PERSONNEL FOR AIR FORCE

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23967, 7 June 1943, Page 6

PERSONNEL FOR AIR FORCE

GROWING NEEDS OF NEW ZEALAND

HUNDREDS OF AIRCRAFT BEING RECEIVED (P.A.) AUCKLAND. June 6. “Just at a time when the Air Training Corps is becoming most valuable to us, there has been some falling-off not only in candidates for the corps, but also in the number of young men entering the air service itself," said Air Vice-Marshal R. V. Goddard, Chief of the Air Staff, in an address to units of the Auckland wing of the Air Training Corps, and citizens, in the Civic Theatre this afternoon. Nothing was more dangerous to the future conduct of the war, he said, than that there should be a shortage of personnel available to man the greatly-increased numbers of aeroplanes being turned out.

Now that New Zealand was receiving some hundreds of efficient service aircraft, there was an altogether new anxiety as to whether there would be sufficient men, and particularly sufficient young men, to come forward. It was difficult to see the reason for this, but possibly it was caused by some lack of guidance concerning the need for reinforcements. There had been a time when those who wished to join the Royal New Zealand Air Force had had to wait sometimes as long as 18 months, and many had decided in the meantime to join the other services. In the manner many potential -airmen had been lost. Now there were no long waiting lists.

Air Vice-Marshal Goddard said everyone who could be accepted was sure of being required. Being in the Air Training Corps the lads were regarded as on the waiting list already. Nobody with a sense of responsibility could talk lightly of taking thousands of men into the Air Force, but thousands really were needed. He said he thought the Government’s plans would be effective provided it was realised that the Air Force was a volunteer service.

Good news sometimes had the effect of niaking people think there was less need now for effort, and perhaps it was difficult when young men were being released from the Army for people to be sure that they were needed in the Air Force. A year ago New Zealand had had to build a great army in case of invasion, but now was the time for the greatest possible effort in building up air power. He could say with certainty that it was the view of the Government that the prime weapon for New Zealand to use in the Pacific was the Air Force The leaders of the United States forces had acknowledged how good, how proficient, and how gallant New Zealand’s token Air Force in the Pacific had been. They had manned mostly reconnaissance aeroplanes, chiefly in supporting bomber attacks, but they also had had successes against Zeros. New Zealand was now assured of ma-, chines for a balanced and powerful air arm of its own.