Sorley joined the
Royal Naval Air Service in 1914. In the immediate post-war years he served in
Iraq and
Palestine before returning in 1924 to join the staff of the
Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment in
Felixstowe. to change the armament from two .303 in (7.7 mm)
Vickers machine guns in each wing to four .303 in (7.7 mm)
Brownings. This recommendation was based on extensive work carried out by Air Ministry staff, the mathematical calculations showing the need for eight machine guns being carried out by
Captain F. W. "Gunner" Hill. Sorley went on to be Officer Commanding, No. 4 Armament Training Station at
RAF West Freugh in 1937. He was knighted in the
King's Birthday Honours List in June 1944. After the War he was appointed Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at
Technical Training Command. Upon his retirement from the RAF in 1948, Sorley joined the Board of De Havilland Propellers Ltd as its Managing Director, a post he held for twelve years. He recognised the need to diversify from manufacturing propellers due to the advent of the
jet engine and was instrumental in the development of the
de Havilland Firestreak airborne
infrared missile, which became the RAF's main air defence weapon at the time. ==References==