 Joining the newly formed RAAF in August 1921 , Mackinolty established himself as the service 's senior logistician between the wars , first as Director of Transport and Equipment from 1929 to 1935 , and thereafter as Director of Equipment . He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1937 . Soon after the outbreak of World War II , he became Director of Supply and was promoted to group captain . In June 1942 he was raised to acting air commodore and appointed the Air Member for Supply and Equipment ( AMSE ) . Promoted to air vice marshal in 1948 , Mackinolty continued to serve as AMSE until his sudden death from cancer in February 1951 , aged fifty @-@ five . 
