R.N.Z.A.F. ENDS SERVICE IN JAPAN

Grey River Argus, 31 May 1948, Page 8

R.N.Z.A.F. ENDS SERVICE IN JAPAN

AUCKLAND, This Day. The last trip in the weekly service to Japan maintained by No. 41 (Transport) Squadron, Royal New Zealand Air Force, since March, 1946, began yesterday. A Dakota aircraft, flown by Flight-Lieutenant R. Weston, who flew the first of the squadron’s aeroplanes over the route more than two-years ago, left Whenuapai for Bofu, near Iwakune, carrying a spare engine for use by No. 14 (Fighter) Squadron, the R.N.Z.A.F. unit with the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces. A ceremony is likely to be held at Bofu to mark the end of the service. More than a a hundred round trips have been made, the journey being the longest in the world flown throughout by the same aircraft and crew. Following recent practice, FlightLieutenant Weston will bring his Dakota back to New Zealand by way of Singapore. He will call there to pick up former airmen of the Royal Air Force who are on their way to New Zealand to join the R.N.Z.A.F. The squadron will in future maintain a service between Auckland and Singapore by way of Australia. The unit is commanded by Wing-Com-mander J. McL. de Lange, D.F.C.