PERSONNEL IN PACIFIC

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 97, 14 August 1945, Page 4

PERSONNEL IN PACIFIC

WELL INFORMED ON REHABILITATION The opinion that R.N.Z.A.F. personnel in the Pacific were fully satisfied with what the Rehabilitation. Departmet was doing for and also with the extent to which in-' formation on rehabilitation was was expressed in an interview by Wing-« Commander E. Caradus Director of Educational Services, R.N.Z.A.F. who has just returned from a tour of R.N.Z.A.F. units at most Pacific bases ? naval shore establishments and R.N.Z.N. ships im the Pacific. Wing-Commander Caradus said that so Me 20<»0 R.N.Z.A.F. men in the Pacific w r ere taking some form of class or correspondence coursej out of a total of over 7000 naval and Air Force men in all at ♦ home and overseas who had enroll-* * ed. It was; apparent that with a view to their rehabilitation the men were taking steps to improve their qualifications. Officers of the R.N.Z.A.F. Educational Services had long been available on all Air Force stations to supply airmen with information on rehabilitation, he said. The various aspects of the subject had been treated in a series of short talks, while full information was distributed regularly. Notices in Y.M.C.A. rooms and libraries drew the atten-

tion of personnel to the existence of full information on rehabilitation which could be obtained from educational officers. In addition' on practically every station short tal'kf were given over loud speakers as aii introduction to the picture programme. On one station the education officer had instituted a quiz session on the subject at the commencement of the programme a question being put one night • and answered the next. Taken by and large New Zealanders on Pacific stations had ample opportunity of knowing what was being done towards their rehabilitation on their return. Any man who required specific information could obtain it through the information service, the WingCommander added. If he were not sufficiently interested to make the necessary enquiry it was his own .concern as the giving of rehabilitation information was one of the' specific duties of the education officers. During his visit Wing-Com-» mander Caradus gave 13 talks, sometimes over the loud speaker at the pictures, sometimes in the Y.M.C.A., and once in the and found the men actively interest-