Flying Marines

1. Name	Sydney Charles WOOLLEY
2. Date Commissioned	1 October 1920
3. Date retired	21 November 1949
4. Rank	Major RM
5. Awarded wings	December 1924
6. Flying schools	R.A.F Netheravon 16 June 1924 R.A.F Gosport 9 January 1925
7. Aircraft types flown	T. B.R. eg Seal, Fairey HID, Ripon, Baffin, etc
8. Squadrons	423 Flight, Eagle and Hermes 23 October 1925 to 21 November 1927 443A Flight, Furious 22 November 1927 to 15 June 1929
9. Aircraft Carriers	Argus 30 July 1925 Eagle 22 April 1926 to 14 June 1926 and 18 September 1926 to 21 November 1927 Hermes 15 June 1926 to 17 September 1926 Furious 22 November 1927 to 15 June 1929
10. Senior Appointments	None in F.A.A
11.Decorations	1939/45 Star and War medal Atlantic Star Africa Star and Clasp Defence
12. General	S.C. Woolley was one of the 19 RM Officers who volunteered for the FAA under AF.O. 1058/24 and who were on overlapping courses at the R.A.F Flying Schools. Having qualified as a Torpedo pilot he spent the next four years of his F.A.A Tour in first line TBR Squadrons afloat in Argus, Eagle, Hermes and Furious. Most of this was spent in the Mediterranean, and China during the trouble between North and South China. His ability as an aviator is mainly shown by the long period spent in squadrons without comment, proof of his absolute reliability. He was commended by Their Lordships for a new type of aircraft compass for pilots invented by him. He returned to Corps Duty on 16 September 1929 and qualified as I of S.A and in 1938 he passed the Naval Staff Course (p.s.c.). After a period of general service in Ships and shore establishments including GSO II at RMTG Devon and command of ITC he retired on 21 November 1949.
13. R.A.F Rank	Flying Officer 16 June 1924 to 15 June 1929