Sholto Douglas, 1st Baron Douglas of Kirtleside

Sholto Douglas, 1st Baron Douglas of Kirtleside Historical Figure Nationality: United Kingdom Year of Birth: 1893 Year of Death: 1969 Cause of Death: Natural causes Religion: None Occupation: Military Pilot; Author of Non-Fiction Spouse: May Howard (divorced 1932) Joan Leslie Denny(div. 1952); Hazel Walker Children: Katherine Military Branch: Royal Air Force (World War I World War II) Fictional Appearances: Or Even Eagle Flew POD: July 2, 1937 Type of Appearance: Direct

Marshal of the Royal Air Force William Sholto Douglas, 1st Baron Douglas of Kirtleside, GCB, MC, DFC (23 December 1893 – 29 October 1969) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force. After serving as a pilot, then a flight commander and finally as a squadron commander during World War I, he served as a flying instructor during the inter-war years before becoming Director of Staff Duties and then Assistant Chief of the Air Staff at the Air Ministry.

During World War II Douglas clashed with other senior commanders over strategy in the Battle of Britain. Douglas argued for a more aggressive engagement with a 'Big Wing' strategy i.e. using massed fighters to defend the United Kingdom against enemy bombers. He then became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Fighter Command in which role he was responsible for rebuilding the command's strength after the attrition of the Battle of Britain, but also for bringing it on the offensive to wrest the initiative in the air from the Luftwaffe.

Douglas went on to be Air Officer Commanding in Chief of RAF Middle East Command in which role he was an advocate of Operation Accolade, a planned British amphibious assault on Rhodes and the Dodecanese Islands in the Aegean Sea, and was disappointed when it was abandoned. He became commander of the British Zone of Occupation in Germany after the war.

From 1949 to 1964 he served as chairman of British European Airways.

Sholto Douglas in Or Even Eagle Flew

Despite Amelia Earhart's successes as a fighter pilot in mid-1940, Air Marshal Sholto Douglas was not inclined to let British flyer Amy Johnson join combat missions. While Earhart was able to meet with Douglas personally, Douglas began the meeting by giving her five minutes, and then informing Earhart that he didn't like Americans. After Earhart made her argument, Douglas concluded the meeting by saying "No. Get out."

In response, Earhart went to the British media (Douglas hadn't ordered her not to do so). The press got to work, roundly criticizing Douglas for his decision. He received calls from women's-right leaders, reporters, and British MPs, notably Robbie Robertson, whom Douglas held responsible for the foreigners in the RAF. He summoned Earhart to his office two days later. As Earhart opted to stand mute, Douglas angrily explained that, thanks to pressure from the government, Johnson and other women pilots would be assigned to OTU for combat training. He also decided to assign Earhart to 71 Squadron, since every other option would make her a martyr and him a villain. It was exactly what Earhart wanted, but she didn't tell that to Douglas.

Earhart soon proved herself a competent fighter pilot. Moreover, after that initial conflict, Earhart also kept her head down and did her job, something few Americans did, in Douglas' experience. Thus, in late 1942, when Earhart requested to stay in the RAF, he posted her back to 609 Squadron.