer on 15 June 1930.
On 26 March 1934 Scarlett joined RAF Donibristle as Navigation Officer being promoted flight lieutenant on 1 August 1934, and on 29 December 1936 was appointed Navigation Officer at Headquarters No. 17 Group RAF tasked with reconnaissance. On 1 October 1937 he was promoted squadron leader, and transferred to HQ No. 16 Group RAF in the same capacity and on 23 March 1939 joined No. 203 Squadron RAF flying Short Singapore Mark III flying boats over the Red Sea from Basra as navigation leader. It was announced in the London Gazette in March 1939 that he had added "Streatfeild" to his surname. He survived a serious air crash on 8 August 1939 at Aboukir in Egypt, he was amongst the injured.
Second World War
Scarlett-Streatfeild took command of No. 203 Squadron RAF in October 1939 shortly after its arrival in Aden to convert from flying boats to twin engine Bristol Blenheim Mark I and IV's in which it flew reconnaissance and fighter patrols over the Red Sea and in action with the Italian Air Force after Italy entered the war in June 1940. On 1 June 1940 he was promoted temporary wing commander. Scarlett-Streatfeild was transferred in June 1941 when the squadron was posted to Egypt and Palestine, he became senior air staff officer No. 201 Group RAF Naval Co-Operation under Air Vice Marshal Leonard Slatter and later Air Vice Marshal Hugh Lloyd eventually being promoted to acting Air Officer Commanding No. 201 Group RAF himself. Already an acting group captain he was made temporary group captain on 11 October 1942.
During the North African Campaign in 1942, the successful coordination of No. 201 (Naval Co-operation) Group under Slatter and Lloyd with No. 205 (Heavy Bomber) Group under Air Commodores Lachlan L. MacLean and Alan P. Ritchie, and Air Headquarters (H.Q.) Western Desert under Air Vice Marshal Arthur Coningham, provided the practical model upon which British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, American President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and their staffs reorganized the Allied air forces in the North African and Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) at the Casablanca Conference in January 1943. The result of this reorganization was the Mediterranean Air Command commanded by Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder and its major sub-command, the Northwest African Air Forces (NAAF) under Lieutenant General Carl Spaatz, was structured according to the tri-force model.
The air interdiction model consisting of coastal, strategic, and tactical air forces was presented to the Casablanca planners by Tedder who along with primarily Lloyd, Ritchie, and especially Coningham, implemented and developed the model during the successful campaigns in Egypt and Libya.
In recognition of the part which he had played, Scarlett-Streatfeild was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 1 January 1943, and appointed acting air commodore on 27 February 1943. He was also Mentioned in Despatches in the London Gazette on 2 June 1943. On 29 March 1943 Scarlett-Streatfeild was appointed senior air staff officer to HQ North-West African Coastal Force, being formally promoted group captain on 27 August 1943, and then on 28 March 1944 becoming senior air staff officer HQ No. 15 Group RAF a coastal reconnaissance group with embedded Naval units and personnel.