Jimmy Jeffs

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Jimmy Jeffs

CVO OBE
James Jimmy Jeffs at work Croydon.jpg
Jimmy Jeffs at work (1920s)
Birth nameGeorge James Horatio Jeffs
Born27 January 1900
Aston, UK
Died14 May 1996
Bournemouth, UK
AllegianceFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  GB
Awards Legion of Merit (1946)

George James Horatio Jeffs, commonly known as Jimmy Jeffs CVO OBE (27 January 1900 - 14 May 1996) was a civilian air traffic control officer at Croydon Airport, London. He was issued Air Traffic Control License No. 1. dated 22 February 1922, and is credited with developing several early procedures for preventing aircraft collisions.

Contents

Early life

George James Horatio Jeffs was born on 27 January 1900 in Aston, Warwickshire. [1] [2] He was educated at Kedleston Grammar School and served in the Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Air Force during the First World War, and subsequently at the Air Ministry. [2]

Early air traffic control

In 1922 Jeffs was recruited as Civil Aviation Traffic Officer (C.A.T.O.) to Croydon Airport. [3] It was then that Air Traffic Control (ATC) first developed. [4] [5] [a] One of the first air traffic officers at Croydon Airport, others included Bill Lawford, Commander Deacon, Captain John Percival Morkham and Mr Russell. [5] [8] [b] H. W. Chattaway from Instone joined later. [5] Jeffs was retrospectively issued Air Traffic Control License No. 1. dated 22 February 1922. [9] [10] [11] Initially he used aircraft radio reports and his own calculations to locate the planes and represented them with different coloured pins pierced onto a large cross-channel routes map that he stuck to the back of an old cork bathmat. [4] As the aircraft moved along their routes he adjusted the pins accordingly. [4] [12] Later, he added flags to mark call signs and altitudes. [4] He developed several early procedures for preventing aircraft collisions. [12]

In 1934 Jeffs was transferred to Heston. [10] In 1938 he was appointed Inspector of Air Traffic Control in the Department of the Director-General of Civil Aviation at the Air Ministry. [13]

Second World War

Jeffs was commissioned to RAF Fighter Command at the onset of the Second World War. [3] [14] He was then posted to Overseas Control and then Transatlantic Air Control, Prestwick. [3] He led the organisation of the North Atlantic Airspace. [3] [14] Before being transferred to the Ministry of Aviation in 1945, he spent time at HQ RAF Ferry Command, Montreal, and at RAF Transport Command. [3]

Later air traffic control

In 1950 Jeffs was made Commander at Prestwick Airport. [15] In 1956 he succeeded Sir John D'Albiac as Commander of London Airport. [16] [17] In 1957 he was appointed to Heathrow. [18] During his career other postings included Glasgow, Manchester, Belfast, Liverpool, Blackpool, Docaster, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Jersey, Isle of Man, Hull, Orkney, Southampton, Lympne, and Gatwick. [19]

Retirement

In 1960 Jeffs retired from Croydon, and was succeeded by Chattaway. [10] Following retirement and having also been founding vice-president of the Historic Croydon Airport Society, he remained active in consulting on aviation matters. [19]

Awards and honours

In 1946 the United States awarded Jeffs with the Legion of Merit. [20] In 1960 he was made CVO. [3] [21]

Death

Jeffs died at home on 14 May 1996 in Bournemouth. [22] He was survived by his wife, Phyllis, and their children. [22]

Notes

  1. ↑ ATC clearance procedures were introduced at Croydon following the 1920 aircraft crash near Croydon, and further developed following the 1922 Picardie mid-air collision. [6] [7]
  2. ↑ The first air traffic control officers were generally already airport employed personnel with some flying experience rather than specifically trained for the role. [4] [8]

References

  1. ↑ "1939 England and Wales Register" . 1939 England and Wales Register (Coulsdon and Purley). 1947. Retrieved 5 December 2022– via ancestry.co.uk.
  2. 1 2 "1933 Who's Who in British Aviation: Name J - Graces Guide". www.gracesguide.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 February 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Partington, David (1996). "Croydon Watch Log 1937-8" (PDF). Archive: The Air. Britain Civil Aviation Historical Quarterly. No. 1. p. 76. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 February 2025. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Baumgartner, Marc (2007). "1. The organisation and operation of European airspace". In Cook, Andrew (ed.). European Air Traffic Management: Principles, Practice, and Research. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 5. ISBN   978-0-7546-7295-1.
  5. 1 2 3 Cluett, Douglas; Nash, Joanna; Learmonth, Bob (1977). "3. Croydon Aerodrome: customs Airport of London". The first Croydon Airport 1915-1928. Sutton: London Borough of Sutton. pp. 49–51. ISBN   0-950-3224-3-1.
  6. ↑ Biedermann, Markus (2023). "5. Safety management in air navigation service providers". In Efthymiou, Marina (ed.). Air Traffic Management: Principles, Performance, Markets. New York: Routledge. pp. 84–85. ISBN   978-0-3673-3247-1.
  7. ↑ Mitchell, William; Bissell, Clayton (1 November 1922). "Report of inspection trip to France, Italy, Germany, Holland, and England, made during the winter of 1921-1922". Air Service Information Circular. IV (391). Washington D.C.: Chief of Air Service, Washington Government Printing Office.
  8. 1 2 Eaglestone, J.; Damos, D.; Hörmann, H.-J.; Stadler, K.; Wium, J. (2022). Selection in Aviation: A European Association for Aviation Psychology Report (PDF). European Association for Aviation Psychology. p. 36. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2025.
  9. ↑ "Genesis of Air Traffic Control – Historic Croydon Airport Trust". www.historiccroydonairport.org.uk. Archived from the original on 26 September 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  10. 1 2 3 Cluett, Douglas; Nash, Joanna; Learmonth, Bob (1980). "2. Life at the Airport". Croydon Airport 1928-1939. Sutton: London Borough of Sutton. pp. 18–19. ISBN   0-950-3224-8-2.
  11. ↑ Russo, Carolyn (2015). Art of the Airport Tower. Smithsonian Institution. ISBN   978-1-58834-508-0.
  12. 1 2 Hales-Dutton, Bruce (2020). "8. On silver wings". Cross-Channel Aviation Pioneers: Blanchard and Bleriot, Vikings and Viscounts. Yorkshire: Pen and Sword. pp. 134–135. ISBN   978-1-52677-559-7.
  13. ↑ Partington, David (1989). "Official air routes: 1937" (PDF). The Air Britain Civil Aviation Historical Quarterly (1): 79. ISSN   0262-4923. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 February 2025.
  14. 1 2 Mitchell, John; Feast, Sean (2010). "4. Meeting the owner". Churchill's Navigator. Grub Street Publishing. pp. 64–104. ISBN   978-1-908117-94-6.
  15. ↑ "Airport's new commandment" . Halifax Evening Courier. 17 January 1957. p. 1. Retrieved 6 February 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
  16. ↑ The Aeroplane. Temple Press. 1956. p. 802.
  17. ↑ "New Commandment at London Airport" . The Scotsman. 21 November 1956. p. 4. Retrieved 6 February 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
  18. ↑ "Jimmy Jeffs – UK | 100 Years Air Traffic Control". Archived from the original on 27 February 2024. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  19. 1 2 "From Croydon to computers" (PDF). 12 August 1991. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2025. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  20. ↑ "Legion of Merit" (PDF). The London Gazette (third supplement). 30 April 1946. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  21. ↑ "To be Commanders" (PDF). The London Gazette. 11 June 1960. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  22. 1 2 "Deaths" . Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser. 16 May 1996. p. 21 – via British Newspaper Archive.

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