Air Force Badly In Need Of Tradesmen

Chronicle (Levin), 5 August 1949, Page 3

Air Force Badly In Need Of Tradesmen

Press Assoctation )

(Per

WELLINGTON, August 4. , Commencing next year the RoyaJ New Zealand Air Force will undergo a rnajor rearming programme. This will be based on replacing present operational and training- aircraft with mod-' ern types which are now in use by the 1 Eoyal Air Force. This decision follows the recent visit to Britain of the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Vice-Marshal A. de T. Nevill. Reference to the re-equipping of the R.N.Z.A.F. is made by Air Vice-Marshal Nevill in his annual report presented to Parliament today. "The R.N.Z.A.F. has emerged from the abnormai unstable conditions of the interim period, depleted in trained manpower and vest'ed with three maiii commitments, " he states. "These are the training of members np to the high standards of efficiency demanded of a modern fighting service, the continuing to fulfil operational tasks and reorganising practically all phases of the Aii Force administration' to meet modern needs. These three interdependent tasks have placed a considerab'le burden on the R.N.Z.A.F. In view of the shortage of trained manpower, efforts to attract reeruits of suitable calibre have-met with only partial success. A vigorous recruiting campaign must be. pursued in the coming year to attract the right type of young New Zealander as soon as he leaves school." The report adds that the R.N.Z.A.I' had reached its lowest point in effective strength in March, 1948. Althougb recruiting in the ensuing 12 months resulted in the enlistment of 870 personuel, nearly all untrained, releases during the same period amonnted to 731 trained personnel. The result waa that the technical capaeity of the servide was further reduced and already the acute unbalanee of trades was aggravated. Trade training ' and the cohtinued enlistment of ex-R.A.F. tradesmen, provided the only s'olution. The strength of the Air Force at March 31 was 398 officers, 2428 airmen and 223 airwomen, a total of 3049 of \ which over 600 were non-eifective and 1 undergoing training. The increase over last year's total was 202. Air Vice-Marshal Nevill added that the Air Force was entering its iirst orderly e*pansion after 3i years of preoccupation with a multitude of duties forming the aftermath of war. An intensified recruiting programme was necessarv if the depleted domestic trades or the It.N.Z'.A.F. were to be augmented and the balance of trades achieved.